Why is Murder Wrong?

Explore the enduring question: Why is murder wrong? This course delves into the complexities of morality, examining diverse philosophical perspectives from ancient Greece to contemporary thought. Join us on a journey through ethical theory, analyzing arguments and challenging assumptions.

We'll begin with metaethics, dissecting the very nature of ethical statements. Understand the core differences between ethical realism and ethical nominalism. Then, we'll investigate relative ethics, where morality is shaped by individual or cultural viewpoints. Key topics include:

• Social Contract Theory: Examining the agreements that underpin moral obligations.
• Ethical Subjectivism: Exploring the idea that morality is based on personal feelings.
• Cultural Relativism: Analyzing how cultural norms influence ethical beliefs.
• Divine Command Theory: Investigating morality derived from religious authority.

The course then moves to universal ethics, exploring systems that claim to offer objective moral truths. We'll analyze:

• Aristotle's Ethical Systems: A deep dive into virtue ethics and natural law.
• Consequentialism: Evaluating ethical frameworks based on outcomes. This includes:
  • Ethical Egoism: Focusing on self-interest.
  • Ethical Altruism: Prioritizing the well-being of others.
  • Utilitarianism: The most widely discussed consequentialist approach, maximizing overall happiness.
• Deontology (Duty Ethics): Exploring Kant's framework and addressing critiques, such as the feminist critique of Kant.

Finally, we'll consider alternative sources of morality, including intuition ethics, and grapple with the possibility of ethical nihilism – the view that morality is meaningless.

Throughout, we'll engage with the ideas of influential thinkers like: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, Jeremy Bentham, Friedrich Nietzsche, John Rawls, Jean Paul Sartre, and Emanuel Levinas.

This course culminates in an attempt to provide a compelling answer to the fundamental question: What makes murder wrong?

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits: Florida lawyers can earn CLE credits by completing this course.