OVERVIEW

The course offers an introduction to ethics by combining a historical and analytical perspective. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Introducing the fundamental themes, the main strands and classics of moral philosophy in a historical and speculative perspective.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at: providing a robust knowledge of the history of ethics and its most fundamental concepts and theories; enabling students to read and interpret ethical works from different ages and approaches; mastering the technical langiage of the discipline, and its main methods of inquiry.

PREREQUISITES

There is no prerequisite.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and seminar discussions will be alternated to the comment of texts.

Lessons will be held in presence. Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. Only those who attend lessons in presence will be deemed attending students. The teacher, upon specific request by single students, could allow them to access the recordings of the lessons via Teams. However, students not attending in presence won't be eligible for the written exam and the reduced reading list available to students regularly attending in presence.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will explore the main classic and contemporary ethical theories, along with introducing to metaethics, moral psychology, and issues in applied ethics.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Students will be required to study the slides provided, together with the following textbook: M. De Caro, F. Magni, M.S. Vaccarezza, Le sfide dell'etica, Mondadori, Milano 2025 (an alternative textbook for foreign students can be arranged).

Moreover, they will study a selection of classic texts provided, or one of the two following texts:

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (any English edition).

I. Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (any English edition).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Feb. 2027

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For international students, the exam will consist in an oral examination.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination will assess the attainment of the learning outcomes.