Splash Biography

A murderer comes to your door and asks if his target, your best friend, is inside. (He is.) Is it okay to lie and say no? Most of us would probably instinctively say that yes, in this situation it's fine, and even advisable, to lie in order to save your friend's life. So why then does Immanuel Kant want you to tell the truth? In this course, we'll look at the basics of teleological ethics, deontological ethics, and virtue theory, specifically examining Utilitarianism, Kantianism, and Aristotle's Virtue Ethics as examples of each, respectively. After we go over the basics of each, we'll look at a few thought experiments and real life situations, and figure out in what ways each system fails and succeeds in application. No background in philosophy is necessary or expected; however, please come prepared to offer ideas and engage in the conversation!