This course will deal with a range of core issues in contemporary meta-ethics. Topics covered will include whether there are any objective ethical facts, and if so what kind of facts they could be; what kind of state of mind a moral opinion is; how such opinions can come to be justified; and whether moral language should be understood as descriptive or expressive. We will consider whether ordinary moral judgements might be radically mistaken; what kind of relativity might attach to morality; what is at stake in ethical disagreements; and what methods are appropriate for moral inquiry.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- describe accurately the main meta-ethical theories covered by the course;
- state the most important arguments for and against those theories;
- evaluate the plausibility of those arguments, offering clearly articulated reasons for their evaluation; and
- develop detailed and well-structured arguments for conclusions concerning two of the topics covered by the course.
Indicative Assessment
- First Essay (2,500 words) (55) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Second Essay (2,500 words) (25) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Preparation and Participation, consisting of submission of weekly reading notes and tutorial participation, in each tutorial week. (20) [LO 1,2,3]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
Prescribed texts are not required. A range of readings will be specified for the classes, and provided at the start of the semester.
Preliminary Reading
David Copp (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ethical Theory (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006)
Mark van Roojen, Metaethics: A Contemporary Introduction (New York: Routledge, 2015)
Andrew Fisher and Simon Kirchin (eds), Arguing About Metaethics (London: Routledge: 2006)
Stephen L. Darwall, Philosophical Ethics (Boulder: Westview Press, 1998)
Assumed Knowledge
1 first year course in philosophy
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4080 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $5280 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
