This subject critiques and draws on recent theoretical and experimental work on values, practical reasoning and decision making, particularly in social contexts, as aids in the examination of selected contemporary controversies in applied ethics. The subject will begin by looking at recent discussions of fairness and values, models of rational decision making, social norms and the relation and tension between individual and collective rationality. This conceptual material will be deployed in the interpretation and analysis of such current debates as the relationship between economic and other values, such as environmental values, the immigration debate, and issues in reproductive technology.
HD/FL
One session
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical reasoning Values and fairness Causes and reasons Explanation and justification Game and decision theory Belief/desire theories of rational action Instrumental and expressive rationality Social norms Individual and collective rationality Experimental evidence of decision making Invisible hand explanations The nature and limit of economic value Valuing the environment The immigration debate Reproductive technology: rights of access and areas of concern
The following table summarises the assessment tasks for the online offering of PHL302 in Session 1 2019. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated and can also differ to suit the mode of study (online or on campus).
The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: October 2020. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.