GPHIL 150: Ethical Reasoning is a critical thinking course focused on ethical principles and problems. The course provides students with knowledge of a plurality of approaches to ethical decision making, including influential philosophical and religious accounts of (1) what makes an action right and (2) the components of a good human life. In acquiring knowledge of theoretical approaches to ethical rightness and living well, students gain a moral compass for approaching practical ethical issues.
Ethical Reasoning also promotes skills of analytical reasoning and critical thinking in teaching students fundamentals of valid argumentation. Students learn to identify and analyze arguments, discern deductive arguments from inductive arguments, evaluate arguments for validity, soundness and strength, and identify common fallacies in reasoning. Students apply these reasoning skills to moral arguments and learn how to justify and evaluate ethical positions, as well as how to develop and apply moral principles.
The knowledge and skills gained in Ethical Reasoning provide students with an intellectual skill set and moral vocabulary that are helpful in the human endeavors of (1) making intelligent and responsible decisions when confronted with ethical issues, (2) adopting reasoned positions on controversial ethical issues and (3) developing a personal ethical philosophy and reasoning process to employ in complex situations.