Lecture outline

In 2015/16, we will discuss the following applied ethics topics

- Bioethics: What we do with our bodies, medicine, and biotechnology
- Abortion
- Reproductive genetic engineering
- Consumer ethics
- Vegetarianism
- Fair trade, consumer responsibility for exploitation in production
- Giving
- Effective altruism
- Computer ethics
- Privacy, big data, and the internet
- Artificial intelligence and autonomous robots
- Individuals & social justice
- Ethical dilemmas for teachers & "street level bureaucrats"
- Final week: the role of philosophical ethics, ethicists, and ethical advice in our personal lives and in society

Reading list

The Spring 2016 reading list can be accessed here. Please note that the list is still under construction, and material under the note marked "draft starts here" is still subject to change.

Essay questions

Essay and study questions are posted for each week on the reading list.

Next to the departmental marking scheme and essay writing guidance, have a look at the applied ethics specific essay guidance notes here.

Lecture slides

Week 1: Introduction and abortion. week 1 slides week 1 script 

Week 2: Reproductive engineering. week 2 slides week 2 script

Week 3: Vegetarianism. week 3 slides [no script available]

Week 4: Consumer ethics. week 4 slides week 4 script

Week 5: Global poverty and charitable donations. week 5 slides week 5 script

Week 7: Privacy. lecture 7 script lecutre 7 slides

Week 8: Computer Ethics. week 8 slides week 8 script

Week 9: Education: Private Schools. week 9 slides week 9 script

Week 10: Ethics in society. week 10 slides week 10 script