Content

Humanity is influencing its ecological environment on an unprecedented scale. In this new situation, established systems and orientation frameworks no longer seem to work. What direction are we heading in? What should be done? The ferocity of the debate and the inability to act make it clear that the current crisis cannot be reduced to a set of practical problems that we can let experts solve. Beneath the discussions about what we should do is the fundamental question of who we should be in relation to the earth and its inhabitants. This is related to where we humans position ourselves in relation to non-human entities and the earth as a whole. At stake is the quality of the relationships we should develop and the vision of flourishing which guides our living together.

In this course, located at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, we will draw upon Christian and other (philosophical and religious) traditions to explore and imagine new (theological-)ethical paths beyond destructive anthropocentrism. Key theoretical perspectives will be introduced and applied to concrete contexts. The different themes will be recapitulated through a dialogical in-depth reading of Pope Francis’ epoch-making document Laudato si’: On Care for Our Common Home (2015).

The main themes of the course are:

1. The environmental crisis: Different approaches

2. Anthropocentrism and beyond: alternative models

3. Humans, animals, ecosystems: values and rights

4. The search for ecological justice: ecofeminist, Global South and intergenerational perspectives

5. Environmental virtue ethics: life style, spirituality, action

6. The role of world-views and religions: ritual, narrative, imagination

Course material

Study cost: 1-10 euros (The information about the study costs as stated here gives an indication and only represents the costs for purchasing new materials. There might be some electronic or second-hand copies available as well. You can use LIMO to check whether the textbook is available in the library. Any potential printing costs and optional course material are not included in this price.)

Course notes (available at Katechetika's course distribution service).

Format: more information

• Lectures 
• Reading assignments
• Formulating short statements
• In order to stimulate interaction in class, students are expected to read selected text fragments in preparation for the lectures and/or to submit contributions to the discussion board on Toledo.

Explanation

Students will receive two main questions. They will receive preparatory time of 30 minutes in order to be prepared for the oral examination. The two main questions will focus on the degree to which the student grasps the content of the course and is able to apply arguments in moral reasoning. Assessment criteria are: the strength of the argumentation, the degree of reflexivity, and the capacity for personal integration and reflection.  

Content

This course, taking a comparative religous ethics point of view, discusses the way world religions approach end of life ethics. Though a few smaller traditions may be discussed, the course concentrates on the ethical thinking in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and/or Buddhism. After a general introduction in which the different terms and concepts (euthanasia, palliative care,...) are explained, we discuss end of life rituals, practices and beliefs in a small number of world religions. In the final and most important part of the course in a few world religions the following topics are addressed: euthanasia (voluntary, non−voluntary, involuntary), pain control, withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatment at the patient’s request, futile treatment, palliative care and/or organ transplantation. Each year the ethical views of two world religions (e.g. Islam and Judaism) are discussed in detail.

Course material

• PPT
• Personal notes, taken by the students during each class
• Reader with the articles that will be studied (available on Toledo).

Format: more information

PPT will be used througout the course. At the same time student are expected to take notes throughout the course. Each class there will be time for interaction and questions. Whenever students have questions regarding the course when studying the course material or reviewing their notes, they can inform the professor via email. He will then answer these questions at the beginning of the next class.

Explanation

Traditional oral examination (12 minutes). Students have 40 minutes of written preparation. Students receive two broad and general questions about two different parts of the course. Students are asked to give a well-structured, intelligent, coherent & to the point answer to each question in approximately 5 minutes. The mark given is based on the oral examination only; the written preparation, though collected by the professor (in order to make possible later feedback easier), serves only a preparatory goal. When during the oral examination extra questions are asked, they are always related to the original question. The fact that several or no additional questions were asked doesn't give any indication of the quality of the examination. When a student is unable to answer one or more of the two initial broad questions, under no circumstances alternate quesions will be given. Each question counts for half of the final exam result. If however a student receives a mark below 6/20 for any of these two questions, he/she fails the exam, whatever the result for the other exam question.

Content

The professional ethics of a pastor has two dimensions because pastors face ethics on two different levels. First of all, they have the task to develop their own professional ethics in pastoral care. Secondly, they are asked to give ethical advice in care situations, or to act as an ethical expert or supervisor, or to participate in ethics committees.

Relational ethical method

In the first part, a relational ethical method for moral deliberation is developed that is applicable to the above dimensions of professional ethics for pastors, both in its theoretical foundations and in its practical application. This model consists of the following parts: a relational personalist view, intuition and reflection, moral virtues, responsibility in dialogue, ethical analysis, ethical evaluation, fundamental values and proportionality of values.

Issues from professional ethics

In the second part, four themes from the professional ethics of the pastor are elaborated: power, consent, sexuality, and confidentiality.

Course material

The course material consists of:

• Axel Liégeois, Ethics of Care: Values, Virtues and Dialogue, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021.
• Articles and book chapters on specific topics of professional ethics for pastors.
• PowerPoint presentations of the courses.

Axel Liégeois' book can be purchased on the publisher's website (Ethics of Care: Values, Virtues and Dialogue - Cambridge Scholars Publishing), or can be purchased during the first or second class at the reduced price of 20 euros. All other articles and book chapters are made available in pdf on Toledo at the beginning of the course.

Language of instruction: more information

The course is taught in English.

Format: more information

Case-based lecture - Presentation

Three clusters of methods are used.

Courses

• Presentation of the course content by means of PowerPoint presentations.
• Group discussion on the course content.

Case study

• Discussion of a case in small groups using the practical ethical method.
• Group discussion on the case.

Reading assignment and presentation

• Reading assignment and presentation of a statement on one of the four issues of the pastor's professional ethics. The statement consists of the personal and critical opinion of the student about the reading assignment. The student formulates the statement according to the format of the exam paper. During the class, the student presents the statement.
• Group discussion on the statements.

Explanation

Paper

The students write a paper with ten statements that are associated with a well-defined part of the course material. The statement is a personal and critical opinion of the student about the course material. It follows the conventions of academic writing.

Each statement has the following format: title, short formulation of the statement and motivation of the statement. Each statement is no longer than 400 words on one page.

The student submits the paper in one Word-dcocument by email one week before the oral examination.

Oral examination

At the oral examination the professor chooses two statements. Starting from questions, there is a discussion about each statement.

Final grade

For the paper. Each statement is evaluated separately. Assessment criteria are originality and argumentation. Grading is done before the oral examination.

For the oral examination. The two statements are assessed separately. Assessment criteria are content and formulation.

Final grade. The ten statements of the paper on the one hand and the discussion of the two statements at the oral examination have an equal weight in the final grade.

Information about retaking exams

Same assignment with paper and oral examination.

Content

This course outlines some religious and philosophical aspects of contemporary culture and provides students with tools for forming a critical personal judgment in those spheres in a (post)secular society.

In the first part, a fundamental distinction is made between three different human spheres of interest: cognitive interest (the desire for knowledge), manipulative interest (the desire to influence things), and existential interest (the desire for meaning).

Building upon this distinction, the course familiarizes the student with religious and non-religious forms and structures of meaning-making. It also sheds light on the role of meaning-making processes in shaping personal ethical and philosophical judgments.

The course applies the developed model of meaning-making and judgment formation to several important existential and societal themes. Possible themes include: science and religion; evil, anger, and restoration; freedom, guilt, and responsibility; abortion and euthanasia; the public role of religion. An effort is made to relate these themes to the specific curriculum and future career path of the students.

Course material

The course material consists of course texts and selected literature, which are made available through Toledo, along with the slides used in class.

Explanation

The evaluation for this course consists of two parts.

