Major elective · Philosophy · Semester 5 · TY BA · 4 credits · 100 marks · 60 hours
Module 1: Bioethical Issues
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a
Abortion: the abortion debate: Is the fetus a person? Arguments from pro-choice (abortionists) versus pro-life (anti-abortionists) arguments.
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b
Euthanasia: the moral issue: conflict between duty to prolong life versus duty to relieve pain; forms of euthanasia: voluntary/non-voluntary and active/passive; moral and legal justification of euthanasia: pros and cons.
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c
Surrogate motherhood: empowerment or exploitation; redefining the notion of ‘mother’ – genetic, biological and social; advantages and critique of surrogate arrangements.
Module 2: Professional and Corporate Ethics
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a
Business ethics: can there be ethics in business? Models of business ethics.
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b
Corporate social responsibility: arguments for and against CSR. Affirmative action: arguments for and against affirmative action
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c
Gender equality in the workplace
Module 3: Ethics of Sexuality
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a
Pornography and censorship: arguments for and against pornography; is censorship of pornographic material justified?
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b
Homosexuality: arguments for and against homosexuality; is State interference in individuals’ sexual preferences justified?
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c
Sexual Harassment: what counts as sexual harassment? POSH Act
Module 4: Contemporary Ethics
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a
Hunger and poverty: Peter Singer.
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b
The case against assisting the poor: Garrett Hardin.
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c
Do we have obligations to future (human and non-human) generations?
Reference Books
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1
Tom Beauchamp and LeRoy Walters (ed.) Contemporary Issues in Bioethics 5th edn.
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2
R.G. Frey and C.H. Wellman (ed.) A Companion to Applied Ethics.
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3
Deborah Bowman, John Spicer, Rehana Iqbal, Informed Consent
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4
Tom Beauchamp and James Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics.
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5
Dale Jamieson (ed.) A Companion to Environmental PhilosophyMichael Zimmerman (ed.) Environmental Philosophy
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6
Peter Singer, Practical Ethics
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7
Louis Pojman (ed.) Environmental Ethics: Readings in Theory and Application.
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8
Nicholas Bunnin (ed.) The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy, see “Business Ethics”
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9
Vincent Barry (ed.) Applying Ethics 2nd edn.
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10
Hugh LaFollette (ed.) Ethics in Practice: An Anthology.
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11
David Linton. “Why is Pornography Offensive?”
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12
Louis Pojman, Philosophy: The Quest for Truth (see section ‘Philosophy in Action’)
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13
Tamara Roleff (ed.) Biomedical Ethics
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14
Andrew Cohen and C H Wellman, Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics
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15
Jon Nuttal, Moral Questions: An Introduction to Ethics
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16
Manuel Velasquez and Cynthia Rostankowski (ed.) Ethics: Theory and Practice
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17
Andrea Dworkin, Pornography: Men Possessing Women
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19
Catherine Mackinnon “Sexuality, Pornography, and Method: ‘Pleasure Under Patriarchy”, Ethics 99: 314–346 (1989)
