Foundations of Ethics

“What should I do?” Every person asks this question countless times throughout life. Each time he or she does this, each time one reflects over one’s choices or actions, one is engaging at some level with the discipline of Ethics. One of the most fascinating abilities of humanity is the ability to think about oneself, one’s actions, and the consequence of those actions. Christians, who don’t see themselves as the measure of all things, do not complete their ethical reflection with the question, “What should I do?” The Christian believer also poses the question, “What does God expect of me?” The intersection of these two questions constitute the heart of Christian Theological Ethics.
The course is designed to provide the student with an overview of the rich ethical tradition of our culture, both the Christian and the secular parts of that. At the same time, the student is expected to develop and expand his or her own ethical reasoning abilities.