PHIL 103 Moral and Social Problems

Overview of Course

We have all been in a situation in which we have had to make an ethical decision, i.e., a judgment concerning good or bad, or right or wrong. While we may hope for a definitive resolution to an ethical conflict, such is typically not available. And so we ask, how does one make an ethical decision in such a context? How does one make an ethical decision when confronted by different ways of looking at a value-based problem and different ways of solving it? On a Semester at Sea voyage to diverse cultural destinations, what can we learn about navigating ethical dilemmas as we study them in their global and local contexts?

The course introduces students to philosophical ethics from a practical standpoint. It provides an overview of the nature and boundaries of ethical traditions, skills for ethical decision-making and action, and skills for analyzing and critiquing a case study ethical analysis. With attention to empathic engagement, the reflective exercises in class engage students in their own ethical decision-making processes as they consider case studies drawn from the countries and cultures we visit. On the minds of those voyaging as we do, are there unifying themes in global ethics? Are there radically different alternatives in ethical deliberation? How do we navigate the differences and reframe options? In the course, students consider questions concerning ethics in a global comparative context and, in so doing, gain experience in thinking critically, reasoning carefully, and speaking and writing thoughtfully and empathetically about ethical matters.