Students

PHIL706 – Research Topics in Ethics

2015 – S2 Day

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Jeanette Kennett
jeanette.kennett@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Neil Levy
neil.levy@mq.edu.au
Wendy Rogers
wendy.rogers@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit will examine contemporary research in ethics, moral psychology, applied ethics or political philosophy. The unit will focus on a current ‘hot‘ topic of research in one of these sub-disciplinary fields. The topics chosen will align with the research projects and expertise of faculty members. Examples of areas that might be explored include, the philosophy and psychology of emotions: the nature of moral cognition: justice and public health ethics. Students will develop an in-depth knowledge of the major debates relevant to the topic, and acquire the necessary research skills for pursuing their own research project.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Become aware of and engage with recent research in ethics and moral psychology
  • Develop your research skills.
  • Develop your presentation skills.
  • Develop your communication skills.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
In-class Participation 10% Ongoing
3 x mini essays 30% Weeks 4, 6 and 9
In-class Presentation 10% 26.10.15
Research Essay 50% 16/11/2014

In-class Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

You will be expected to attend class every week and participate in discussions. You will receive 10% of your grade for the quality of your participation.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Become aware of and engage with recent research in ethics and moral psychology
  • Develop your presentation skills.
  • Develop your communication skills.

3 x mini essays

Due: Weeks 4, 6 and 9
Weighting: 30%

In Weeks 4, 6 and 9 students will prepare a mini essay on one of the readings for that week, focussing on identifying and presenting the key issue and supporting argument in the selected reading and providing a brief evaluation. The mini essays should be printed and brought to class to hand in. A revised version of the essay may be submitted by Wednesday 5.00pm of the same week.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Become aware of and engage with recent research in ethics and moral psychology
  • Develop your communication skills.

In-class Presentation

Due: 26.10.15
Weighting: 10%

You will be expected to present a seminar-style presentation on your research essay topic in the final class. Each student will be allocated 30 minutes and should present for around 15 minutes. You may use powerpoint or a handout. It is important to be well prepared. You will be assessed on the clarity of your presentation and the way in which you handle questions and discussion.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop your presentation skills.
  • Develop your communication skills.

Research Essay

Due: 16/11/2014
Weighting: 50%

Plan and Write a Research Paper (3500 words).

Students will select a topic presented in the unit for in depth study. They will arrange a supervision meeting with the relevant staff member to discuss further readings, research question, and plan. They will be required to submit a detailed essay plan for comment to their supervisor by October 16.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop your research skills.
  • Develop your communication skills.

Delivery and Resources

Class time and location: Tuesday, 11am-1pm in Y3A, 210.

All readings will be made available for download via iLearn or emailed to students.

Unit Schedule

MRes PHIL706 Research Frontiers in Ethics

 

S2 2015

Jeanette Kennett

Wendy Rogers

Neil Levy

 

Week

Dates (Mondays)

Topics

Readings

1

27 July

No Class

 

2

3 August

Defining disease

Wendy Rogers

Boorse C. (1977) Health as a Theoretical Concept. Philosophy of Science, 44 (4): 542-573.

 

Engelhardt T. (1976) Ideology and etiology. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 1 (3): 256-268.

 

Wakefield J. (2014) The Biostatistical Theory Versus the Harmful Dysfunction Analysis, Part 1: Is Part-Dysfunction a Sufficient Condition for Medical Disorder? Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 39: 648-682.

3

10 August

No Class

 

4

17 August

 

Psychiatric disorders

Neil Levy

Derek Bolton, (2013). What is Mental Illness? In by K.W.M. Fulford, Martin Davies, Richard G.T. Gipps, George Graham, John Z. Sadler, Giovanni Stanghellini, and Tim Thornton (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 434-450.

 Mohammed Abouelleil and Rachel Bingham (2014). Can Psychiatry Distinguish Social Deviance From Mental Disorder? Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology 21: 243-255.

 Thomas S. Szasz (1960) The Myth of Mental Illness, American Psychologist, 15, 113-118. Available online: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Szasz/myth.htm.

5

24 August

Neil Levy

Jami L. Anderson (2013). A Dash of Autism. In Jami L. Anderson Simon Cushing (ed.), The Philosophy of Autism. Rowman & Littlefield; 109-142 (only necessary to read 122-130).

 Gene M. Heyman, (2009) Voluntary Behavior, Disease, and Addiction. Chapter 5 of his Addiction: A Disorder of Choice, Harvard: Harvard University Press; 89-114.

 Heidi L. Maibom (2008). The Mad, the Bad, and the Psychopath. Neuroethics 1 (3):167-184.

6

31 August

The line drawing problem in defining the boundaries of disease

Wendy Rogers

Schwartz PH. (2007) Designing dysfunction: Natural selection, design and drawing a line. Philosophy of Science: 364-385.

Schwartz PH. (2008) Risk and disease. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 51 (3): 320-334.

7

7 September

Overdiagnosis

Wendy Rogers

Carter SM, Rogers W, Heath I, Degeling C, Doust J, Barratt A. The challenge of overdiagnosis begins with its definition. BMJ 2015; 350: h869. Link to special virtual issue: http://www.bmj.com/specialties/digital-theme-issue-overdiagnosis

Moynihan R, Doust J, Henry D. (2012) Preventing overdiagnosis: How to stop harming the healthy. BMJ (Online) 344 (7859), art. no. e3502

 

14-21 September

Mid semester break

 

8

28 September

Perspectives on Empathy Reading Group

Jeanette Kennett

What is empathy?

9

5 October

Perspectives on Empathy Reading Group

Jeanette Kennett

Empathy and psychopathology

10

12 October

Perspectives on Empathy Reading group

Jeanette Kennett/Heidi Maibom

Empathy and morality

 

15-16 October

Boundaries of Disease workshop

 

11

19 October

Perspectives on empathy Reading Group

Jeanette Kennett/Heidi Maibom

Empathy scepticism

12

26 October

Student presentations

 

 

4-5 November

Empathy workshop

 

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Become aware of and engage with recent research in ethics and moral psychology
  • Develop your research skills.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class Participation
  • Research Essay

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Become aware of and engage with recent research in ethics and moral psychology
  • Develop your communication skills.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class Participation
  • 3 x mini essays
  • Research Essay

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop your research skills.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class Participation
  • Research Essay

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop your research skills.

Assessment task

  • Research Essay

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Develop your research skills.
  • Develop your presentation skills.
  • Develop your communication skills.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class Participation
  • 3 x mini essays
  • In-class Presentation
  • Research Essay

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Become aware of and engage with recent research in ethics and moral psychology

Assessment task

  • In-class Participation