First, the extent to which the learning content is understood and can be applied is assessed through a written exam that includes open-ended and multiple-choice questions (with penalties for incorrect answers).

Second, participation in an interactive online component (such as a discussion forum or module) is evaluated to determine the student's ability to critically reflect on religious and philosophical themes.

A total of 2 out of 20 points can be earned through the online component, while the exam accounts for 18 out of 20 points.

Information about retaking exams

Only the written exam can be retaken. The points earned from the online component are retained when the exam is retaken.

Content

A. Our historical overview of moral theology will focus on key figures and crucial shifts. Special attention will be given to the interaction between tradition and context – i.e., the development of the discipline. Following themes will be introduced:

1. Scripture and the Apostolic Fathers
2. Patristic theology (esp.  Augustine)
3. The penitential tradition
4. Scholasticism (esp. Thomas Aquinas).
5. Trent, the handbooks of moral theology and probabilism
6. The Second Vatican Council (esp. Gaudium et Spes) and its reception
7. The Leuven personalist school
8. The age of interreligious dialogue

B. A selection of the most important methodological themes in contemporary moral theology will be introduced:

1. Ethics and Morality
2. Scripture and Ethics
3. Natural Law
4. The Human Person
5. The Sources of Morality
6. Principle of Double Effect
7. Authority and Moral Teaching
8. Conscience
9. Moral Judgment
10. Virtue, Character and Community
11. Liturgy and Ethics

Course material

Course notes will be available on Toledo.

Format: more information

Interaction will be stimulated. The students will be introduced to the various themes by the lecturer. For some themes students will have to prepare themselves by reading fragments from primary sources at home. They will also have to submit questions to be discussed during classes.

Explanation

Students are expected to prepare little reading tasks (including posts on Toledo) and to participate in group work in some of the sessions. This counts for 20 % of the mark.

Students receive two questions - each counting for 40% of the mark. The first will formulate a general question about one of the key themes of the course (including a sub-question to define a key term in written form).  Students are tested on their acquired knowledge and insights. The second question will consist of the request to comment on a text fragment, which had been discussed during the course. The first and the second question will be complementary in covering each one of the major subsections of the course (either the history or the contemporary methodology of Christian ethics). 

The written preparation merely serves as an aid to the student and will not be taken into consideration by the lecturer, who is only concerned with the student’s oral presentation. During the exam, the lecturer will take personal notes which are not revealed to the student.

Additional questions may be asked for a variety of purposes: to help the student explain to come to a satisfying answer, to further enhance his/her insights, to test his/her insights into other parts of the study material, etc.

Information about retaking exams

The grade for participation remains valid. The oral exam will have the same format and will again count for 80% of the grade.

Content

In its first part, the course undertakes to develop a theological-ethical framework for contemporary Christian sexual, conjugal and family ethics, based on the Christian tradition (including Scriptures and Church teaching), relevant insights from the human sciences, and contemporary experiences with sexuality and sexual relations. This includes a discussion of basic anthropological-theological concepts such as body, sexual difference, sexual desire, sex and gender, marriage, parenthood etc. 

Course material

A course reader will be provided via Toledo and the course service of Katechetika at the beginning of the course.

Format: more information

Teaching supported by Powerpoint presentations.

Parallel to and as an accompanying tool to the class teaching students will be introduced in the reading of a magisterial document, i.e. Pope Francis's postsynodal apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia of 2016. By way of reading assignments and ensuing interaction moments in class and via Toledo, students will deepen their understanding of the course material with regard to fundamental ethical concepts such as normativity, grave sin, mitigating factors, discernment of particular situations, conscience etc.

Content

In the second part of the course, the theological-ethical framework developed in the first part will be applied to a number of specific topics and contemporary issues such as

• non-marital heterosexual cohabitation,
• marriage, divorce and remarriage.
• same-sex relations and unions,
• contraception, parenthood and family-planning. 

Course material

Course reader

Format: more information

Teaching supported by Powerpoint presentations.

Parallel to and as an accompanying tool to the class teaching students will be introduced in the reading of a magisterial document, i.e. Pope Francis's postsynodal apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia of 2016. By way of reading assignments and ensuing interaction moments in class and via Toledo, students will deepen their understanding of the course material with regard to specific contemporary issues in sexual ethics.

Explanation

During the oral examination the student gets two open questions.

The questions are conceived in such a way that the students' capacity for reproduction, understanding and application of the course contents will be assessed.

Students will be assessed for their capacity to extrapolate the relevant course contents, present it in a coherent way, analyse it adequately and develop a sound theological-ethical argumentation.

Each student will have ca. 15 minutes of written preparation. The written notes remain with the examiner and will only be consulted in case of contestation of the score.

The student may expect additional questions in case the answer(s) given need further clarification or deepening.

No tools are admitted during the oral exam.

Content

After an general introduction in the field and development of business ethics, this course focuses on the macro-economic questions of business ethics. Theories which, at a macrolevel, challenge the presumptions of the current market economy will be discussed as they seek to address the question of (human and environmental) sustainability (e.g. ‘Doughnut economics’ (Raworth), the ‘New Green Deal’ (Pettifor), the ‘Mission economy’ (Mazzucato)).

A thematic elaboration on the importance, role and ethical questions with regard to financing and ethical investing, both at the systemic and individual level.

Course material

Course material will be available through Toledo. 

Format: more information

Is also included in other courses

A06B4B : Business Ethics

Explanation

Oral exam with written preparation. The written preparation merely serves as an aid to the student.

Each student receives 2 main questions. The exam questions relate to the subject matter and test both knowledge and insights.

Each question counts for half the points to earn. However, the final result (on 20) is not the sum of each individual result, but a weighting of the whole oral examination. Additional questions may have an impact on the weighting of the final result. Such additional questions may be asked for two purposes: first, to clarify the student’s response, and second, to test the depth of the acquired insights or the student’s insights in other parts of the course material.

Assessment criteria:
factual knowledge / understanding of the subject matter
depth of the acquired insights
the ability to apply insights to current or topical situations

Content

The course has a double objective: firstly, to assess fundamental challenges which Modern thought has presented, and continues to present, for theological ethics; and secondly, to critically evaluate Leuven personalist ethics as a major response to these challenges.

The point of departure is a concise historical-cultural introduction into how traditional moral theology has been challenged by the Enlightenment, and how the council document Gaudium et spes (1965) forms the culmination of the Church’s efforts to respond to this Modern context, in particular: to its call for human autonomy and emancipation. The course will focus on the debates immediately after the Second Vatican Council on the understanding of autonomy in a Christian context, the role of conscience and its relation with magisterial authority in morals.

In this light,  the second part of the course will feature an introduction to the moral-theological perspective developed by the Leuven personalists, in the footsteps of Louis Janssens. In dialogue with tradition and the Modern context, this approach offers a comprehensive theological anthropology, which allows for a more person-oriented and experience-based interpretation of the morality of human action (fontes moralitatis, proportionality and conscience).

In the third part of the course, we shall present more recent perspectives which invite us to review, broaden and possibly renew the framework introduced in the second part. 

Course material

Reader

Format: more information

Lectures with possibility of interaction. 
Case study. (More information on Toledo.)

Explanation

The exam consists of two parts. ​The texts of Gaudium et Spes and Louis Janssens may be used.

- Part 1 (50%): classical oral examination with written preparation.

- Part 2 (50%): case study: the students have to prepare a short paper (max. 2000 words) in advance about a contemporary moral case - to be submitted before the deadline communicated at Toledo. This paper will be discussed during the examination. Detailed guidelines will be communicated through Toledo at the beginning of the semester.

