Students

PHIL3051 – Contemporary Topics in Applied Ethics

2022 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Course convenor, lecturer and tutor
Wendy Lipworth
wendy.lipworth@mq.edu.au
Lecturer and tutor
Mark Alfano
mark.alfano@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will examine cutting edge topics in applied ethics curated by leading researchers in the field. Topics will be refreshed each year and may include exploration of: ethical issues in the use of AI and machine learning; animal ethics; ethics of emerging technologies including in healthcare, reproductive and genetic technologies, and computing; family ethics; children's rights and welfare; contemporary challenges in research ethics; climate change and environmental ethics. Discussion will be structured around key concepts, themes, ethical frameworks and questions such as personhood, autonomy, harm, dignity, justice, rights, vulnerability, integrity and accountability.

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: understand some of the current debates and topics in contemporary applied ethics
  • ULO2: analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • ULO3: evaluate relevant theories and arguments critically
  • ULO4: communicate clearly your own perspective on the views and arguments presented in the unit

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-time sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online quizzes 20% No 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Weeks 2-12
Reflective writing tasks 20% No 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Week 7 (11/09/2022)
Philosophical Essay 40% No 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Week 13 (6/11/2022)
Participation 20% No Weekly from weeks 2-12 (online in Week 9)

Online quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Weeks 2-12
Weighting: 20%

 

Short online quizzes to test student understanding of key concepts and ideas

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • understand some of the current debates and topics in contemporary applied ethics

Reflective writing tasks

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Week 7 (11/09/2022)
Weighting: 20%

 

Reflective writing tasks

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • understand some of the current debates and topics in contemporary applied ethics
  • analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • evaluate relevant theories and arguments critically
  • communicate clearly your own perspective on the views and arguments presented in the unit

Philosophical Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Week 13 (6/11/2022)
Weighting: 40%

 

In-depth analysis of a key question in applied ethics using the authors and arguments studied throughout the unit

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • understand some of the current debates and topics in contemporary applied ethics
  • analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • evaluate relevant theories and arguments critically
  • communicate clearly your own perspective on the views and arguments presented in the unit

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Weekly from weeks 2-12 (online in Week 9)
Weighting: 20%

 

Demonstrating preparation for the weekly topics through active participation in on-campus tutorials and/or online discusssions

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • understand some of the current debates and topics in contemporary applied ethics
  • analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • evaluate relevant theories and arguments critically
  • communicate clearly your own perspective on the views and arguments presented in the unit

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

Technology used: You will require access to a computer and a good internet connection in order to participate in the unit effectively. The unit has an iLearn site where activities are set and unit materials distributed. Written tasks will be submitted via the plagiarism detection software turnitin.

Required readings: Required readings are available for download from the library via Leganto.

Lectures and tutorials: For face-to-face students, the lecture and tutorial are on the same day (Monday) so: 

  1. all readings will need to be read before the lecture and tutorial and
  2. you will need to attend the lecture in order to be able to participate meaningfully in the tutorial

Readings will be accessible at least one week before the relevant lecture and tutorial.

Tutorials will run from Weeks 2-12 inclusive, except for Week 9, which is a public holiday.

In Week 9, the lecture will be provided as a recording and the tutorial will be replaced with an online discussion, due at 11:55pm on the Sunday at the end of Week 9 (09/10/2022)

Recommended readings: As well as the required reading, recommended additional readings for each topic might be listed on iLearn. You do not need to read these each week but they are highly recommended for a better understanding of the topics.

Unit Schedule

Week Topic Lecturer/tutor
1 Introduction and trust in medical research Wendy Lipworth/Mark Alfano
2

Risk: Covid-19 vaccine challenge trials

 Wendy Lipworth
3

Inducement and coercion: being a professional guinea pig

 Wendy Lipworth
4

Standards of care: clinical trials in low- and middle-income countries

 Wendy Lipworth
5

Justice: Is there an obligation to participate in medical research

 Wendy Lipworth
6

Bias and integrity: publishing and using unethical research

 Wendy Lipworth
7 Gain-of-function Mark Alfano
8 Medical diagnosis Mark Alfano
9 Facial recognition in society, policing and war Mark Alfano
10 AI and agency laundering Mark Alfano
11 AI and envelopment Mark Alfano
12 Explainable AI Mark Alfano

 

Policies and Procedures

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.

Student Code of Conduct

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

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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Unit information based on version 2022.04 of the Handbook