MPH 311 Contemporary Moral Issues
This course is a survey of the major ethical theories in Western philosophy (from Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Mill, Wotija, Hartman, Rawls, and others), presented simultaneously with case studies of contemporary moral issues (abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, racial profiling, free speech, environmental degradation, human right abuses, etc.). The course is meant to expose students to ethical theories in an abstract framework, and then exercise their understanding of these theories in practical and relevant contexts. The class will use canonical texts, but will also draw from elucidating contemporary polemical articles, court cases and judicial rulings, news sources, and social media outlets.