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The Ethics of Life and Death: Humans, Animals and the Environment (Level 7)

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 7
  • Convenor: to be confirmed
  • Tutor: Dr Sophia Connell
  • Assessment: a 2000-word essay (40%) and 2500-word essay (60%)

Module description

In this module we introduce you to some of the most important ethical questions currently faced by human beings in our relation to each other, to non-human animals and to the rest of the natural world.

  • How should we think about the ethics of bringing human beings into existence?
  • Is it our duty, or is it just wrong, to think that we should seek to bring into existence human beings with certain characteristics rather than others?
  • What duties, if any, do we have towards future generations of human beings who either will, or will not, exist depending on what we currently do?
  • Do these duties extend to non-human beings or other forms of sentient life?
  • Under what conditions is it justified to end a human life, either for its own sake or for the sake of others?
  • Do the same considerations apply to non-human animals?
  • How should we think of our ethical relationship to the rest of nature, such as non-sentient species, artificial intelligence or ecosystems?

During the course of this module you will consider a sample of some of the most influential theories and arguments relating to the ethics of reproduction; health care; the ethics of human-animal relationships; vegetarianism and veganism; future generations; and the value of the environment, or deep ecology.

Indicative syllabus

  • The ethics of procreation
  • Antinatalism
  • Duties to future generations
  • Duties to non-human animals
  • Vegetarianism and veganism
  • Euthanasia
  • Capital punishment
  • The ethics of AI
  • The value of the environment
  • Deep ecology

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • understand different philosophical approaches to ethical questions that arise from our relationships with other human beings, with non-human animals and with the environment, as well as their interrelationships with theories in moral philosophy
  • understand different ideas, contexts and frameworks deployed by contributors to philosophical debates over applied and practical ethics; their strengths and weaknesses; and their relevance to the broader discussion in society
  • critically respond to different philosophical theories of our rights and obligations toward future human beings, non-human animals and the natural world, suggesting new concepts or approaches
  • critically challenge philosophical accounts of the ethics of reproduction, death and dying, health care and deep ecology, while situating these in relation to ethical theories and societal debates.