This semester the College of Arts and Sciences began offering an ethics minor for students. The minor requires 18 credit hours, beginning with “Intro to Ethics and Ethical Theory,” as well as your choice of four upper level courses. Some of these courses include: “Philosophies of Feminism,” “Philosophy of Law,” “Health Justice,” “Environmental Philosophy” and more.
“I think it should appeal to anybody who’s generally interested in questions about social justice, and I think more generally anyone who’s interested in trying to understand the level of division in society,” said David Harker, chair of Philosophy and Humanities.
The addition of the ethics minor was enacted as a result of student and employee interest. Harker explained that it is common to find workplaces striving to build more productive and fair environments for employees.
“Ethical skills can be valuable for any employee,” said Harker. “Another element of it has to do with thinking about education, not just as an individual’s investment in themselves, but also as an investment in society.”
Ethics courses focus on the concept of ensuring the wellbeing of future generations. They show students how to recognize what is good for society, making them more informed and aware of others’ perspectives. They also provide insight on maintaining a sound moral reasoning, build ethical leadership skills, and encourage self-reflection.
“A lot of our disagreements, whether it’s political or otherwise, trade to some extent on differing values, differing understanding of what we should be trying to achieve, and what’s good for people, and what they ought to be doing,” said Harker. “So we have these beliefs, but it’s not always easy to engage with people who have grown up with different values. Studying these kinds of issues and taking these kinds of courses is a really good way of exposing ourselves to alternative ways of thinking about morality and justice.”
Ethics courses are being taught by experts in discipline that are highly invested in student learning and providing useful skills for contributing to their communities. You can find more information under “Programs” at catalog.etsu.edu.
