One approach to answering the question, 'How should we live?' focuses on the traits of character that contribute to a well-lived life, including qualities like courage, wisdom, generosity and perseverance. Theories that take this approach are known as virtue theories. This course will look at important examples of virtue theory.

16 x 1hr lectures; 4 x 1hr seminars as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in Philosophy and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

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Essay 1 (2500 words) - 50%

Essay 2 (2500 words) -50%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Introduce students to the academic study of virtue

■ Highlight key features required in a normative ethical theory

■ Provide students an opportunity to continue developing their ability to read challenging texts and to construct and critique arguments.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Compare and critically assess different ways of defining the virtues

■ Explain important attempts to define right action in terms of virtue

■ Evaluate attempts to define right action in terms of virtue

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.