PHL.1003 Human Values
Why be moral? Is there any unbiased moral guide? Are right acts those that have good results or those that are well intended? What is worth pursuing in life: happiness, salvation, self-realization, a more humane society? We will look at concepts of ethics and human values through the lens of (mostly) Western literature. We will trace through a series of novels that all address the same question: what does it mean to be a moral creature in times of war and great disaster? What does it mean to exist around disaster either as a direct actor or as a bystander? Each of these works will explore the different ethical duties or values that are challenged by difficult times.
LA