Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update
The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.
This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.
Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kelly Hamilton
Jane Johnson
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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 provides an introduction to major topics in ethics, moral theory and contemporary political philosophy. The first section focuses on the nature of happiness. Is pleasure essential to happiness? Or does the pursuit of pleasure harm our chances of lasting fulfilment? Must we be virtuous in order to be happy? What is the relationship between happiness and duty? The second section explores the nature of moral goodness. Is morality based ultimately in self-interest? What is the relationship between morality and religion? Are there moral principles that everyone is bound by reason to recognise? Or is the validity of moral standards relative to specific societies and cultures? In the third section we turn to questions of applied political philosophy, focusing on questions such as: What principles should govern the distribution of economic and social resources within a society? What are the obligations of wealthy nations to those less fortunate, including immigrants and refugees? And what issues of justice are raised by climate change?
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
*Note that this is an intensive (accelerated) unit, and the course load is identical to the standard 13-week session in which one topic is studied per week. There is no difference in the requirements between an ordinary unit and an intensive unit, except for the shortened time frame.
There are ten quizzes and ten forums for forum discussion (in lieu of tutorial participation). Each quiz and each forum will be open for one week (Monday to Sunday). Due to the accelerated session, you will need to complete two quizzes and two forums each week. These are timed assessments and no extensions will be granted. This is because the quiz feedback is released when the quiz closes, and the forum discussions are interactive.
All written assessments are to be submitted via the unit's iLearn site. There is no need for a coversheet, and we request that you omit your name from the document. A link to the Turnitin submission page will be provided on iLearn in the Assessments section. Written assessments will be run through the Turnitin software which detects unoriginal work.
The online quizzes will be available on iLearn. Each quiz can only be undertaken once and has a time limit.
Active participation is assessed by a student's engagement in contributions to online discussion forums facilitated by the tutor. Participation is expected to be well considered and relevant to the topic of study. There are no tutorials.
There will be two forums each week, addressing the material for two topics. Each forum will contain two or three discussions, which you should participate in over the week.
All work must be submitted on time unless an extension has been granted. Requests for extensions must be made in writing BEFORE the due date and will only be considered on serious grounds. Submit your request to ask.mq.edu.au.
Applications must be made within 5 days of illness/misadventure. Extensions will not be given unless good reasons and appropriate evidence (e.g., medical certificates, counsellor's letters) are presented at the earliest opportunity. Please note that work due concurrently in other subjects is NOT an exceptional circumstance and does not constitute a legitimate reason for an extension.
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – ten (10) 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.
To obtain an extension, you must submit a Special Consideration application. See below for details on how to do that.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Reflection about Happiness | 20% | No | Wed 15 December 11:59pm |
Online quizzes | 20% | No | Sun 11:59pm weekly |
Critical Essay | 40% | No | Tues 18 January 11:59pm |
Tutorial Participation | 20% | No | Sun 11:59pm weekly |
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Wed 15 December 11:59pm
Weighting: 20%
A short reflective exercise.
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Sun 11:59pm weekly
Weighting: 20%
A weekly online quiz on the topic covered that week. There are 10 quizzes in total.
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Tues 18 January 11:59pm
Weighting: 40%
A critical discussion of a set question where you demonstrate the critical questioning and philosophical knowledge that you have learned over the unit.
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Sun 11:59pm weekly
Weighting: 20%
Demonstrate engagement with course materials by responding to questions and contributing to tutorial discussions online.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
All required readings and most supplementary readings are available from the Library via Leganto, which should be accessed via the link on iLearn. You are responsible for gaining access to the readings. A schedule of the required readings is provided on iLearn. There is no textbook and you are not required to buy any reading materials.
This unit has an online presence in iLearn where activities are set and subject materials distributed. Students will require access to reliable broadband and a computer. Some assessments are conducted through this site, and written tasks will be submitted using Turnitin, a plagiarism scanning program. All required readings are provided in electronic form by the Library, via Leganto. All lectures will be provided as recordings via Echo, on iLearn.
Week |
Part |
Topic |
Forum |
Quiz |
Assessment |
1: 29 Nov – 5 Dec |
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1. What is moral philosophy? |
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Happiness
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2. “The good life is the life of pleasure” – Epicurean ethics |
1 - Epicurus |
1 – Epicurean ethics |
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3. Living according to nature – Stoic ethics |
2 - Stoicism |
2 – Stoic ethics |
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2: 6 Dec – 12 Dec |
Happiness |
4. Happiness and character – Aristotelian ethics |
3 - Aristotle |
3 – Aristotle’s ethics |
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Goodness |
5. Morality and religion |
4 – Morality and religion |
4 – Morality, religion, and atheism |
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3: 13 Dec – 19 Dec |
Goodness |
6. The challenge of moral relativism |
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5 – Moral relativism |
Reflection about Happiness due Wed 15 Dec |
7. Egoism and self-interest |
5 – Social Contract Theory |
6 – Egoism and self-interest |
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8. The greatest good for the greatest number – Utilitarianism |
6 - Utilitarianism |
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Recess |
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4: 4 Jan – 9 Jan |
Goodness |
9. The moral law is universal! – Kant’s challenge |
7 - Kant |
7 – Kant and universal reason |
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Justice |
10. Justice and inequality |
8 - Rawls |
8 – Justice and inequality |
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5: 10 Jan – 16 Jan |
Justice
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11. Immigration and refugees |
9 - Immigration |
9 – Justice, immigration, and refugees |
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12. Climate Justice |
10 – Climate Justice |
10 – Climate justice |
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Critical Essay due Tues 18 Jan |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
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
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
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.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
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
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.
Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook