University College Dublin

Ethics is about doing the right thing and about becoming the right sort of person; it is also about how we act collectively, as a family, as a nation, as the human race, to improve welfare and reduce harm; it is about how we blame and praise people, including ourselves; it is about how we teach children, both at home and in schools. Students look at how some philosophers have understood "the right thing" and "the right sort of person" from ancient Greece through to the 18th Century through to the present day. Students discuss these views through specific case studies, to understand how these frameworks may be applied in practical contexts, and explore possible strategies to address some ethical challenges that they face in the current society. The course is designed for students with no background in philosophy.

This course is team-taught by lecturers in the School of Art History & Cultural Policy. Dublin is home to a rich variety of museums; its collections survey the entire history of Irish art but also include outstanding examples of European and non-Western art. The city and its environs is itself renowned for its architecture and sculpture. Over the course of two lectures per week, this course fosters an enhanced appreciation of, and a direct engagement with, local art works and monuments among students who are not majoring in art history. Although short readings are assigned, the principal demand made upon students outside of class hours is to visit local sites/collections relevant to material discussed in class. This course is introductory in nature, and aimed at students with no previous experience of art history.