GV254-6-SP-CO:
Ethics and Public Policy
2021/22
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 17 January 2022
Friday 25 March 2022
15
01 September 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
Should murderers be executed? Should cocaine and heroin be legalized? Is torture ever morally justified? Is abortion morally wrong? Should pornography be banned? Should prostitution be legal? Are laws permitting the slaughter of animals unjust? This module assesses these and other questions in an intellectual search for the moral principles that ought to govern public policy.
1. To introduce you to, and to stimulate your interest in, the study of ethics and public policy.
2. To equip you with an understanding of the relevance of theoretical debates about ethicsto public policy controversies.
3. To encourage you to question your own beliefs about what ethical public policy requires.
1. To understand the nature of ethical argumentation and its value to the study of politics.
2. To engage in clear verbal and written normative argumentation. You will acquire a greater confidence and ability to express your ethical beliefs.
3. To scrutinise arguments made by politicians and other prominent figures in the media about ethics and public policy.
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered with (i) a weekly pre-recorded lecture and (ii) a weekly interactive lecture. The interactive lecture will consist of one 50-minute lecture in which students can ask questions about, and discuss various aspects of, the pre-recorded lecture and the assigned readings with the module supervisor.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Online Quiz |
|
35% |
| Coursework |
Essay |
|
65% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Laura Montanaro, email: lmonta@essex.ac.uk.
TBC
Module Supervisor: Laura Montanaro lmonta@essex.ac.uk /
Module Administrator: Edmund Walker - govquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
No
Dr Katharine Dommett
The University of Sheffield
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 3149 hours, 81 (2.6%) hours available to students:
3068 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Government
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