Philosophy: Ethics Specialization
Bachelor of Arts
Quick Facts
Top 3%
Online Bachelor's
Program in the Nation
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TOP 25
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University
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Philosophy is the study of ideas and issues, in which questions are approached through reflection and analysis, and also through interdisciplinary experimentation with fields like psychology and cognitive science. All academic disciplines are built upon ideas of interest to philosophers, including the nature of the mind and the relationship between mental states and brain states, the distinction between true belief and knowledge, the rules of valid argument, and the basis for the distinctions between right and wrong. Students find study in the discipline provides insight into life's fundamental concerns and helps develop a capacity for clear thinking and perceptive judgment. Ethics specialists are in high demand as moral problems have become more complex due to the globalization of business, fast-changing government policies and law, environmental concerns, challenges in health care, and the explosive growth in digital technology.
This College of Social and Behavioral Sciences major requires a minor (or double major).
*Residents of some U.S. Territories may not be eligible. Please see our Eligibility & State Authorization page for more information.
The curriculum for this program includes:
This course will ask what happiness is and critically examine the major answers to this question. Discussions will include philosophical tradition of thinking about happiness, contemporary answers, and recent work in the social sciences. It will also examine contributions towards discovering the meaning of happiness.
This course will discuss ethical issues that arise in relation to medicine and health care. Examples of issues covered are abortion, euthanasia, the allocation of scarce medical resources, socialized medicine, doctor-patient confidentiality, paternalism, etc.
Exploration of classic and contemporary philosophical issues about law and morality. Topics covered will vary but may include, among others, the limits of social interference with individual liberty, legal paternalism and physician-assisted suicide, legal moralism, freedom of speech and expression, legal punishment and capital punishment, and civil disobedience.
This course is an introduction to cognitive science. Students will be challenged to think about current issues relating to minds as computers, neuroscience, vision and language.
Outcomes
Skills
Earning your Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy: Ethics Specialization will build core skills, including:
- Communication skills
- Counseling
- Critical thinking
- Debate
- Education
- Litigation
- Problem solving
- Writing