Information about retaking exams

The students can submit the same paper, or a revised version of it. The exam modalities are the same as for the first exam. 

Content

The course is subdivided into two main parts:

• The first part of the course is primarily introductory:

In this first part, the course gives an overview of basis research topics and orientations in legal anthropology. We will discuss i.a. the problem of the definition of legal culture, epistemological apriorisms in anthropology, the status of knowledge gained through fieldwork research, the study of living law, dispute resolution mechanisms, etc. 

The studies selected (monographs and contributions to collective volume) will be analyzed in line with some of the main theoretical perspectives - within anthropology - on the relation between law and society: the process analysis in legal proceedings, 'trouble-cases' studies, recording of folk law, etc. In a chronological sequence the main anthropological approaches to the study of legal systems will be discussed.

Though various concepts of culture and different schools of thought will be studied - the course provides an analysis both of early pioneering and of contemporary work of legal anthropologists - the approach is analytical rather than encyclopedic. The purpose is to arrive at a better synthesis of the major presuppositions concerning the formation and the continuation of legal systems in different cultural settings, rural and urban, non-western and western.

• The second part of the course focuses on special topics:

Theoretical issues in the history of legal anthropology have arisen largely because of practical issues requiring action: effective government in colonial and post-colonial settings; minority and indigenous rights; the practicability of the ‘rule of law’ ; legal transplants; codification of customs; legal pluralism; alternative dispute settlement mechanisms; etc.

The purpose of the second part of the course is to enable students to explore both the theoretical and real-life implications of questions that are i.a. directly or indirectly related to the encounter between state and non-state legal systems, between Western-European and non-European legal cultures, in colonial and post-colonial international developments. In numerous settler societies conflicts have arisen over group rights (in particular, land ownership) and the concept of individual property. In post-colonial societies lawyers struggle with the question what validity to grant to customs that clash with State law, and that regard in particular gender issues and the rights of the (individual) person, with problems also of clashing concepts of crime and punishment, etc.

The last sessions of the course will entirely be devoted to contemporary issues of legal anthropological research: claims and rights of indigenous people and minority groups in several parts of the world; the status and the protection of transnational communities; transnationalism and human rights protection; the revival of religious laws in a post-secular world context; contentious practices (such as child marriages, bodily marking, feud, etc.).

The objectives are to enable students to arrive at a better analysis of today's issues of legal anthropology: legal pluralism in various multi-cultural settings; the impact of colonization on legal systems; post-colonial transplants of legal systems;  the balancing of indigenous, minority and state laws; cultural defense, etc. The examples attempt at exploring the variables that are interwoven in the development of law and various concepts of law - and why this is the case - until today.

Students will also get a chance to meet with visiting lecturers (fieldworkers), actually practising legal anthropology.

Course material

Reader

Format: more information

The students are expected to prepare for the lecture and discussions by reading the materials in advance. Students will be given information on additional references as the course program proceeds.

Explanation

Exam:
1) essay questions (written, closed book)

Content

Hereby some examples of knowledge and skills that the students will be trained on during this course. After the course the student should 

• Be able to describe the reasons why more empirical work in bioethics is being done
• Be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of research plans based on the components mentioned above;
• Be able to appropriately write and evaluate abstracts, introductions and conclusions according to the structure presented;
• Be able to limit paragraphs to one main idea and to provide paragraphs with an appropriate topic sentence;
• Be able to write a coherent paragraph by making use of the techniques of academic writing: vertical weaving, horizontal weaving, the use of link words, the use of a depersonalized writing style…
• Be able to recognize and correct frequently made mistakes in formal writing, like wrong use of the passive voice, neglect of inversion, dangling participles, unnecessary constructions, double hedging, …
• Know the difference between quantitative and qualitative research methods and the different types of questions they address;
• Be familiar with the possibilities and limitations of several methodological designs in empirical research;
• Be aware of the problems one is sometimes confronted with in doing empirical research (e.g. problems regarding validity and reliability, non-response, questionnaire-related problems, …);
• Be acquainted with the ethical challenges one may encounter, when publishing in journals (e.g. lobbying, multiple authorship, public responsibility, conflict of interest, salami slicing publishing, confidentiality and anonymity.

Course material

Slides and articles will be provided on Toledo

Explanation

The evaluation consists of various assignments, including the development of a research plan.

Information about retaking exams

The student needs to rework and resubmit the various assignments.

Content

The master thesis research project will be elaborated under guidance of one of the academic staff and will bring the student into contact with a multinational and multidisciplinary research environment of a research institute. The research project will be finalized with a public presentation of a Master’s Thesis and oral defense at the end of the academic year. In completing a Master’s thesis, students should demonstrate their analytical and synthetic skills and show that they are capable of independent problem-solving at an academic level. The final product should show evidence of critical reflection and should be theoretically underpinned.

Research should be done with respect of the procedures regarding data protection (GDPR) and ethics review as described on the website of the Education-Support Committee (OBC) of the Group Biomedical Sciences. A research project should not start without the necessary approvals.

Format: more information

Research in bioethics is an important component of the Master of Bioethics. In its objectives, the programme states “The Master of Bioethics aims at supporting research in the bioethical field. It wants the students to participate in the scientific debate and literature in the domain of bioethics. It wants to support students in writing scientific articles and in submitting papers and articles to conferences and journals.”
 

With regard to the elaboration of the research work a mentor will be assigned for each student.

Explanation

The student is encouraged to produce a thesis in a way that makes the publication of the results of the thesis possible. In general, the research results should be able to be published as articles in scientific journals or monographs. The submission and evaluation of the thesis manuscript within the Master of Bioethics is considered as an important step which should prepare the manuscript towards submission of a manuscript into a real academic journal. Therefore as a final result of the programme, we expect that the students should be able to publish (parts of) their research in a national or international academic journal once the programme has been concluded.
The student’s thesis can be submitted for the Master of Bioethics in two different ways. The choice for one type or another should be motivated in the final work plan and should be agreed upon with the mentor.
Formula 1: An original, continuous text.
In this formula the thesis should be based on original investigation and must demonstrate scholarship and critical judgement, as well as familiarity with methods of research and relevant literature in the field studied. The thesis should be at a high level of originality and should examine a problem in depth (and thus not discussing various issues superficially!). It must be written in English. A thesis presented in this way should contain maximum 10.000 words. The text can be divided in various chapters.

Formula 2: A research article
In this formula the thesis consists of an original research article intended to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The paper should be presented as a paper that will be submitted to a journal for publication. The journal chosen should be motivated. The paper should as well be presented according to the requirements of the journal to which the paper will be submitted. A thesis presented in this way should contain a main text of maximum 5.000 words (excluding references). Presenting a thesis in this way seems more easy, but is in reality much more difficult. You need to write much more concise and show that you know the background literature very well. The paper should be written in English.

The purpose of the thesis (in the one form or the other) is to give evidence of a student's abilities in collecting and evaluating information, critically analyzing theories in the chosen area of inquiry, and constructing, testing and defending a coherent argument. The thesis should also demonstrate a student's ability to present research results concisely and in a scholarly form. The master's thesis should demonstrate that the candidate is capable of original and independent work. In the oral defense the student may be questioned on any aspect of the thesis and will be asked to elaborate upon or defend issues arising from the research contained in the thesis. The purpose of the oral examination is to have the student demonstrate to the Jury that he/she has a solid understanding of those areas relevant to the research, can expand upon and defend those ideas verbally, and has attained a breadth and depth of intellectual understanding of the subject matter. 

