Common Course Outline

Course discipline/number/title PHIL 1125: Ethics

Catalog Description

Credits 3
Hours/Week 3
Prerequisites (Course discipline/number) None
Other requirements College level reading and writing recommended.
MnTC Goals (if any) Goal 6/The Humanities, the Arts, Literature, and Philosophy, Goal 9/Ethical and Civic Responsibility

Course Description

This course examines the problems that arise when human beings attempt to think systematically about conduct and values. It includes a survey of historical and contemporary views about the right and the good, moral character, and social justice. Students will learn to apply moral theories, concepts, and principles to real-world ethical issues and cases.

Date Last Revised (Month, year)

February, 2026

Outline of Major Content Areas

  1. Introduction to Ethics
    1. Basic Methods of Ethics
    2. Subjectivism, Relativism, and Realism
    3. The Challenge of Egoism
    4. Ethics and Religion
  2. Ethical Theory
    1. Consequentialism/Utilitarianism
    2. Deontology/Kantian ethics
    3. Virtue or Care Ethics
    4. Other Theories as Appropriate
  3. One or More Topics from the Following Areas:
    1. Applied Ethics
    2. Social and Political Philosophy
    3. Metaethics
    4. Moral Psychology
    5. History of Ethics

Learning Outcomes (General)

The student will be able to:

  1. Identify and explain the major areas of ethical inquiry.
  2. Analyze moral concepts, principles and theories.
  3. Identify conclusions and premises in moral arguments.
  4. Apply ethical theories to concrete situations.
  5. Formulate their own moral positions and justify them in written arguments.

Learning Outcomes (MnTC)

Goal 6/The Humanities, the Arts, Literature, and Philosophy

The student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
  2. Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within a historical and social context.
  3. Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.
Goal 9/Ethical and Civic Responsibility

The student will be able to:

  1. Examine, articulate, and apply their own ethical views.
  2. Understand and apply core concepts (e.g. politics, rights and obligations, justice, liberty) to specific issues.
  3. Analyze and reflect on the ethical dimensions of legal, social, and scientific issues.

Methods for Evaluation of Student Learning

Methods may include but are not limited to:

RCTC Core Outcome(s)

This course contributes to meeting the following RCTC Core Outcome(s):

Personal and Professional Accountability
Students will take responsibility as active learners for achieving their educational and personal goals.

Special Information (if any)

None