CORE148 Applied Ethics

Faculty of Informatics
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
PhDr. David Černý, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tomáš Foltýnek, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. David Černý, Ph.D.
Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Vojtěch Řehák, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics
Prerequisites
TYP_STUDIA(BM) && FORMA(P)
This course has no prerequisites.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/100, only registered: 1/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
Course objectives
The aim of this course is to familiarize students with fundamental ethical theories and their application to selected contemporary issues. Modern society, particularly due to its global nature and exponential scientific and technological advancements, presents us with extraordinary challenges. A range of problems emerges that affect both individuals and society as a whole, requiring thoughtful solutions. At the same time, there is increasing discourse about a crisis of democracy. One aspect of this crisis is the insufficient involvement of the public in discussions about pressing issues, as well as a lack of awareness regarding their seriousness and the need for resolution. It can even be said that contemporary individuals lack essential cognitive tools, especially—but not exclusively—in the domain of values. The goal of this course is to introduce students to contemporary ethics and its application to selected issues of global or at least societal significance and importance.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, students will be able to: Describe fundamental ethical theories and critically apply them Define existential risks and understand their nature and significance Apply ethical theories to selected areas Comprehend the theoretical, scientific, technical, and value-based background of important issues Think critically about ethics and human values Analyze new problems using their acquired skills in critical thinking, philosophical reasoning, value-based, and ethical analysis.
Syllabus
  • Course Outline: 1. Fundamental Ethical Theories 2. Just War Theory 3. Modern Forms of Conflict, Including Information Conflicts 4. Theories of Punishment + Capital Punishment 5. Ethics of Terrorism and Torture 6. Ethics of Climate Change 7. Ethics of Open/Closed Borders and Migration 8. Longtermism and Duties to Future Generations 9. Euthanasia 10. Ethics of AI and Technology 11. Ethics of Sex 12. Environmental Ethics and Animal Rights 13. Ethics of Public Health
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Luciano Floridi. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Principles, Challenges, and Opportunities. Oxford University Press, 2023.
  • Mirko Bagaric, Julie Clarke. Torture: When the Unthinkable Is Morally Permissible. State University of New York Press, 2007.
  • Adam Hosein. The Ethics of Migration: An Introduction. Routledge, 2019.
  • James Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. McGraw-Hill, 2022.
  • Russ Shafer-Landau. The Fundamentals of Ethics. Oxford University Press, 2023.
  • Toby Ord. The Precipice. Existential Risks and the Future of Humanity. Bloomsbury, 2021.
  • Dale E. Miller, Ben Eggleston. Moral Theory and Climate Change: Ethical Perspectives on a Warming Planet. Routledge, 2020.
  • Mark Timmons. Moral Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition. Rowman & Littlefield, 2012.
  • Angus Dawson. Public Health Ethics: Key Concepts and Issues in Policy and Practice. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
  • William MacAskill. What We Owe The Future. Oneworld Publications, 2023.
  • Helen Frowe. The Ethics of War and Peace: An Introduction. Routledge, 2022.
    not specified
  • Igor Primoratz. Ethics and Sex. Routledge, 1999.
  • L. W. Sumner. Assisted Death: A Study In Ethics And Law. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Teaching methods
Lectures, instructional videos, classroom discussions, reading recommended literature.
Assessment methods
Online colloquium via MS Teams (capacity 6 students for each colloquium term, duration 90 minutes). In a given term before the colloquium, each student has to provide a brief description of his/her chosen ethical dilemma from the topics discussed in the course. More detailed instructions for preparing these texts for the colloquium will be posted during the first week of the semester. Before the colloquium, students will read each other's texts and discuss them during the colloquium. • If a registered student does not submit his/her text prior to the colloquium, if the submitted text is identified as being not original, if the student is unable to discuss his/her own text, if the student does not engage in discussion, or if the student is found to be fundamentally ignorant of the topics covered during the course, the student will fail.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fi/spring2025/CORE148