Ethics is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with questions about how we should live, and therefore about the nature of right and wrong, good and bad, ought and ought not, duty and other such concepts. In this class, we will explore the methods groups and individuals throughout history have created to approach these questions, while identifying the similarities and differences between them.

The goals of the class are:
- to familiarize students with a variety of ethical systems
- to let students practice identifying ethical issues using assigned books/movies 
- to develop the students’ ability to discuss and analyze ethical issues with thoughtfulness and respect for differing viewpoints 
- to help them recognize the nuances and complexities of competing values and moral frameworks through in-class simulations

We envision that through these goals, students can begin to develop the critical thinking skills they will need to approach today’s questions with open-mindedness and consideration for differing viewpoints while still maintaining their own foundational morals. 

We will use a combination of books, movies, simulations, presentations, writing assignments, and class discussions as the vehicles to explore the terrain. This is a class focused on the journey of asking good questions and wrestling with challenging ideas, rather than providing definitive answers.  If you are expecting concrete answers to all your ethical questions, this might not be the class for you. Registration priority will be given to older students.