5 Outline deontology as a generic theory of decision making. Outline Kantian deontological ethics, covering all aspects of the theory. Explain through demonstration, the difference between a categorical and a hypothetical imperative. Build this into the explanation of the Kantian focus on the categorical. Use examples of ethical situations to illustrate the decision making process used by an ethical being following Kantian deontological ethics. Kant, I, Foundations of the metaphysics of morals Maxim Deontology Categorical imperative Hypothetical imperative Activities focusing on: understanding the definitions of key terms an concepts using examples to illustrate understanding. Practice definition questions. Use of examples to demonstrate Kantian deontological ethics in practice. 6 This week will focus on the strengths of Kantian deontological ethics by highlighting the ways in which issues with utilitarianism are no longer issues for a Kantian. This should reinforce what was learnt in week 5 around the theory itself. Activities focusing on appreciating the relative merits of a theory. Outline questions. Group work and collaboration on organising responses. 7–8 Issues with Kantian deontological ethics. After re-capping the central tenets of Kantian deontological ethics, students to work in groups to identify apparent issues, particularly with regards to a comparison of all forms of utilitarianism. Explore the issue around the intuition that consequences of actions determine their moral value (independent of Foot, P, Morality as a system of hypothetical imperatives, vol 81, issue 3, Consequence Universalisability Activities focusing on: discussing the relative merits of different objections to a position discussing the relative merits of different objections to a position using examples to 12-mark exam questions. Students working together to generate ideas and articulate why issues arise with Kantian deontological
sufficiently clear guidance about how to act? The issue of clashing/competing virtues. The possibility of circularity involved in defining virtuous acts and virtuous people in terms of each other. merits of different objections to a position the drawing and supporting of appropriate conclusions. question as a class. Students to complete for homework. Applied ethics Week Teaching notes Anthology references Key concepts Skills development Assessment 12 This week, students will critically apply the three theories of utilitarianism, Kantian deontological ethics and Aristotle’s virtue ethics to real, issues that we face in our contemporary society. Apply the theories to stealing and simulated killing. Students should be offered real situations reflecting these issues. Activities focusing on: discussing the relative merits of different objections to a position the drawing and supporting of appropriate conclusions. Practice exam question (all types of question: 3, 5, 12, 25 marks). 13 Students to continue to critically apply the three theories of utilitarianism, Kantian deontological ethics and Aristotle’s virtue Activities focusing on: discussing the relative Practice exam question (all of question: 3, 5,
ethics to real, issues that we face in our contemporary society. Apply the theories to eating animals and telling lies. Reflection: which of the theories do students believe offer the most help when making decisions on these real issues? Is the ‘most helpful’ theory therefore the most ‘ethically good’ theory? merits of different objections to a position the drawing and supporting of appropriate conclusions. 12, 25 marks). Planning an essay-style question as a class. Students to complete for homework. Meta-ethics Introduction Week Teaching notes Anthology references Key concepts Skills development Assessment 14 Explore the meaning of language through looking at a range of statements, eg ‘get off!’, ‘I feel sad’, ‘I love you’, ‘can you help me?’ and discussing how these statements have meaning. Explore the differences between such statements. How does ethical language have meaning? Before learning the details of competing theories, students should be enabled to explore their own reflections, Truth Falsity Verification (principle) Propositional claim Logical positivism Assertion Activities focusing on: recognising the many forms of meaning through language formulating and articulating own on how language has meaning. the generation of Participation in teacher questioning and class discussion. Use of examples to illustrate own arguments.
using examples to illustrate their points. Cognitivism vs non-cognitivism examples to demonstrate understanding. Moral realism Week Teaching notes Anthology references Key concepts Skills development Assessment 15 Ethical language makes claims about reality which are true of false (fact stating). Moral realism: the theory that ethical language makes claims about reality that are true. Ethical naturalism (eg utilitarianism). Ethical non-naturalism (eg intuitionism). Mackie, J L, Ethics: inventing right and wrong, chapter 1, sections 8 and 9 Moore, G E, Principia Ethica Moral realism Mind-independent Ethical naturalism Ethical non- naturalism Mind-independent theory Activities focusing on: discussing the relative merits of different objections to a position the drawing and supporting of appropriate conclusions. Practice definition questions. Moral anti-realism Week Teaching notes Anthology references Key concepts Skills development Assessment
16 Error theory: ethical language attempts to make claims about reality, but always fails (Mackie). Emotivism: ethical language expresses emotions (Hume and Ayer). Prescriptivism: ethical language makes recommendations about action (Hare). Hume, D, Treatise of nature, book III, part 1 (for emotivism) Hare, R M, The language of morals, chapters 1, 5, 7, 10.2 Ayer, A J, Language, truth and logic, especially chapters 1 and 6 Ayer, A J, The central questions of philosophy, Emotivism Prescriptivism Activities focusing on: discussing the relative merits of different objections to a position the drawing and supporting of appropriate conclusions. Practice definition questions. Practice 25-mark exam question on ethical language. 17 Given the volume of competing theories within this aspect of the unit, alongside the number of anthology references that students need to access, this week should be used as catch-up or (preferably) consolidation of the theories covered. Activities focusing on: consolidation of knowledge application of knowledge within an exam format. Planning an question as a class. Students to complete for homework. Could also use mock exam covering whole unit.