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PHIX2026 – The Ethics and Moral Psychology of Good and Evil

2023 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Mark Alfano
mark.alfano@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

What is it that makes us good or evil, virtuous or vicious? What does it mean to be a competent agent who can be held responsible for moral as well as immoral action? And what does morality and moral theory require of us as agents? Thinking about what motivates morality raises important questions about the role played by reason, will, emotion and intuition in bringing about moral­ behaviour. It also offers a basis for critically examining prominent ethical theories to see how well they can accommodate the lived realities of human agency and motivation. And it invites further questions about the contribution of social context and psychopathic conditions in explaining ordinary and extreme forms of wrongdoing. This unit will critically examine the philosophical and psychological literature on moral agency, virtue, goodness, and evil, as well as exploring historical and contemporary philosophical accounts of the importance of such things as integrity, character, autonomy and respect for others in moral life and moral relations.

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: draw on sources used in the unit to give clear accounts of the relevant philosophical moral concepts and theories
  • ULO2: demonstrate a good general understanding of how contemporary philosophical and psychological research contributes to our understanding of moral agency, judgement and motivation
  • ULO3: analyse and critically evaluate relevant competing philosophical theories and arguments.
  • ULO4: apply the theoretical knowledge gained to analysis and evaluation of selected case studies in moral psychology
  • ULO5: construct sound arguments in support of your own ethical positions, judgements and values

General Assessment Information

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-timed 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
Reflective essay 35% No June 4 by 11:55 PM
Reflective tasks 20% No Sundays in weeks 2-10 by 11:55 PM
Quizzes 25% No Sundays in weeks 2-10 by 11:55 PM
Participation 20% No during online discussion

Reflective essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: June 4 by 11:55 PM
Weighting: 35%

 

A major essay applying relevant concepts and theories introduced in the unit

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • draw on sources used in the unit to give clear accounts of the relevant philosophical moral concepts and theories
  • demonstrate a good general understanding of how contemporary philosophical and psychological research contributes to our understanding of moral agency, judgement and motivation
  • analyse and critically evaluate relevant competing philosophical theories and arguments.
  • apply the theoretical knowledge gained to analysis and evaluation of selected case studies in moral psychology
  • construct sound arguments in support of your own ethical positions, judgements and values

Reflective tasks

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Sundays in weeks 2-10 by 11:55 PM
Weighting: 20%

 

Short reflective and analytic writing tasks

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • draw on sources used in the unit to give clear accounts of the relevant philosophical moral concepts and theories
  • demonstrate a good general understanding of how contemporary philosophical and psychological research contributes to our understanding of moral agency, judgement and motivation
  • analyse and critically evaluate relevant competing philosophical theories and arguments.
  • apply the theoretical knowledge gained to analysis and evaluation of selected case studies in moral psychology
  • construct sound arguments in support of your own ethical positions, judgements and values

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Sundays in weeks 2-10 by 11:55 PM
Weighting: 25%

 

Online quizzes to test comprehension of the required readings.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • draw on sources used in the unit to give clear accounts of the relevant philosophical moral concepts and theories
  • demonstrate a good general understanding of how contemporary philosophical and psychological research contributes to our understanding of moral agency, judgement and motivation
  • analyse and critically evaluate relevant competing philosophical theories and arguments.
  • apply the theoretical knowledge gained to analysis and evaluation of selected case studies in moral psychology

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: during online discussion
Weighting: 20%

 

Participation in online forums and activities. Students are expected to be well-prepared and make a constructive contribution.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • draw on sources used in the unit to give clear accounts of the relevant philosophical moral concepts and theories
  • demonstrate a good general understanding of how contemporary philosophical and psychological research contributes to our understanding of moral agency, judgement and motivation
  • analyse and critically evaluate relevant competing philosophical theories and arguments.
  • apply the theoretical knowledge gained to analysis and evaluation of selected case studies in moral psychology
  • construct sound arguments in support of your own ethical positions, judgements and values

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

Lectures will be delivered in person and recorded. They will subsequently be made available via Echo/iLearn.

Quizzes and reflective writing tasks will be available via iLearn.

Readings will be available via Leganto.

Tutorials are online weeks 2 through 11, inclusive.

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 2023.01R of the Handbook