ØKB2120 Ethics

Contents and structure

Ethical competence concerns the principles for making sound judgements in ethically challenging situations and the knowledge of what promotes individuals and companies as moral subjects. The course aims to develop ethical competence along these two dimensions. 1. The students practice sizing up ethical challenges in concrete situations, learn to describe possible courses of action and dilemmas, and practise proposing and justifying solutions. 2. The students acquire background knowledge of how ethical challenges arise and what practises have been suggested for nudging companies and other organizations towards taking responsibilities for ethics and society seriously.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

The Student:

• Is familiar with and understands the key contents of various theories on ethics.
• Understands how ethical reasoning is relevant for private and public enterprises.
• Understands the basis for saying that private and public enterprises have a moral responsibility

Skills

The Student:

• Is able to discuss ethical problems from business and economics with an understanding of nuances and alternative perspectives.
• Is able to assess ethical considerations in private and public enterprises and critically view whether they are ensured in specific cases.
• Is able to suggest and justify ethically defensible alternatives in specific cases.

General Competence

The Student:

• Is able to contribute constructively in the debate on ethical choices in society and businesses.

Entry requirements

None

Recommended previous knowledge

None

Teaching methods

Lectures with discussions, individual acquisition of the material, obligatory work with group assignments.

Compulsory learning activities

Yes, to be specified in the lecture plan at the beginning of the semester.

Assessment

Part 1: Home examination in groups. 40%

Part 2: Individual written exam 5 hrs. 60%

Grades A - F

Examination support material

No help allowed on written school examination

More about examination support material