General Education: Humanities
Ethics (HUM-LBH)
345-LBH-03 (3-0-3) 2 credits
These Humanities courses examine social and ethical questions.
Right or Wrong in the Ancient World
Civilizations in the ancient world held values modern-day Westerners might find repulsive: war, slavery, capital punishment, infanticide, military brutality, social inequality, genocide, public displays of killing, and much more. Does this mean these societies were ethically wrong? This course will cover the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, early Christianity, and pre-Columbian civilizations in Meso and South America.
Environmental Ethics
Many people are concerned about a variety of environmental issues, from pollution to global warming to the extinction of species. They say that we “should” do something about those issues. But what ethical assumptions underlie this “should”? Is it a concern for human well-being? For animals? For all living things? For ecosystems? In other words, what “things” count morally? Moreover, what does taking humans, animals, living things or ecosystems into moral consideration involve? The answers to these questions matter not only because we need to justify our actions, but because different answers may imply different courses of action. In this class, we will explore various philosophical theories that have been elaborated as answers to these questions.
Biblical Ethics
This course is dedicated to a critical and analytical reading of particular sections of the Hebrew Bible. The readings chosen revolve around important ethical questions and issues, such as war, heterosexism and the stranger. We investigate these issues and more, and examine how different interpretive texts have dealt with them. We therefore consider both ancient sources of interpretation and more modern ones.
The Holocaust
In this course students will examine, from historical and ethical perspectives, the Nazi program for the systematic destruction of the Jewish people. We shall study the roots of anti-Semitism, the implementation of the Nazi program, and the impact of the Holocaust upon its victims and upon humanity at large.
Political Terrorism
This course studies the doctrine and practice of political terrorism. Various causes for the outbreak of terrorism will be examined. Profiles of some terrorist groups and portraits of their leaders will offer insight into background, motivation and ideology. The study of some countries’ experience with terrorism shows the effects intensive and prolonged terrorist activities have on a society. Some psychological aspects of terrorism will be considered. Responses and reactions to terrorism and preventive measures will be discussed.
Technology and The Human Predicament
In this course, students will explore: a) the extent of the gap between the rich and the poor nations; b) the pros and cons of our modern day technology; c) how value differences shape peoples’ world views; and d) how such world views contribute to the development or underdevelopment of a society.
Facing the Future
This course will explore the ethical implications of a selection of technological advances promised for the future. In particular, students will examine how innovations in genetics, virtual reality entertainment, artificial intelligence, robotics and bioengineering may prompt us to rethink our traditional understandings of reality, the mind, and the body. These innovations may even announce a “posthuman” era in which our present ethical intuitions concerning human nature are challenged.
Diplomacy: By Simulation
Utilizing the "learning-by-doing" approach of negotiation simulations, students will explore recurring social issues with ethical ramifications affecting international relations such as power, war and peace, nationalism, economic injustice, etc. The course offers training in negotiation, strategic planning and rational decision making, an introduction to diplomacy and the history of international relations. Students assume diplomatic roles of various countries and negotiate agreements about a series of historical and contemporary international crises and problems. Students gain experience in research techniques, effective argument presentation and teamwork.
Ethics on Stage
The artist is often seen as a societal and political conscience. Using this viewpoint as a framework, the class will examine the rights and responsibility of the artist, as well as how this idea can be used and abused by both the artist and society. Focusing most of our attention on the art of the playwright, we will examine a number of 20th-century play scripts and then explore in a participatory and analytic manner in order to discover how different artists view society and what they feel the big societal questions are.
Ethics and Globalization
This course will examine the ethical questions raised by the “new world order,” characterized by dissolving borders, intensifying economic competition, and shifting global structures. Two broad themes will guide our study. The first, “globalization and North America,” will focus on the current quest for international competitiveness and its impact on Canada, the United States and Mexico. The second area, “globalization and the new world order,” will extend the discussion to explore the more general contours of the “new world order.”
Ethics and Democracy
What are the fundamental ethical principles on which democratic polities are based? What are the historical origins of democracy in ancient Athens? What did the ancient Greeks and other great philosophers think about the abilities of the people to rule themselves? How did the English, French, and American Revolutions contribute to the development of democracy?
Why did the Russian, and other Communist revolutions, reject basic democratic principles and human rights and repress fundamental civil liberties and political freedoms? How well have the United States, Canada, and other democracies lived up to their own democratic ideals? What are some of the basic ethical issues facing democratic societies today? These are some of the questions this course will attempt to answer.
Family, Ethics and Society
How are seemingly natural and personal relationships between lovers, spouses, parents and children shaped by political, cultural, and economic factors? What role does the public sphere have in influencing or controlling the structure of families and the interaction of family members? We will explore these questions through a historical perspective and current ethical debates.
Women of the Developing World
Gender inequality continues to exist around the world and becomes more pronounced as the pace of economic and cultural globalization accelerates, global inequities increase and war becomes more widespread. Most adversely affected are women in the so-called ‘developing’ or ‘Third World’. This course will trace the evolution of the status of women in the ‘developing’ or ‘Third World’ and develop a critical understanding of the ethical issues created by gender inequalities in these societies. The course also demonstrates linkages of interdependence between the so-called ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ world and the responsibility of the individual in the ’developed’ world towards a more equitable and ethical resolution of these issues.
Multiculturalism in Canada
The face of Canada has changed over the past few decades because of the increasing influx of immigrants from non-European sources. In addition, the voices of aboriginal peoples have further challenged Canada’s limited bi-national vision. As a consequence, many issues loosely associated with Canadian multiculturalism policy are raising important ethical questions concerning the depth of commitment of Canada’s two founding nations to the eradication of inequality. In this course, students will engage in discussions of thorny issues such as ethnic identity and aboriginal self-government that will serve to deepen their understanding of the diverse tiles in Canada’s cultural mosaic.
Ethical Issues in Human Sexuality
Contemporary life is animated by a bewildering array of sexuality issues. Ethical controversies as diverse as sexual harassment, homophobia and preferential hiring have changed sexual politics forever. This course will explore these and other issues in the attempt to achieve some clarity concerning their ethical dimensions.
Media Ethics
In this course, students will develop an understanding of the evolution of ethics from Aristotle to the present day. Models of ethical decision making will be studied and applied to case studies in the area of Mass Media.
Wars: Just and Unjust
This course seeks to examine the moral and ethical issues involved in the decision by one (or more) independent states to use force against another sovereign state. In particular, it seeks 1) To assess whether armed intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign state is ever justified. If it is, under what conditions can it be justified? 2) To examine the moral implications of the decision to go to war as well as the ethical issues of the manner in which the war is conducted. 3) To investigate the relationship between the existing moral values and the justification for war and acceptable behaviour in wartime against the backdrop of the broad sweep of history from the Napoleonic Wars to the present.
