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PHIL375 Social Philosophy: Issues in Applied Ethics

Updated: 06 January 2010
Credit Points 6
Offering Not offered in 2010
Intensive School(s)
Start Finish Attendance Notes
N/A N/A Non-Mandatory
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites 6cp in PHIL or candidature in BCrim or a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions PHIL475 or PHIL575
Notes None
Combined Units PHIL575 - Social Philosophy: Issues in Applied Ethics
Coordinator(s) Adrian Walsh (awalsh@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

Contemporary public life is awash with contentious ethical debates regarding the justice of war, the justification of otherwise of censorship, the proper limits of freedom of speech, the appropriate aims of punishment, how we might strike a balance between the right to privacy and the need for surveillance. In this unit we use the writings of a number of significant social philosophers to examine the controversies and provide normative solutions to these vexing issues. In our treatment of these topics emphasis is placed on problem solving.
Prescribed Material
Mandatory 		Text(s):

Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material

Social and Political Philosophy
ISBN: 9780155037465
Sher, G. and Brody, B. (eds), Wadsworth Publishing 1998
Text refers to: Semester 2 , On and Off Campus
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Assignment 1 60% 3500
Assessment Notes
Essay
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-4 GA: 1, 2, 4-6
Final Examination 2 hrs 40%
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-4 GA: 1, 2, 4-6

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. possess a sound understanding of the main ethical frameworks that underpin the writings of major social philosophers;
  2. describe the relevance of these frameworks to everyday controversies in social philosophy and apply such frameworks to these controversies;
  3. engage directly with these controversies in social philosophy in a philosophical manner;
  4. present a coherent and well-argued response to these controversial issues in an essay format.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Knowledge of the philosophy discipline will be taught through lectures and tutorials. It will be assessed in both assessments. 		True True
2 Communication Skills
Students will be taught communication skills through written and oral feedback on the essay for the unit. Students studying on-campus will learn valuable communication skills through participation in tutorials (this will include debates and small group work). Students will be assessed on the style of writing, clarity of writing, expression and development of ideas, and referencing. Students will practice their communication skills through completing the assessment tasks (written through the essay). 		True True True
4 Information Literacy
Students will be taught, and directed, to relevant literature and how to assess its validity. Students will be assessed (through the essay) on their ability to identify relevant literature, and on their ability to critically analyse the literature. 		True True
5 Life-Long Learning
Through completing the assessments, students will be provided with the necessary lifelong skills to be able to research, write and discuss social issues. These skills can be transferred to any discipline, and will be useful in any research positions. These attributes will be assessed in all of the assessments (written skills; analytical skills). In addition, students who attend tutorials will be provided with the skills to debate contentious topics and develop their understanding of a topic through group activities. 		True True
6 Problem Solving
Students will be assessed on their ability to deconstruct the essay question and to integrate theory and literature into their answer. Students will need to work out how to address the question and where the most appropriate material is to answer the question. 		True
7 Social Responsibility
Students will be taught about their professional responsibilities as a researcher to provide balanced and accurate research. In addition, students will be taught that they have a social responsibility to question and challenge some 'facts'. This will be assessed and taught through their responses to the essay, exam questions and discussions in tutorials or online postings. 		True True
8 Team Work
Students will practice their teamwork skills through participating in tutorials, or online discussion postings. They will be required to discuss the weekly topics with their fellow students in a thoughtful and respectful manner (practice). 		True
   

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