Overview of Course

The course introduces students to philosophical ethics. It provides an overview of the boundaries of ethics, skills for ethical decision-making and action, and skills for developing a case study ethical analysis. The reflective exercises in the class engage students in their own ethical decision-making processes as they consider case studies drawn from the countries we visit. The course considers some basic questions in ethics: What is ethics? How do I (we) make an ethical decision? How do I (we) design an ethical action plan? How do I (we) develop skills for critiquing and revising an ethical position? On the minds of those traveling as we do, are there unifying themes in global ethics? The class considers how philosophers have answered these questions and how their answers are relevant in our own lives. In the course, students consider questions concerning ethics in a global comparative context, and, in doing so, gain experience in thinking critically, reasoning carefully, and writing articulately about ethical matters.