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Unit of study_
BETH5101: Moral Theory
2025 unit information
Participants in this Unit of Study (UoS) will develop the foundational knowledge of moral theory necessary to engage in advanced analyses of issues in health ethics. This course is arranged around three types of moral thinking: consequentialist, non-consequentialist, and theory-neutral positions. We will explore each of these. In so doing, we will read a combination of classic texts and recent articles that provide an introduction to theoretical frameworks such as virtue ethics, deontology, and utilitarianism. We will also become familiar with critical and contemporary approaches to ethical thinking, such as egalitarianism, the capabilities approach, feminist ethics, and principle-based ethics. In addition to gaining an understanding of these theories and approaches, students in this UoS will consider a variety of topics pertinent to current ethical debates, including cultural relativism, universalism in ethics, difference, power, and oppression.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Public Health |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. identify an ethical argument and its premises
- LO2. distinguish between the main ethical frameworks and understand key criticisms of each
- LO3. justify positions in accordance with the theories learned
- LO4. formulate and write a sound ethical argument on a particular issue.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2024
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney | |
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Semester 1 2024
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Online | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Semester 1 2025
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Online | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
