Ethics, Religion and Care

When you study religion, you need to acquire some competence in the field of ethics, since ethical guidance is a key function of religions. Is this ethical guidance a thing of the past, at best invoked in the name of 'heritage' or 'tradition'? At any rate, many philosophers have held that religion can be of no intellectual relevance for identifying what is right or wrong.

In this course, we will be tracing the complex relationship between religion and ethics, from Socrates to today's feminist ethics of care. A specific thematic focus will be discussions around bioethics, public health and care.
We will be using different learning formats and assignments, ranging from more formal lecture elements to student-led activities, and from analysing religious and philosophical texts to other sources such as policy papers or films.