PHIL256

An introduction to moral theory and moral principles, including egoism, utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, and virtue theory. The course considers whether morality is a matter of custom, convention, or individual preference, and asks how we can determine what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Topics typically include the relationship between morality and religion, moral motivation, moral relativism, conceptions of justice, Confucian conceptions of self-cultivation, Buddhist virtue ethics, and finding meaning in life.