Year
2019
Units
4.5
Contact
1 x 2-hour seminar weekly
Enrolment not permitted
PHIL2345 has been successfully completed
Topic description
This topic examines a range of contemporary ethical issues in professional life. Particular issues to be discussed include: the concept of a profession, the client-professional relationship, problems of informed consent and confidentiality, privacy, deception, whistle-blowing, individual and collective responsibility and professional codes.
Educational aims
This topic aims to:

  • introduce students to a broad range of ethical issues across the professions and to various moral theories and philosophical ideas that will assist students in dealing with them

  • improve students' reasoning skills by helping them make careful distinctions between issues and pay close attention to arguments

  • improve students' written and oral communication skills
Expected learning outcomes
On completion of this topic students will have:

  • knowledge of central ethical issues in a range of professions such as law, medicine and other healthcare professions, journalism, advertising and accounting

  • the ability to identify ways of dealing effectively with these issues

  • improved their critical reading and reasoning skills, both in verbal form and in writing