History of Ethics
Code
722031048
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
10
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. To acquire a profound understanding of the relevance of History of Ethics as an integral part of Ethics.
2. To acquire a profound knowledge of key issues in History of Ethics, in order to combine the understanding of the problems, its \"systematic\" meaning and its relevance to the contemporary debate, with a wide domain of their historical connections.
3. To deepen the knowledge of the fundamental texts in History of Ethics, as well as the domain of the interpretative tradition, the current state of the relevant research, and the main bibliography in this area
4. To write a supervised work that presents original developments and meets the scientific quality standards
5. To acquire skills to carry out independent research in History of Ethics
Prerequisites
Subject matter
The syllabus of History of Ethics does not consist in a succession of ethical theories, but in an observation of constellations that have been raising around some couples of notions, like good/evil, theory/practice, natural/rational, as well as the antinomies that arose from those constellations. On the focus of attention there will always be the self as a moral subject and his limit situation between nature and rationality.
The curricular unit is therefore focused on an exploration of several approaches to the idea of «happy life», «good life», «excellence», comparing them with the ambiguities presented in the notion of happiness. Through the approach to the notion of «happy life» the problem of the evil – «radical evil» or «banality of evil» ? – and the finitude of human condition will emerge.
Bibliography
Fichte, J.-G. (1944). Anweisung zum seligen Leben. In Sämmtliche Werke, Tomo V, trad.
fr. Initiation à la vie bienheureuse, Aubier, Éditions Montaigne.
Murdoch, I. (2004). The Sovereignty of Good, London and New York, Routledge.
Spaemann, R. (2003). Grenzen. Zur ethischen Dimension des Handelns. Trad. esp: Límites. Acerca de la Dimensión Ética del Actuar, Madrid: Ediciones Internacionales Universitarias
Spaemann, R. (1991). Glück und Wohlwollen, Stuttgart: Ernst Klett Verlagt, Stuttgart. Trad. esp.: Felicidad y Benevolencia, Madrid: Rialp.
Taylor, C. (1989). The Sources of the Self. The Making of Modern Identity, Cambridge Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Taylor, C. (1991). The Ethics of Authenticity, Cambridge Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Tugendaht, E. (2003). Vorlesung über Ethik, Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfur am main, 1993. Trad. Brasileira: Lições sobre Ética, Rio de Janeiro: Editora Vozes.
Teaching method
Two main activities are developed in the course. During the first one and a half hour, there is an explanation of theoretical contents that will be followed by the presentation of questions by the students and a wide debate on the previously presented issues. In the second part of the class, there will be room for reading, interpretation and analysis of the texts on which the presented contents are based.
Evaluation method
The evaluation is chiefly focused on the elaboration of a paper that shall be previously proposed to and supervised by the lecturer (80%). Attendance and participation in class are also taken into account (20%).