North South University

Department of History and Philosophy

Fall 2023 (Intersession)
Course Code: PHI 104.2 Class Time: RA 8:00 am- 11:00 am.
Course Title: Introduction to Ethics Class code: zxn-fxax-agi
Course Teacher: Dr. Md. Lutfor Rahman Office hour: RA 11:10 am- 1:10 pm
Contact No: 01918469605 Office room: NAC 1039
E-mail: lutfor.rahman06@northsouth.edu Classroom: NAC 619

Why Study Ethics?

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that focuses on morality and how moral principles are
applied to everyday life. To be a morally good person, one needs to have an
understanding of ethics. The study of ethics will help the students to think critically
about ethical matters and understand the moral values that ought to guide them. It will
improve their ability for judgment, refine behavior, decisions, and actions in resolving
moral issues and performing their duty to society. Ethics tells us how to live and act
with others. Moral concerns are unavoidable and very much related in every walk of
our lives. The area of its application is expanding day by day. Because of this today
ethics has become a very relevant subject of study.

Course Description:
The content of this course consists of both theoretical and practical, traditional and
contemporary aspects of ethical study. Students will learn the important moral
principles designed to guide human behavior and apply them to distinguish between
right and wrong, and to solve moral dilemmas. In this course, we will deal with
traditional ethical principles such as egoism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue
ethics. We will also learn about ethics of care, human rights and duties, animal and
environmental rights, and justice. Ethical issues such as relativism and absolutism, and
theories of punishment are also our study material. Some contemporary practical
moral issues such as organ transplantation, abortion, euthanasia, drug abuse, feminism
professionalism etc. will be addressed with importance. The details of the course
content are clearly stated in the lecture plan.

Course objective:
i. To make it understandable– Why study ethics?
ii. Clarify the main ethical terms and concepts.
iii. Explain different approaches to the study of ethics.
iv. Understand the moral values that ought to guide our behavior.
v. Justify the moral judgments concerning our life.
vi. Learn to resolve moral conflicts and dilemmas.
vii. Introducing the great moral philosophers and their thoughts.

Course outcome:
i. Students will be able to identify, analyze, and think clearly about moral
problems.
ii. Learn how to determine the right thing to do.
iii. Learn to respect for persons, i.e., showing concern for the well-being of others,
besides themselves.
iv. Will increase the ability to deal with ethical issues and solve problems of
everyday life efficiently by applying moral principles. Thinking better about
morality.
v. Hoping that the students will apply this knowledge to their life, i.e., they will
behave morally desirable way.

Basic Books:
1. Fiala, Andrew & Mackinnon, Barbar (2014), Ethics: Theory and Contemporary
Issues, London: Cengage Learning.
2. May, Larry et al. (2011), Applied Ethics: A Multicultural Approach, Boston:
Prentice-Hall.
3. Tannsjo, Torbjorn (2009), Understanding Ethics: An Introduction to Moral
Theory, London: Edinburgh University Press.

Books Recommended:
1. Lille, William, An Introduction to Ethics, London: Mathuen, 1966.
2. Singer, Peter, Practical Ethics, Cambridge University Press, 2000.
3. Jardins J.R.D, Environmental Ethics, Australia: Wadsworth, 2001.
4. Mill, J.S, Utilitarianism, Mineola, New York, Dover Publications, 2007.
5. Kant, Immanuel, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, tr. T.K.
Abott, London, 1949.
6. Velasquez, G. Manuel, Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases, 7th ed., PHI
Learning, New Delhi, 2018.
7. Rawls, John, A Theory of Justice, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971.
8. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, (book 11), trans by W.D. Ross, Ontario: Batoche
Books, 1999.
9. Talukder, M.M.H, Nature and life: Essays on Deep Ecology and Applied Ethics:
Cambridge, Scholars Publishing, 2018.

Marks Distribution:
1. Mid-term Examination 25
2. Final Examination 35
3. Quiz 20
4. Class attendance/participation 10
5. Viva 10
100

Lecture Plan
Class 1: Introduction to ethics: nature, scope, and kinds of ethics.
Class 2: Consequentialism (ethical egoism and utilitarianism).
Class 3: Human rights (legal, moral, contractual), Animal Rights (Singer, Regan).
Class 4: Distributive justice (egalitarianism, capitalism, socialism, justice as fairness).
Class 5: Deontological ethics (Immanuel Kant). AND Quiz 1 EXAM.
Class 6: Ethics of care, virtue ethics. AND MID EXAM.
Class 7: Meta-ethics meaning of “good”, Absolutism and relativism.
Class 8: Euthanasia, organ transplantation, drug abuse.
Class 9: Ethics and environment (ecological ethics), Ecofeminism.
Class 10: Theories of punishment, capital punishment. AND QUIZ 2 EXAM.
Class 11: Viva
Class 12: Professionalism, humanism, democracy (Plato’s view).