This unit provides an introduction to moral, political and social philosophy. It is divided into three sections. The first section, 'Morality and Happiness' focuses on the nature of happiness, and on the relationships between happiness and pleasure and happiness and duty. Is pleasure essential to happiness? Or does the pursuit of pleasure harm our chances of true and lasting happiness? Is the happy life compatible with the dutiful life? Or do we have to choose between them? These issues are discussed with particular reference to the views of Aristotle and later ancient philosophers.
The second section, 'Morality and Objectivity', considers what kind of objectivity, if any, morality might have. Morality aspires to provide us with a guide to action. But what is the status of moral principles and judgments? Are they subjective? Or relative to particular cultures and societies? Can morality be founded on religion? We consider a number of conflicting answers to these questions, focusing on the challenges to morality raised by self-interest theories and moral relativism. The view that moral objectivity derives from religion is also critically examined, as well as the existentialist claim that since there is no transcendental basis for morality then human life is absurd.
The third section of the unit, 'Morality, Justice and Rights' returns to the sorts of normative ethical questions and issues raised in the first section. How should we live and act? What is a just society? We critically examine three major contemporary ethical theories that set out to offer systematic answers to these questions - Kantianism, utilitarianism and liberalism - and explore some of the practical implications these theories have in the areas such as animal rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, and the rights of refugees.