Content

This course focuses on improving students' academic writing skills to help them write their thesis, papers and other academic assignments in English. Students are presented with a variety of academic texts from different fields which serve as a model of conventions and good practices. Specific academic genres (abstracts, research papers) are analysed in order to identify typical structural, stylistic and language features. In addition, the course covers more general aspects of academic writing such as plagiarism, paragraph structure, coherence and flow, formality, hedging, conciseness and punctuation. The course also includes grammar and vocabulary exercises based on academic contexts.

Course material

Syllabus: Academic English for Master's Students
Toledo: slides and keys

Language of instruction: more information

This is an academic writing course which is taught fully in English. Students are expected to have an (upper-)intermediate level of English (equivalent to level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference).

Format: more information

The course consists of lectures on campus in combination with in-class writing practice. For further practical details, please consult Toledo.

Explanation

The exam result is calculated out of 20 and is determined as follows:

• Writing assignments (40/100)
• Written test at the end of the semester (60/100)

Writing assignments

• The writing assignments are completed in class, with compulsory attendance. Students who are unable to meet the attendance requirements or deadline should consult their lecturer to make alternative arrangements.
• Students who fail to complete the assignments will be given a zero mark for this part of the assessment.

Written test

• The test covers all the material dealt with in class and in the coursebook.
• The test consists of (semi-)closed (e.g. vocabulary and grammar) as well as open-ended questions (e.g. writing assignments).

Information about retaking exams

The second exam opportunity consists of a combination of a written test and writing assignments similar to those of the first exam opportunity. A passing grade for the writing assignments can be carried over. For students who did not obtain a passing grade, these assignments will be incorporated into the written test, which will take place during the examination period. They do not have to be submitted in advance.

Further practical details are announced on Toledo.

Content

This course includes the following topics:

• Historical and cross-cultural perspectives on sexuality

o          human sexuality throughout history

o          human sexuality in different cultures

• Theoretical perspectives on sexuality

o          evolutionary, psychological, sociological approaches

• Normal and abnormal sexuality

o          How and why do people, societies, and cultures define normality?

• Biology of human sexuality

o          anatomy and physiology of human sexuality

o          the impact of genes, hormones, and brain differentiation on sex, gender, and sexuality

• Sexual development

o          description of sexual development from cradle to grave

• Sexual orientation and sexual preferences

o          current thinking about factors and processes influencing sexual identity

• Men, women, relationships, and sexuality

o          gender differences and similarities in sexuality and relationships

• Sexuality, health, and sexual health

o          sexuality and mental and physical health

o          STDs/HIV, disease, and sexuality

• Sexuality, religion, ethics, and the law

o          the regulation of sexuality through ethics, rules, and shared expectations

Course material

The study material for this course consists of:

•           PowerPoint-presentations, which will be made available to students via Toledo

•           Relevant texts, which will be made available as a reader (printed or electronically).

Format: more information

The topics covered in this course will be presented and discussed in the classroom using PowerPoint presentations. Students will be encouraged to print out the slides (which will be made available on Toledo) in advance and bring them to class, to facilitate note taking. During the lectures students will regularly – either individually, in pairs, or in small groups – be invited to reflect on the various topics discussed during lectures.

Is also included in other courses

E06J5A : Scientific Seminars in Psychiatry (Sexuality in Perspective)

Explanation

The evaluation consists of a written exam with multiple choice questions (with correction for guessing) in which an evaluation will be done on two levels:

• knowledge of basic facts and concepts
• insight in discussed theoretical frameworks

The exam is organised before the official exam periode (mostly the first Thursday evening after the last week of classes of the semester).

Information about retaking exams

For a retake, the same rules apply. 

Content

This course focuses on ethical issues that arise in the development of public health policy and practice. This course discusses foundational concepts at stake in public health ethics. It will thereby analyse ethical values and moral imperatives that support public health interventions, and discuss cases where public health policies come into conflict with individual autonomy, privacy and social justice. As public health is a population-oriented approach that intends to protect and promote health, public health intrinsically faces dilemmas concerning the appropriate extent of its reach and at what point public health policies and practices are infringing on personal liberties.

The course will address a number of current topics in public health ethics including theories of justice in health care, prevention and screening policies and practices, ethical aspects in vaccination, ethical aspects of prenatal diagnosis on the public level, inequalities in health status and benchmarks for health promotion (e.g. tobacco-use), choices and priority setting in healthcare and the inclusion of citizens in health policy development.

Course material

Published articles on Toledo

Format: more information

Students are expected to prepare all sessions, by reading the literature in advance. The college sessions will be designed in the form of interactive lectures and class discussions.

Explanation

The exam comprises a variety of activities.

A. An individual paper of 5 pages in which the student analyzes a case study in the field of public health ethics or health policy (/7)
B. A written examination (/13)

If the student doesn't deliver the individual paper in time, the student will not be allowed to participate in the examination.

Content

This course focuses on ethical issues that arise in end-of-life care practices. This course discusses conceptuals distinctions between various medical decisions at the end of life. Major ethical conflicts that arise in withholding/withdrawing life sustaining treatment, pain and symptom control, palliative sedation and euthanasia will be described. Cases will be discussed where ethical values and principles (e.g. respect for autonomy, dignity, beneficence, care, nonmaleficence, vulnerability, …) come into conflict.This course also describes tools to deal with ethical issues at the end of life on an institutional level (e.g. institutional ethics policies) as well as to deal with conscientious objections in end-of-life care.

Course material

Published articles on Toledo

Format: more information

Students are expected to actively participate in group discussions.

Explanation

The oral examination will constitute of open exam questions with written preparation.

Content

The course focuses on foundational approaches to bioethics. We will study and discuss:

• Predominant theories such as: The principles of biomedical ethics, the care ethics approach, personalism, utilitarianism, consequentialism, pragmatism etc.
• Topics, concepts and approaches as: autonomy and paternalism, human dignity, universalism and particularism, justice and solidarity, European approaches to bioethics, etc.

Course material

Published articles on Toledo

Format: more information

Students are expected to prepare all sessions, by reading the literature in advance.

Explanation

The evaluation of this course consists of a written exam.

Content

The course will address a number of current ethical and policy issues in the field of human genetics, including:

1) Introduction to basic principles such as informed consent, the right not to know, privacy and confidentiality, non-directiveness

2) Genetic testing in children and adolescents

3) Return of results and incidental findings

4) Prenatal diagnosis, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and debates around termination of pregnancy

5) Direct-to-consumer genetic testing

6) Gene editing and enhancement

7) Use of biological materials for genomic research, sample sharing and datasharing

8) Donor conception: conceiving a baby with genetic material of a third party

Course material

Published articles on Toledo.

Format: more information

Students are expected to prepare all sessions, which will be designed in the form of interactive lectures and class discussions.

Content

1.         Characteristics of Healthcare systems and main EU legislative framework

2.         Right to healthcare

3.         Patient rights and medical liability

4.         Bioethics and law (medically-assisted reproduction, end of life issues…)

5.         Health, data protection, privacy and big data

6.         Recognition of healthcare professions

7.         Pharmaceutical products and medical devices

8.         Competition and health care.

Course material

Compendium of European Health Law (A. Den Exter and M. Buijsen (eds.), Maklu, Antwerp (forthcoming). The compendium is recommended.

Format: more information

Interactive lectures

Explanation

The evaluation consists of two parts:

1. An oral exam with written preparation (15 points), so counting for ¾ of the final grade;

2. Group work (paper) counting for 5 points, so counting for ¼ of the final grade.  If the paper has not been submitted in time, he/she receives 0 points (0/5) for this part of the evaluation.

Information about retaking exams

Oral exam.

