Course: Metaethics. General Ethics in Analytical Philosophy

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Course title Metaethics. General Ethics in Analytical Philosophy
Course code KPF/B212
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Peroutka David, ThLic. Ph.D.
Course content
1. The notion and subject of metaethics. 2. Moore's criticism of naturalism and the subsequent discussion; intuicionism. 3. Emotivism and prescriptivism: Ayer, Stevenson, Hare. 4. Is-ought question in the modern discussion. 5. Error theory: Russell, Mackie. 6. Realism reductionist vs. non-reductionist. 7. Arguments against/for the cognitivism. 8. Relativism: Mackie, Harman. 9. Against relativism: Taylor, Sandel, McIntyre. 10. J. Searle: speech acts, social reality. 11. Ch. Taylor: strong evaluations, horizon of significance. 12. Autonomy, subjectivity. 13. Free will and ethics. 14. Paradoxes of the contemporary theist ethics.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
Student acquaints with character of metaethical problems. These questions don't aim to determine ethical principles or norms of human actions but concern rather a most general level: the status of ethical principles and norms. The meta-ethicist asks e.g. whether they are valid objectively (independently of us) or subjectively (as mere projections of our preferences). The course includes an introduction to the main philosophical streams which offer their answers.
Student acquires the ability to discriminate the distinctively metaethical approach to ethics. He/she acquaints with the basic outlines of the modern history of metaethics, with main topics of metaethics and with contemporary methodology of this discipline.
Prerequisites
None.

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
During semester student constantly follows the lectures and is actively interested in the discussed topics. The final written test consists in two randomly selected questions.
Recommended literature
  • Fischer, A. Metaethics. An Introduction. Durham, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84465-258-7.
  • Kolář, P., Svoboda, V. Úvod do metaetiky. Praha, 1997. ISBN 80-7007-100-1.
  • Ricken, F. Obecná etika. Praha, 1995. ISBN 80-85241-72-2.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (Two-Subject Combination) (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (Two-Subject Combination) (A8) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Education Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Political Science (Two-Subject Combination) (A14) Category: Social sciences - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (Two-Subject Combination) (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Education Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (Two-Subject Combination) (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Philosophy (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Human Studies focused Aesthetics (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (Two-Subject Combination) (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Education Study plan (Version): Social Sciences (A14) Category: Philosophy, theology - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -