Metaethics: Facts and Feelings in Ethics

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Contribute to discussion in a critical but dispassionate way.
• Take notes from talks and written materials.
• Undertake independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources
• Express views clearly and concisely.
• Work effectively to deadlines.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• influential theories in metaethics.
• the arguments for and against theories in metaethics.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Debate and criticise ideas and arguments in an even-handed fashion.
• Present philosophical ideas in writing, clearly and carefully
• Interpret, synthesise and criticise philosophically complex texts and positions
• Articulate and defend your own views regarding the issues the module concerns

The syllabus may vary from year to year. Topics might include:

• Moral realism and anti-realism: are there facts about right and wrong? If so, do these facts depend on us?
• The nature of moral judgment: are moral judgments beliefs? Might they instead be emotions or preferences?
• Moral epistemology: if there are moral facts, how can we know about them?
• The significance of morality: why should we care about right and wrong?

Teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• In-class discussion
• One-on-one consultation with module co-ordinator

Learning activities include:

• Attending classes
• Contribution to class discussion
• Doing independent research for and writing assessed work

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Essay proposal

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Students will receive written feedback. Students have the opportunity to receive further feedback from the module co-ordinator on any aspect of their performance during office hours or by appointment.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No
• Percentage contribution: 100%

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.