Content

The course clincial bioethics training will provide students the opportunity to use knowledge and skills acquired in the ethical decision-making and resolution of concrete ethical dilemmas. In the first part, the students will be introduced to various concrete topics, such as the duty of care, truth telling, informed consent, the duty to warn, refusal of information and/or treatment, advanced requests and refusals, bests interests, treatment of adults lacking capacity to consent, treatment of children and young people.

In the second part, the students will be exposed to ethical rounds with practicing physicians. This will include information gathering, defining the dilemma, identifying different points of view, culminating in justification with regard to the decision to be taken.

Course material

British Medical Association. Everyday Medical Ethics and Law. Wiley-Blackwell:2013.

Format: more information

The class will use active interactions and presentations of the students.

Is also included in other courses

L00M1A : Ethics, Anti-Doping Policy and Sport Medicine

Explanation

The written assignment will consist of an ethical analysis of two case studies.

Content

In this course we give a comprehensive introduction to research ethics through the explanation of the main relevant topics in the domain of research on human beings, such as responsible research and innovation, ethical codes, ethics governance mechanisms, informed consent, research on vulnerable populations, privacy, or research integrity.

Course material

All course materials are available at the edX platform.

Format: more information

Asynchronous online learning - Didactic collection - MOOC

This course will be offered as a MOOC. Through the use of various formats (e.g. case studies, knowledge clips, readings, video-interviews) students will be introduced in how a variety of ethical issues arise in research practice. The MOOC consists of different modules and each module will end by a short assignment or test.

Explanation

The first exam opportunity is as follows:
The evaluation consists of two parts.
Both parts count for 50% of the score for this course:

Part 1
Tests in the MOOC platform, which students can do on their own pace. 
Students have only one attempt to take these tests in the MOOC platform (edX platform).
This part consists of 3 elements:
- knowledge checks (after interviews/reading) -- 10% of the score for the MOOC platform part
- 30% end of module quizzes -- 30% of the score for the MOOC platform part
- 60% final edX exam -- 60% of the score for the MOOC platform part

--> scores are calculated using a conversion table, which is available on Toledo

Part 2
Assignment in Toledo.

Information about retaking exams

The second exam opportunity consists of:
- the final exam in the MOOC platform (edX platform) -- this counts for 50% of the score

--> scores are calculated using a conversion table, which is available on Toledo

- assignment in Toledo -- this counts for 50% of the score

Content

In this course we give a comprehensive introduction to research ethics through the explanation of the main relevant topics in the domain of research on human beings, such as responsible research and innovation, ethical codes, ethics governance mechanisms, informed consent, research on vulnerable populations, privacy, or research integrity.

Course material

All course materials are available at the edX platform.

Format: more information

Asynchronous online learning - Didactic collection - MOOC

This course will be offered as a MOOC. Through the use of various formats (e.g. case studies, knowledge clips, readings, video-interviews) students will be introduced in how a variety of ethical issues arise in research practice. The MOOC consists of different modules and each module will end by a short assignment or test.

Explanation

The first exam opportunity is as follows:
The evaluation consists of two parts.
Both parts count for 50% of the score for this course:

Part 1
Tests in the MOOC platform, which students can do on their own pace. 
Students have only one attempt to take these tests in the MOOC platform (edX platform).
This part consists of 3 elements:
- knowledge checks (after interviews/reading) -- 10% of the score for the MOOC platform part
- 30% end of module quizzes -- 30% of the score for the MOOC platform part
- 60% final edX exam -- 60% of the score for the MOOC platform part

--> scores are calculated using a conversion table, which is available on Toledo

Part 2
Assignment in Toledo.

Information about retaking exams

The second exam opportunity consists of:
- the final exam in the MOOC platform (edX platform) -- this counts for 50% of the score

--> scores are calculated using a conversion table, which is available on Toledo

- assignment in Toledo -- this counts for 50% of the score

Content

The total survey error paradigm is the basic principle of this course. The different components of the survey process which are relevant for the total survey error and the quality of the survey estimates are discussed. In addition, participants are introducted to the principles of survey experiments. 
 
Topics

• Basic concepts of the survey process and survey data quality, such as observational and non-observational error, among others
• Non response Error
• The respondent related error
• Interviewer related bias and variance
• Questionnaire design and question wording
• Introduction to survey experiments

Format: more information

Lectures
Study of theoretical papers

This course module is taught in block teaching, more specifically, in the second half of the first semester. 

Explanation

Features of evaluation
The evaluation is based on a paper assignment. 

Determination of final result
The paper is evaluated by the teacher, and the result is expressed as a whole number on a scale of 20.

Second examination opportunity
The features of second exam are the same as the first exam.

Content

In the first part, basic concepts and theories of Judgments, Decisions, and Rationality, the nature and analysis of judgment and of judging probability and frequency, judgmental distortions, covariation, causation and counterfactual thinking.
In the second part, students prepare in small groups a presentation, summary text and guided discussion on one of the following topics:

• Decision Making under Risk and Uncertainty
• Preference and Choice
• Confidence and Optimism
• Judgment and Choice over Time
• Dynamic Decisions and High Stakes: Where Real Life Meets the Laboratory
• Risk
• Decision Making in Groups and Teams
• Cooperation and Coordination
• Intuition, Reflective Thinking and the Brain

Course material

Powerpoint slides of the course are made available on Toledo.
A starting package of articles concerning each topic is made available on Toledo.
The articles which were the basis of the group presentations, the group presentations themselves and summary texts are made available on Toledo.

Format: more information

This course makes use of a combination of learning activities:

• Group work
• Self-study and critical reflection
• Oral presentation
• Written summary report
• Group discussion

Explanation

Evaluation takes place continuously throughout the course and consists of the following elements:

• Written summary report of group topic (7/20)
• Oral presentation of group topic (7/20)
• Short written reflection after each topic (total of 5/20)
• Press release (1/20)

Information about retaking exams

In the third exam period, the exam consists of an oral exam (20/20) on the basis of the texts of the first part and the presentations of the second part.

Content

We will discuss and apply various steps of the research process against the background of the quantitative research cycle.

This includes:
(1) developing theoretical frameworks;
(2) selecting a sample;
(3) data collection techniques: tests, questionnaires, observation, interviews, unobtrusive measures;
(4) selecting the research design;
(5) reporting the results; this step also includes a discussion of the correct use of sources, how to cite work of others and what is plagiarism and how to prevent it.

Students are stimulated to bring in examples of specific educational and psychological research. The course also covers criteria for the critical appraisal of this research and highlights standards for reporting developed for different research designs.
Special attention is paid to academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism.

Course material

Articles/chapters of textbooks.

Format: more information

The course mainly consists of a series of lectures in which students will be invited for discussion and take part in the exercises.

Content

The practical part of this course consists of three major components: practical exercises in data-collection techniques and training in crediting sources by means of APA guidelines. The latter includes attending a visit to the library to gain a better understanding on how to search for literature. Last component is an assignment in group.

Course material

Cf. Toledo

Format: more information

Lectures, exercises and assignments are intertwined.

Explanation

• Students will develop a research protocol in group during the semester and will take part individually in a written exam during the examination period. The written exam consists of short questions and MC-questions (with correction for guessing). 

• Submission deadlines, distribution of points and evaluation criteria will be communicated via Toledo at the start of the semester.

• Submitting the assignment after the deadline results in NA (not attempted) (= 0 for the assignment).
The language and formal requirements of the assignment are graded separately as pass/fail. Students must pass the language and formal requirements to pass the assignment (= admissibility condition). When the student fails the language and formal requirements, the assignment is considered as not completed (NA), which will be counted as 0 for the assignment.
The language and formal requirements include but are not limited to correct application of APA formatting rules (a.o., referencing style, reporting of figures and tables, reporting structure).

