Contemporary Moral Crises



Overview

Technological advancement, globalization and human consumption have all contributed to a growing concern about humanity's relationship to itself and to the world.

The 21st Century has already seen a significantly shifting moral landscape over its first 25 years. Some issues, like the climate crisis, have simply become more and more serious. Other issues have been impacted by political populism and advancing technology.

We explore five of the greatest moral problems facing the world today: freedom of speech and action; environmental ethics; war and peace; the ethics of AI; and economic justice.

Following a brief introduction to normative and meta-ethical theories, this course will examine some of the most contemporary approaches to these issues within applied ethics today.

 

Programme details

Courses starts Tuesday 21 April 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 7-9pm.

Week 1: Normative ethics

Week 2: Meta-ethics

Week 3: Paternalism and risk: freedom of speech

Week 4: Paternalism and risk: freedom of action

Week 5: Environmental ethics: intrinsic and instrumental value

Week 6: Environmental ethics: global responsibility

Week 7: AI innovation, regulation and autonomy

Week 8: Just war and pacifism

Week 9: Pre-emptive force and terrorism

Week 10: International economic justice and rights

Certification

Academic credit

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)

Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.

Digital certificate of completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses.

Tutor

Dr Magnus Moar

Magnus Moar is a graduate of Oxford and Sussex Universities with a doctoral thesis focussing on the work of Kierkegaard.  Magnus has a published article on Kierkegaard and Levinas and has been teaching undergraduates for fifteen years.

Course aims

This course aims to enable students to engage with philosophical approaches to five of the most critical moral problems facing the world today.

The course aims to enable students to:

  • Investigate philosophical approaches to moral philosophy.
  • Develop a keen appreciation of the contributions made by moral philosophers.
  • Identify the relationship between moral philosophy and political discourse.

Teaching methods

The course will be a mix of lecture-style teaching and seminar discussion based on weekly readings.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will have been given the opportunity to have learnt:

  • The key contributions made to moral philosophy of the thinkers studied.
  • The impact their ideas have on the topics studied.
  • What risks are posed to humanity by the issues covered.
  • Key advice on how to write critically.

Assessment methods

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.

Assessment

Students can choose between either option of a single piece of coursework or two shorter pieces. 

Students will also have the opportunity to submit an essay proposal or plan as a formative assignment during the course.

Application

How to enrol

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

How to register for accreditation and assessment

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. 

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support