This unit provides a general introduction to some of the major topics in ethics, moral theory and contemporary political philosophy. The first section of the unit, 'Ethics and the Good Life', 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, 'Moral Theory: Relativism and Universalism', explores questions about the source and nature of morality and moral judgment. Do moral principles and judgments have any claim to objectivity or are they relative to specific societies and cultures? Is morality ultimately founded on self-interest? We consider a number of different answers to these questions and then discuss two of the most influential modern attempts to provide an impartial, universal and non-relativist foundation for morality: Kantianism and Utilitarianism.
The third section, 'Contemporary Problems of Justice', provides an introduction to contemporary political philosophy, focusing on a number of topical issues concerning social justice. We begin with a discussion of John Rawls' influential theory of distributive justice, which articulates principles for a just distribution of resources within a society. We then look at the topic of global justice and consider whether these principles could be extended globally, to address the gross inequalities of wealth, opportunities and resources that exist in our world. In the final two weeks we consider the relevance of historic injustice to indigenous rights claims, as well as the justice claims of immigrants and refugees.