Information about retaking exams

In case the student fails one part of the evaluation, the grades for the part for which the student has passed are transferred to the exam period of September.

Students who do not pass for the design of a research protocol have to individually improve their previously submitted version, including a letter to the didactical team describing the adjustments made.

Content

We will discuss and apply various steps of the research process against the background of the qualitative research cycle, including:


(1) Selecting and developing conceptual and theoretical frameworks;
(2) Data collection techniques (such as observations, interviews, focus group interviews, etc.);
(3) Selecting an appropriate research design and approach;
(4) Understanding common methods of qualitative data analysis and interpretation;
(5) Reporting and writing the results in a research proposal
(6) Academic integrity (e.g. avoiding plagiarism)
(7) Qualitative quality
(8) Reflecting on one’s role and positionality as a qualitative researcher
 

Course material

Articles/chapters of textbooks, research articles, video clips.

Format: more information

The course mainly consists of a series of lectures in which students will be invited for discussion and take part in the exercises.

Content

The practical sessions will be organized as small group sessions, which complement the course’s lectures. The basic principles, ideas, points of departure and challenges of qualitative research will be demonstrated. The skills and knowledge gained in these practical sessions will enable students to carry out a qualitative research study and to develop their research paper.

Course material

Cf. Toledo

Format: more information

During the practical sessions, we will make use of both collective work and group work.

Explanation

Evaluation method:
By means of a research paper, a student proofs his/her ability to implement the different steps of a qualitative research cycle in practice. Additionally, the paper will include a reflection part in which the student demonstrates his/her understanding of the course material.

Assessment:
The final research paper is evaluated according to criteria that will be elucidated throughout the course (and that will equally be posted on Toledo). Language and form will be quoted as pass or fail.

Conditions:

Submission deadlines will be communicated via Toledo at the beginning of the semester. A research paper that is submitted after the communicated deadline will not be taken into account for the first examination period.

Students who do not pass the language and form requirements will not receive any points (NA). This includes incorrect references, spelling and grammatical errors, insufficient level of English language and disorganized structuring of the report.

Information about retaking exams

Students who do not pass have to individually improve their previously submitted version, including a letter to the instructor describing the adjustments made.

Content

It is first shown how to summarize and capture patterns in data collected in the behavioral sciences by means of descriptive statistics (e.g., means, standard deviation, correlation) and visualizations (e.g., boxplot). Secondly, an introduction is given into probability calculus (including Bayes' theorem). Next, we thoroughly discuss the notion of sampling distribution and how to obtain it, including the law of great numbers and the central limit theorem. Finally, we study how to obtain and interpret confidence intervals and how to conduct hypothesis tests, where we devote particular attention to type 1 error and power considerations.

Course material

Slides distributed through Toledo

Format: more information

Presentation of the main ideas. Deepening and structuring.

Content

In preparation for the practical sessions, students complete a number of exercises at home.

During the practical sessions, the solutions of the exercises are discussed in an interactive way both plenary and in small groups.

Course material

Exercises

Format: more information

Exercises in small groups.

Explanation

Open and multiple choice questions with use of formulary, calculator (Texas Instruments TI-30X MultiView or Texas Instruments TI-30X II), and statistical tables.

For the multiple choice questions correction for guessing is applied.

Information about retaking exams

The exam for the second exam opportunity is of the same format as the exam during the first exam opportunity.

Content

Solidarity between individuals and groups is a pre-requisite for a well-functioning society, as well as for individual well-being. Because of the dynamics of modern social life, with its shifting and conflicting interests and identities, solidarity is often in a fragile state, and has to be actively organized more or less permanently. In most modern societies the welfare state plays a pivotal role in this, alongside market forces, institutions in civil society and the family.

This course focuses first on social solidarity as a social problem present in any (post)industrial society. It presents, discusses and compares various disciplinary perspectives on the character and functions of social solidarity, including sociology, anthropology, rational choice, biology. Second, the course explains why and how the modern social institution of the welfare state aims at organizing social solidarity, and discusses specific social trends that challenge welfare states regarding their solidaristic functioning. Specific topics are informed by actual developments, and include gender solidarity, intergenerational solidarity, welfare state solidarity, solidarity in work and care, and solidarity between immigrants and natives.

Course material

The following course materials will be used:

• Toledo is being used for the course slides, instructions for the assignment, the take home-exam and announcements from the lecturers

• Reading list with reader, available online as well as via Politika course service
• Notes from the lectures

Format: more information

The course is organized according to the principles of blended learning, in which contact education (face-to-face) and online learning are combined.

During the lectures social solidarity theories and trends and challenges across social, cultural and economic policies will be introduced and discussed on the basis of texts and examples.  Students are expected to read the relevant articles in advance of the lectures.

Explanation

Evaluation characteristics

The evaluation has 2 components:

• Essay: Students write a final essay (max. 5000 words) in self-selected groups. The essay has the form of a proposal for research.  More details on the essay are provided on the Toledo site. Students with a ‘Statuut Werkstudent’ can, in consultation with and after approval of the lecturer, deviate from this evaluation characteristic.
• Take-home exam during the regular exam period: one open, essay question concerning the articles on the reading list, the contents of the classes and the lecture slides. Students have to use the course material to make this exam.

Final grade

The course is evaluated by the lecturer(s), as communicated via Toledo and the exam schedule. The result is calculated and expressed as an integer out of 20. It consists of 50% of the essay grade + 50% of the take-home exam. Both component grades are not rounded off. The final grade is rounded off to a whole number.

To pass the course students have to pass both examcomponents (essay and take-home exame). If the result for the essay is less than 10/20, or the result of the take home exam is less than 10/20, the final result for the whole course will be marked as minumum with the fail and a maximum of 9. If the student does not hand in the essay by the set deadline,the student will get a NA for the whole course. 

Students are fully responsible for submitting an essay free of fraud and plagiarism. Plagiarism (http://www.kuleuven.be/plagiarism/ ) is a form of examination fraud that consists of the action of copying the work (ideas, texts, structures, images, plans, …) of someone else without adequate acknowledgement, in an identical form or slightly changed. For the application of these regulations the copying of one’s own work without adequate acknowledgement is considered examination fraud. Plagiarism will be sanctioned with the sanctions mentioned in the University’s Regulations on Education and Examinations (http://www.kuleuven.be ).

Retaking exams

The evaluation characteristics and the formula for calculating the final result for the second examination opportunity are the same as for the first examination opportunity.

For an evaluation component (essay and/or take-home exam) for which students received a grade of 10/20 or higher in the first period, it is not possible to retake the evaluation. This first period grade will then be treated as the component’s grade for the second examination period.

For the evaluation component (essay and/or take-home exam) for which students received a grade less than 10/20 in the first period, the students will need to have a second examination and receive a grade of at least 10/20.

The deadline to hand in the retake essay will be communicated via Toledo.

Information about retaking exams

See ‘Explanation’ for more information on the second examination opportunity.

Content

This course introduces students to the field of environmental philosophy – with a particular emphasis on environmental ethics and the ethics of nature conservation therein. Included under the umbrella of environmental ethics is also animal ethics. This course is thereby structured along several important concepts (such as environmental values, naturalness, the Anthropocene etc.) and current debates (such as on the moral considerability of nonhuman beings) to provide an overview of different positions and concerns in the field. 

A more detailed syllabus will be made available on Toledo before the beginning of the course.

Course material

A more detailed program of the course, including the full reading list, will be made available through Toledo before the beginning of the course. In addition, PowerPoint presentations and other supplementary materials used in class (if any) will be made available through Toledo.

