Students
PHIX2042 – Practical Ethics
2020 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
OUA Convenor
Jennifer Duke-Yonge
Contact via Email, or via "Dialogues" in iLearn
25WWB719
By arrangement
Tutor
Thomas Corbin
Contact via Email, or via "Dialogues" in iLearn
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| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit focuses on a range of topics in applied ethics, starting with ethics in the personal sphere and expanding the sphere of moral concern outwards to include those with whom we are not in a personal relationship and also non-human animals and the environment. We consider ethical questions to do with abortion, marriage, children's rights, suicide and euthanasia; questions of what we owe to those less well off than ourselves (e.g. those in poverty, refugees and asylum seekers); and ethical issues in the breakdown of moral relations (e.g. war, terrorism, torture and punishment). Discussion of the different topics is structured around key concepts, themes and questions including personhood, harm, and justice.
The unit aims to encourage deep intellectual and also personal reflection on the complex ethical issues raised by such questions and to introduce students to the different positions and arguments within the relevant philosophical debates.
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
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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:
- ULO1: Recognize and describe key issues, questions and theories in practical and philosophical ethics.
- ULO2: Apply ethical theories to the practical ethical issues discussed in class and beyond.
- ULO3: Develop well defended ethical arguments, rather than relying on intuitions or emotional reactions.
- ULO4: Identify and evaluate the relative merits of competing ethical values, perspectives and/or theories, whilst appreciating that ethical conflicts are often inevitable and sometimes insoluble.
- ULO5: Reflect on and critically interrogate the values they have and how they influence them as a person, student, citizen and future professional.
General Assessment Information
Assessments are to be submitted through Turnitin, and will be marked and returned via Grademark. For information about these tools, see:
Special Consideration
Requests for extensions should be submitted via a Special Consideration request, which is available in the http://ask.mq.edu.au portal. Your request should be accompanied by appropriate documentation, such as a medical certificate. Please see the Special Consideration policy in the list of policies at the end of this document for further details.
Read the policy closely as your request may be turned down if you have not followed procedure, or if you have not submitted a request in a timely manner.
Late Assessment Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Academic Integrity
In Philosophy, academic honesty is taken very seriously. Misrepresenting someone else's work as your own may be grounds for referral to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee. If you have questions about how to properly cite work or how to credit sources, please talk to one of the teaching staff and see also Academic Integrity Policy (see the Policies and Procedures section below).
Please note that the policy also prohibits resubmitting work you have already submitted in another unit or unit offering. This counts as self-plagiarism. To avoid self-plagiarism, if you have done this unit previously, you should write on another topic this time. If this presents you with any problems, please contact the unit convenor as soon as possible.
All due times/dates are based on Sydney time. If you are in a different timezone, check here to confirm times.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active participation/engagement | 20% | No | Weeks 1-12 |
| Reflective Journal Part 1 | 15% | No | Sunday 9/8 (Week 2) |
| Short Paper | 20% | No | Sunday 6/9 (Week 6) |
| Essay | 30% | No | Sunday 11/10 (Week 9) |
| Reflective Journal Part 2 | 15% | No | Sunday 8/11 (Week 13) |
Active participation/engagement
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Weeks 1-12
Weighting: 20%
Students participate actively in 75% of online discussions, demonstrating that they have read the required readings and making active and constructive contributions to discussions.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Recognize and describe key issues, questions and theories in practical and philosophical ethics.
- Develop well defended ethical arguments, rather than relying on intuitions or emotional reactions.
- Identify and evaluate the relative merits of competing ethical values, perspectives and/or theories, whilst appreciating that ethical conflicts are often inevitable and sometimes insoluble.
- Reflect on and critically interrogate the values they have and how they influence them as a person, student, citizen and future professional.
Reflective Journal Part 1
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Sunday 9/8 (Week 2)
Weighting: 15%
Students write about a morally challenging decision they have faced and reflect on the approach they took to managing it.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Recognize and describe key issues, questions and theories in practical and philosophical ethics.
- Identify and evaluate the relative merits of competing ethical values, perspectives and/or theories, whilst appreciating that ethical conflicts are often inevitable and sometimes insoluble.
- Reflect on and critically interrogate the values they have and how they influence them as a person, student, citizen and future professional.
Short Paper
Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Sunday 6/9 (Week 6)
Weighting: 20%
Students select one required reading from the first part of the unit, and identify and discuss one objection or critical point made to an argument in that reading.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Recognize and describe key issues, questions and theories in practical and philosophical ethics.
- Develop well defended ethical arguments, rather than relying on intuitions or emotional reactions.
- Identify and evaluate the relative merits of competing ethical values, perspectives and/or theories, whilst appreciating that ethical conflicts are often inevitable and sometimes insoluble.
Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Sunday 11/10 (Week 9)
Weighting: 30%
Students produce a more sustained and researched piece of argumentative writing (word limit 1500 words).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Recognize and describe key issues, questions and theories in practical and philosophical ethics.
- Apply ethical theories to the practical ethical issues discussed in class and beyond.
- Develop well defended ethical arguments, rather than relying on intuitions or emotional reactions.
- Identify and evaluate the relative merits of competing ethical values, perspectives and/or theories, whilst appreciating that ethical conflicts are often inevitable and sometimes insoluble.
Reflective Journal Part 2
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Sunday 8/11 (Week 13)
Weighting: 15%
Students revisit their first journal submission at the end of semester, reflecting on and evaluating their approach to managing it, using concepts and theory acquired in the course of the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Recognize and describe key issues, questions and theories in practical and philosophical ethics.
- Apply ethical theories to the practical ethical issues discussed in class and beyond.
- Identify and evaluate the relative merits of competing ethical values, perspectives and/or theories, whilst appreciating that ethical conflicts are often inevitable and sometimes insoluble.
- Reflect on and critically interrogate the values they have and how they influence them as a person, student, citizen and future professional.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Readings: All required readings and some supplementary readings are available through the Leganto link on the iLearn site.
Unit Schedule
| Week 1 (beginning 27/7). | Introduction to course and ethical reasoning |
| Week 2 (beginning 3/8) | Abortion, moral status and personhood |
| Week 3 (beginning 10/8) | Children, the family and parenting |
| Week 4 (beginning 17/8) | Death (a) Suicide |
| Week 5 (beginning 24/8) | Death (b) Euthanasia |
| Week 6 (beginning 31/8) | What we owe to those less fortunate (a) Poverty |
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Week 7 (beginning 7/9) |
What we owe to those less fortunate (b) Refugees and asylum seekers |
Mid Semester break ( 14/9 - 27/9)
| Week 8 (beginning 28/9) | Non -human animals |
| Week 9 (beginning 5/10) | The environment |
| Week 10 (beginning 12/10) | War and humanitarian intervention |
| Week 11 (beginning 19/10) | Torture |
| Week 12 (beginning 26/10) | Punishment and capital punishment |
| Week 13 (beginning 2/11) | Review week |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.