Values & Ethics

Ethics are the cornerstone of how we engage with others. In this course, students consider what their values are, how they go about engaging others in everyday life, and what their obligations are as part of a public (whether that public is a school, a neighborhood, a work place, a community, a nation, or a world).

The first half of the semester is based around the major philosophical approaches to ethics: nihilism, deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and ethics of care. Students play the video game “Papers, Please” with each ethical framework, reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of each ethical approach, as well as the consequences of the ethical decisions they make.

In the second half of the semester, students apply these concepts to case studies in their field, learn about legal protections for whistleblowers and internal reporting procedures, debate hypothetical scenarios collected from a variety of professionals, and interview a guest speakers on the nuances of ethical decision-making processes in personal and professional contexts.