Utilitarianism in Action: Climate Change, Animal Ethics, Bioethics…

8.31112

Dozenten

Beschreibung

Utilitarianism is often (and to a certain extent plausibly) assumed to be particularly suitable for discussing practical questions. The basic idea is that actions are morally evaluated on the basis of their (foreseeable, probable) consequences.
One of the most prominent, but also most controversial, utilitarian approaches is that developed by Peter Singer in “Practical Ethics”. After a brief and accessible theoretical introduction to Singer's variant of utilitarianism, the focus is on a whole range of very practical questions: the spectrum ranges from animal ethics and the classic bioethical issues of abortion and euthanasia to environmental ethics and climate ethics, and on to the problem of distributive justice between rich and poor on a global scale. The conclusion is formed by considerations on the question of why we should act morally at all.
Singer is one of the most controversial figures in the current moral-philosophical debate. He is active in the “effective altruism” movement, but at the same time he is also criticized for a number of quite radical positions. In this seminar, we will take a detailed look at his ideas and critically examine them.
The seminar is four hours (8 credits) and includes a coffee break together.
The exact requirements will be determined at the beginning of the seminar. In any case, they will include a seminar paper on a topic of (practical) ethics that can be chosen freely.

Weitere Angaben

Ort: 50/E07
Zeiten: Fr. 09:00 - 12:00 (wöchentlich)
Erster Termin: Freitag, 25.04.2025 09:00 - 12:00, Ort: 50/E07
Veranstaltungsart: Seminar (Offizielle Lehrveranstaltungen)

Studienbereiche

• Philosophie > Freier Wahlbereich (PHI-FWB)
• Cognitive Science > Bachelor-Programm
• Cognitive Science > Master-Programm
• Philosophie > Professionalisierungsbereich (4-Schritte-+) > Vertiefungsbereich I/II (PHI-Vb1_v1 / PHI-Vb2_v2)
• Human Sciences (e.g. Cognitive Science, Psychology)
• Philosophie > Nebenfach Philosophie > Veranstaltung aus dem freien Wahlbereich (PHI-FWB- NF)