Format: more information

The classes include lecture elements but are predominantly based on class interactions and are meant as a space where all students feel empowered to participate. This means that the students are expected to carefully read in advance the texts that will be discussed each week and are encouraged to actively participate in the discussions and other class activities with their peers (group activities, the final course workshop).

Explanation

There are two evaluative components which are weighted as follows:

• Final paper (70%)
• Participation: Contributions to discussions and presentation (30%)

For the final essay, students can either choose an essay question from a pre-set list or develop their own question, to be approved by the teacher. Expected is an essay that argumentatively elaborates on a moral problem or question on a topic encountered during the course.

Carefully reading the weekly texts in preparation for each session is expected. The participation grade takes contributions to the class discussions and activities (such as a final workshop) into account but also requires that each student (individually or as a small group depending on class size) introduces during one of the sessions one of the mandatory readings to kick off the discussion in the larger group. 

Students who do not participate in all parts of the assessment (including the presentation and sufficient participation in class) will receive a final assessment NA (not taken).

Further information about the examination requirements (such as the deadline for submission for the paper, word count, specific requirements) will be provided at the beginning of the course. 

Information about retaking exams

The second examination attempt is limited to (re)submitting the final paper. The participation component cannot be retaken. Students who did not participate in all parts of the assessment (including the presentation and sufficient participation in class) will again receive a final assessment NA (not taken).

Content

Each lesson we start from a particular text, most of the time fragments of a book.

• Introduction: ‘Collective Conscience, Joint Intentionality, Public Opinion, Rhetoric and Fake News’
• Gabriel Tarde, L'opinon et la foule [1901].
• Emile Durkheim,  ‘L’attachement aux groups sociaux’ Leçon 5, in L’éducation Morale, Paris, Presses Universitaires de Frances, 2012, [‘Attachment to Social Groups’ in Moral Education, New York, The Free Press, 1973]
• George Herbert Mead, Mind, Self, & Society, Chicago, London, The University of Chicago Press, 1972
• Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion, New York, Free Press Paperbacks, 1997.
• Aristotle, Retorica, transl. R. Roberts in Works of Aristotle, ed. W.D. Ross, vol. XI, Oxford, Clarendon Press,  1971, book II, 1 (1377bb 12 – 1378a30); book II, 12-18 (1388b 31 - 1391b 20); Chaim Perelman, Lucy Olbrechts-Tyteca, The New Rhetoric. A Treatise on Argumentation. Notre Dame, London, University of Notre Dame Press, 1971.
• Jürgen Habermas, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society (Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT press, 1991).
• Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, The Spiral of Silence. Public Opinion: Our Social Skin, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1986.
• Margaret Gilbert, ‘Shared Intention and Personal Intentions’ in Philosophical Studies, 144(2009)1, pp. 167-187.
• Michael Corballis, The Uniqueness of Human Recursive Thinking, American Scientist 95(3) · May 2007
• Michael Tomasello, ‘Human Morality as Cooperetion-Plus’ in A Natural History of Human Morality, Cambridge (Mass.), Harvard University Press, 2016, p. 135-163.

Course material

Texts will be made available via Toledo.

Format: more information

In each session we discuss an article or an author. Students need to read the particular articles in advance. After an explanation provided by the teacher there is a discussion. Students can be asked questions and are invited to formulate their opinion about the relevance of the topic for the general aim

Attendance is required for this course. The student who is repeatedly and for unfounded reasons absent can be denied further access to class by the teacher of the course.

Explanation

Examination description

The evaluation consists of 3 parts:

• Participation (20%): Students should participate in the discussions actively and will be evaluated on this.
• Paper (40%): Students should write a paper (5 p.) answering the central questions: How is Mass media responsible for the quality of the ethos of a society? Why is this kind or responsibility important and how can it be improved? This paper will be discussed during the final oral examination.
• Final oral examination (40%): Students will asked questions about the relevance of the different articles discussed during the classes.

Determination of the examination result

If students did not attend the course as required, did not sufficiently participate in group assignments (if applicable), did not give a presentation (if applicable), and/or did not submit all the course work (in time), they will receive the result 'not taken' (NA).

In case students cannot, for well-founded reasons, attend class as required, they need to inform the teacher of the course without undue delay. The teacher can in this case decide to give the student a make-up assignment (for example, a reading report on the material covered in the seminar session which the student missed). In case studentst cannot, for serious reasons and regularly or for a long period of time, attend class as required or in case students cannot, for serious reasons, give a presentation on a scheduled date, they need to inform the examination ombudsperson without undue delay.

Information about retaking exams

The second examination attempt is limited to (re)submitting the course work and retaking the exam. Participation and/or presentation cannot be retaken. The student who in the course of the academic year did not attend class as required or who did not give a presentation will again receive the NA result.

Content

In this course we engage in moral reflection over global justice, which is the most prominent research area in contemporary political philosophy. We will first analyze conceptual, normative and methodological questions: many classical theories of justice were developed in the context of a bounded political community, typically the nation-state, but now undergo ‘global’ extensions. We will then analyze applied issues of global justice. This includes well-established global justice topics, such as global distributive justice and the role of global institutions in poverty relief. We also discuss other dimensions such as immigration, historical injustice, racial justice, solidarity within the European Union, multiculturalism and gender, and the ethics of natural disaster relief.

Course material

All the required readings, including, academic journal articles and book chapters will be uploaded on the course Toledo.

Format: more information

The course will consist of interactive lectures, combining oral presentation, audio-visual material and in-class interactive discussions and excercizes. Attendance of all lectures is mandatory. Students are expected to participate actively by reading the text before class, preparing questions, commenting on the lecture and participating in discussions.

Is also included in other courses

W0Z02A : Philosophy of Contemporary Society and Culture

Explanation

The written exam takes 2 hours and consists of essay questions that focus on material discussed in class or in the required literature. The exam is closed book, but students may bring a bilingual dictionary (e.g., English-Dutch/Dutch-English).

Students are also expected to bring one home-prepared written assignment to the exam.

Content

In the academic year 2024-2025, the topic of the course is: “Power, Legality, and Legitimacy”.

Through selected readings and collective discussions, we will examine the foundations of state power. Can state coercion be legitimate? On which conditions? What is the difference between legality and legitimacy? Between sociological and normative legitimacy? What are the different possible sources of legitimacy? Who is excluded from the social contract? And what are the limits of state legitimacy?

We will address these fundamental questions by reading the work of contemporary authors such as Robert Paul Wolff, Robert Nozick, Arthur Ripstein, Jane Mansbridge, Jürgen Habermas, Bernard Manin, Nadia Urbinati, David Estlund, Enzo Rossi, Carole Pateman, Charles W. Mills, and Arash Abizadeh.

Course material

All study material shall be made available through Toledo. Students will be expected to read about 30 pages per week for this course.

Format: more information

This course consists of 12 three-hour seminars. A short lecture may be included as part of the seminar to help contextualize and understand the material. Students are expected to have done the readings beforehand and to submit a question for discussion on Toledo.

Explanation

Examination takes the following form:

1. End-of-term paper of max. 3000 words (70%)

The end-of-term paper should advance a thesis, supported by arguments, on the topic of the course, and make connections with the different readings of the course.

2. Active participation in discussions + weekly submission of a question (30%)

Students are expected to submit, on Toledo, at least one question or comment on the assigned reading each week, 24 hours before class. This is mandatory. Students can be asked to elaborate on their question or statement during the seminar. 

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the class discussions. Class contributions will be taken into account when calculating your final grade.

Barring exceptional cases acknowledged by the ombudsperson, students who did not complete one of the two components of the evaluation will receive the NA result (not taken the exam).

