DCU Institute of Ethics

Education

The Institute of Ethics provides education to both undergraduate and graduate students at DCU. It also offers education to a broad range of working professionals.

At DCU we teach an introductory course on Applied Ethics for undergraduate students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The course has been introduced in 2011 as a core module for third year students of the BA in Contemporary Culture and Society.

• Applied Ethics Module (HSS302)
  
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction into the field of applied ethics and to develop elementary skills in applying the main ethical theories (virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism) to contemporary issues and practical settings. During the module students will be introduced to and engage in ethical analysis and discussion of a variety of issues in three main areas: 1) technological change, 2) business, social entrepreneurship and innovation, and 3) research in the humanities and social sciences. The first two domains are arguably amongst the most significant factors shaping contemporary culture and society. The third domain is directly relevant to the students' own work: study of this domain aims to enable them to get a good understanding of ethical issues in carrying out field research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

From 2012 we also offer a module on business ethics for the students of the Masters in Business Administration of the DCU Business School:

• Ethical Issues and Business Leadership (MT5118)

  The purpose of the course is to introduce the core concepts and methodologies of the field of study of business ethics, and discuss its practical application for decision-makers within organizations (e.g. corporate executives, entrepreneurs, public officials). During the course the main ethical theories (virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism) will be presented and discussed with reference to a number of case-studies exploring their meaning for today’s strategic management. Participants will examine the main concepts and practical application of stakeholder theory by discussing real cases of business decisions, analyzing their rationale and impacts. Moreover, the concepts and methodologies for sustainability reporting and Codes of Ethics Design and Implementation will be presented and critically discussed. The following are some of the questions that will be addressed during the seminar: 
• What are the different ethical frameworks to analyze and solve dilemmas?
• What is the purpose of the firm? Shareholder or Stakeholder value creation?
• How can we recognize a well-designed and applied Corporate Code of Ethics?
• What are the limits between a fair marketing strategy and consumers’ deception?
• What are the boundaries of Corporate Social Responsibility in international business?

  Through active participation in class discussions, role-play and team-work, participants will improve their capacity of ethical analysis and appreciate different perspectives and points of view.

MA in Ethics

Since 2010 we offer a Master in Ethics programme  in collaboration with the DCU College 'Mater Dei Institute of Education'. This MA in Ethics course provides participants with knowledge, skills and competence to examine ethical issues, challenges and dilemmas in professional and public life from a wide spectrum of ethical worldviews and theories. The course provides participants with a grounding in the foundations of ethics, human rights and social justice. Participants will also develop the necessary ethical analysis and decision-making skills to apply ethical perspectives and principles to real-life and professional dilemmas. As such the programme aims to "add value" to continuing professional development. Within the MA in Ethics we provide the following modules:

• Bioethics Module
  The purpose of this module is to examine contemporary bioethical issues and develop further skills in applying ethical theories and models to practical settings. Students will examine the history of bioethics, its main characteristics as a field of inquiry, and different methods of ethical deliberation. The fifteen principles of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights will be used as a template for the teaching of this module, thus exposing students to a broader set of ethical principles than typically discussed in Bioethics (the Four Principles approach). The module will apply the various ethical principles to contemporary bioethical issues, exposing students to a broad range of topical problems.

• Business Ethics Module

  This module is designed to provide course participants with the necessary conceptual tools to analyse ethical dilemmas in the world of business at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It will train and enhance students' skills in applying ethical theories to a wide range of business ethics topics. Course participants will examine the core concepts and methodologies of business ethics and learn how to apply ethical models to real business decisions. Additionally they will critically discuss issues such as stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility and the nature of capitalism. Through active participation in class discussions, team-work and individual presentations, participants will improve their capacity of ethical analysis, appreciate different perspectives and practice and sharpen their writing and communication skills.

• Environmental Ethics: Perspectives & Challenges
  The purpose of this module is to examine contemporary environmental issues and develop a range of critical thinking and skills in applying theoretical ethics to practical settings. Students will examine the history of environmental ethics as a broad field of social scientific inquiry and its impact across many disciplines. The environmental field is divided into ‘light’ or ‘shallow’ as opposed to ‘deep’ forms of ecology which in turn have major implications for their ethical application. The founding father of deep ecology, Arne Naess for instance considers it as having fundamental ethical implications which goes beyond the transformation of technology and politics to a transformation of humanity. Aldo Leopold in turn suggests that the 'land ethic' which links us all together rests upon a single unifying premise: 'that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts'. Such an approach is premised on ‘moral respect for nature’ and a belief system which is underpinned by a radical ethical approach to our precarious environment. The module will apply various ethical principles to contemporary environmental issues, both individually and collectively, while exposing students both to a broad range of debates and applications which can be specifically applied to media, literature, philosophy, politics and social concerns generally.

• Media Ethics
  This module has a particular relevance for journalists and others in the professions involving public communication. But it is also deliberately designed to serve news consumers as well – that is, everyone who watches a news programme, listens to the radio or reads a newspaper. Our understanding of the world is shaped powerfully by the news media. It is important that citizens have given some organized thought into what news media should do. Further, as the ability to produce and disseminate media content gets ever easier, more and more people need to confront and come to grips with the norms and patterns of thought of communication professionals. The module content comes in three parts. The first two are strictly theoretical. The first is, a selective review of basic theories of moral reasoning. The second is an introduction to and review of democratic political theory and the presumptive role that a free flow of information plays in that theory. The final part is more applied and consists of an ethical analysis of a wide variety of professional communication - news media and other forms of mediated communication.

• Readings in Ethics from Antiquity to the Present
  Intimate acquaintance with some of the major primary ethics texts leads to a better understanding of and more confidence in dealing with ethical issues in general. The purpose of this module is to introduce students to a selection of classic texts in the field of ethics. Students are invited to study and discuss excerpts of original texts crucial for the development of the main ethical theories. In this way, they broaden their understanding of contemporary ethics and its historical development. In addition, students enhance their skills in critical reading and assessing ethical theories. Attendance, active contribution to classes and engagement in discussions are expected.

We also teach a new Module in Research Ethics for PhD students at DCU.

• Research Ethics Module

  The purpose of this module is to examine contemporary ethical issues in research and develop skills in applying ethical theories and principles to practical settings. Students will examine the history of ethics in general, its main characteristics as a field of inquiry, and methods of ethical deliberation. In addition, they will focus in on the ethics of research as a separate field of applied ethics. They will become familiar with broadly accepted principles in research ethics and apply these principles to topical ethical issues. Thus students will be exposed to a broad range of contemporary ethical problems in research, with an opportunity to focus on the specific types of issues most relevant to their particular topic and method of research.