Module overview
Ethics of Global Poverty examines the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world. Among the questions we will examine are: What obligations do we have to help strangers in need? What bases might such obligations have? Are some charitable causes better than others? Do we have an obligation to donate to the most effective charities, or do we have discretion in our charitable giving? How do we determine the limits of obligations of beneficence? How demanding can such obligations be? Do the major moral theories converge on answers to these questions?
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- how to relate the issues explored in this module to those in other modules (e.g. Ethics, Applied Ethics).
- how to apply this understanding in addressing philosophical questions concerning global poverty.
- problems, positions and arguments that play a key role in ethical debates about global poverty.
- some of the basic concepts used in philosophical debates concerning global poverty.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- contribute to discussion in a critical but dispassionate way.
- undertake independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources.
- work effectively to deadlines.
- take notes from talks and written materials.
- express views clearly and concisely.
Cognitive Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- interpret, synthesise and criticise complex texts and positions.
- debate and criticise ideas and arguments in an even-handed fashion.
- present ideas in writing, clearly and carefully.
- articulate and defend your own views regarding the issues the module concerns.
Syllabus
The syllabus may vary from year to year. Topics might include:
- World poverty and philosophical ethics
- Positive duties, negative duties, and new harms
- Demandingness and the limits of beneficience
- Effective altruism
- Moral theories and duties to help the poor
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- Lectures
- In-class discussion
- One-on-one consultation with module co-ordinator
Learning activities include
- Attending classes
- Contribution to class discussion
- Doing independent research for and writing assessed work
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Wider reading or practice | 24 |
Completion of assessment task | 22 |
Preparation for scheduled sessions | 24 |
Lecture | 33 |
Revision | 23 |
Follow-up work | 24 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Journal Articles
Peter Singer (1972). Famine, Affluence and Morality’. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1 (3), pp. 229-243.
Richard W. Miller (2004). Beneficence, Duty and Distance’. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 32 (4), pp. 357-383.
Textbooks
Thomas Pogge (2002). World Poverty and Human Rights. Polity.
William MacAskill (2015). Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference. Avery.
Judith Lichtenberg (2014). Distant Strangers: Ethics, Psychology and Global Poverty. Cambridge.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Essay proposal
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Students will receive written feedback on the draft essay. Students have the opportunity to receive further feedback from the module co-ordinator on any aspect of their performance during office hours or by appointment.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
- Percentage contribution: 100%
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Discussion board activity | 25% |
Essay | 75% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Timed Assignment | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Essay | 75% |
Discussion board activity | 25% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External