Course Overview: we have many intuitive judgements about which actions are right or wrong. In this class, we will study the basics of Normative Ethics, the subarea of ethics where we try to find general principles and theories that explain our moral judgements. By doing so, we can understand what makes an action right or wrong, offer principled reasons for rejecting some moral judgements that initially seemed appealing, and ultimately use these principles and theories to shed light on moral issues and dilemmas that we have no clear intuitive judgements about.

Throughout the history of normative ethics, we can find that most normative theories converge on three types of classic approaches: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. This class will be an in-depth dive into these three theories. We will cover one theory at a time, starting with its historical roots, its modern versions and debates, and finally its applications.