Students are expected to inform themselves about the faculty guidelines for papers and bibliographical referencing and about the faculty guidelines with regard to plagiarism.

Information about retaking exams

The second examination attempt is limited to (re)submitting the final paper. Participation cannot be retaken.

Content

In the academic year 2023-2024, the topic of the course is: “Reasons to (Dis)Obey the Law”.

In this seminar, we will examine the different reasons that have been put forward by philosophers to obey or disobey the law. Few people nowadays would hold the view that the law should always be obeyed, whatever its content. We have witnessed the dramatic effects of such attitude in the 20th Century (and already before). There is also an increasing call by activists for forms of disobedience for the sake of environmental protection and solidarity with immigrants, for example. Nevertheless, the view that only laws that we recognize as just should be obeyed also carries its own problems. For the law to perform its regulative function, it must be obeyed in most cases, even by people who disagree with its content. Hence, beyond coercion and the prospect of punishment, what are the reasons that citizens face when considering whether to obey or disobey the law?

We will address this fundamental question by reading the classical work of authors such as Hannah Arendt, John Rawls, Mohandas Gandhi, Peter Singer, Jürgen Habermas, Joseph Raz, as well as more recent work on civil and uncivil forms of disobedience and resistance (Kimberley Brownlee, Simon Caney, Robin Celikates, Candice Delmas).

Course material

All study material shall be made available through Toledo. Students will be expected to read 20 to 30 pages per week.

Format: more information

This course consists of 12 three-hour seminars. A short lecture will be included as part of the seminar to help contextualize and understand the material. Students are expected to have done the readings beforehand and to have prepared a question for discussion. Active participation in discussions is expected from all students.

Explanation

Examination takes the following form:

1. End-of-term paper of max. 4000 words (70%)

The end-of-term paper of max. 4000 words should advance a thesis, supported by arguments, on the topic of the course.

2. Active participation to discussions + weekly submission of a question (30%)

Students are expected to submit, on Toledo, at least one question or comment on the assigned reading each week, 24 hours before class. Students can be asked to elaborate on their question or statement during the seminar. 
Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the class discussions. Class contributions will be taken into account when calculating your final grade.

There is an attendance requirement for this course. Non-attendance or insufficient attendance always results in a score 'NA' (not taken). When a student is unable to attend a mandatory class for valid reasons, the student shall notify the instructor as soon as possible. In this case, the instructor may decide to give the student a substitute task (for example, a reading report on the reading of certain texts). If a student is unable to attend mandatory classes for an extended period or regularly and for weighty reasons, the student shall notify the examination ombudsperson as soon as possible.

Students are expected to inform themselves about the faculty guidelines for papers and bibliographical referencing and about the faculty guidelines with regard to plagiarism.

Information about retaking exams

The second examination attempt is limited to (re)submitting the final paper (which counts for 70% towards the final grade). Participation cannot be retaken. Barring exceptional cases acknowledged by the ombudsperson, students who did not participate as required while the course was in session will receive the NA result.

Content

Just as you better understand the nature of a person by knowing his or her history, so you will better understand how people behave morally by learning more about how moral practices and reasoning have evolved historicaly. This course will outline the development of ethical behavior and ethical thinking in the West in historical terms. That is, it will consider the major positions we inherit from the tradition of reflection on virtues, duties, moral justification, the nature of norms and values, beliefs about the relation between morality and religion, morality and culture, morality and society etc.

In 2024-2025, the reading seminar will be taught by Nicola Zetti.

Course material

The course text and a reader with texts will be made available via the course service (CuDi) of the student organisation (NFK).

Format: more information

The course consists of:

• lecture and discussion sessions (39 hours),
• reading seminars (13 hours: introduction of 1 hour + 6 x 2-hours seminars).

Students are encouraged to take notes and participate in discussions during the lecture sessions. For the reading seminars they need to read and make a written preparation of the texts that will be discussed in advance.

Is also included in other courses

W0Z01A : Ethics, Political and Continental Philosophy

Explanation

There will be an oral exam in the exam period (80% of final grade). This will be made up of questions covering the material we have dealt with in class, as well as texts assigned for reading.

The tutor will make an evaluation of the students’ preparation of the reading seminars by means of written contributions (20% of final grade).

Students only get a final grade for the course if they participated in all components of the exam. Otherwise the final grade will be ‘NA’ (not taken the exam).

Information about retaking exams

The oral exam can be retaken in the third examination period. Participation in the reading seminars will be replaced by a reading assignment, with questions on this assignment during the oral exam.

Content

This teaching activity deals with the following topics:

• what is science?,
• scientific reasoning,
• explanation in science,
• realism and antirealism about science,
• scientific change and scientific revolutions,
• philosophy of the special sciences (e.g. biology),
• science and its critics.

In 2024-2025, the text seminar will be taught by Gianmaria Dani.

Course material

Textbook: Samir Okasha, Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction, 2^nd edition, 2016, Oxford University Press

A selection of primary texts (to be discussed during the seminars) will be made available via Toledo.

Format: more information

This teaching activity involve lectures (taught by Ramsey) and text seminars (taught by a PhD student - teaching assistant).

Each week during the second half of the semester (weeks 7-13), there will be 3 hours of lecture, and 1 hours of text seminar.

The text seminars are meant to deepen as well as to broaden the material covered in the lectures:

• some texts discussed during the seminars illustrate/defend/criticize a position that was explained during the lectures;
• other texts discussed during the seminars address relevant philosophical issues that are not directly covered in the lectures.

Content

This teaching activity deals with the following topics:

• the nature of knowledge,
• the Gettier problem involved in defining knowledge,
• the value of knowledge,
• the structure of justification (foundationalism vs coherentism),
• internalism/externalism about justification,
• virtue epistemology,
• sources of knowledge: perception, a priori and inferential knowledge,
• ancient scepticism, scepticism about other minds, radical scepticism.

In 2024-2025, the text seminar will be taught by Gianmaria Dani.

Course material

Textbook: Duncan Pritchard, What is this thing called knowledge? 4^th edition, 2018, Routledge

A selection of primary texts (to be discussed during the seminars) will be made available via Toledo.

Format: more information

This teaching activity will involve lectures and text seminars.

Each week during the first half of the semester (weeks 1-6), there will be 3 hours of lecture, and 1 hour of text seminar.

The text seminars are meant to deepen as well as to broaden the material covered in the lectures:

• some texts discussed during the seminars illustrate/defend/criticize a position that was explained during the lectures;
• other texts discussed during the seminars address relevant philosophical issues that are not directly covered in the lectures.

Explanation

The evaluation consists of two papers and an on-campus written exam.

Papers: students will have to write two short papers (1000 words each): one on epistemology and one on philosophy of science. These papers will be assigned during the semester (roughly: the first one in week 5 and the second in week 11 of the semester). Students will have two to three weeks to write and submit each paper.

Exam: there will be an on-campus written exam during the examination period. This exam will have essay-style questions, and will be closed book. At the end of the semester, students will receive an exhaustive list of possible exam questions. At the actual exam, they will get 4 questions from this list (viz., 2 on epistemology and 2 on philosophy of science); out of these 4 questions, they will have to answer 2 (viz., 1 on epistemology and 1 on philosophy of science).

Each of the two papers counts toward 20% of the total grade. The written exam counts towards 60% of the total grade.

Students who did not submit (one of) the papers or did not take the written exam will receive a total grade ‘NA’ (not taken the exam). 

Information about retaking exams

Both the papers and the on-campus written exam can be retaken in the third examination period by those students who received an NA or an insufficient grade. 

Students who have to retake the course in the next academic year have to re-do all parts of the exam.