Department of Philosophy
Minor in Ethics
Students on Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 requirements ETHICSMIN
Requirements
The minor requires at least 15 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Introductory Course*. One (1) course:
- PHIL-P 103 Gender, Sexuality and Race
- PHIL-P 141 Introduction to Ethical Theories and Problems
- PHIL-P 145 Liberty and Justice: A Philosophical Introduction
- PHIL-P 240 Business and Morality - Ethics in Context
- REL-R 170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life
PHIL-P 103 Gender, Sexuality and Race
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Explores philosophical issues arising out of questions about gender, sexuality and race as they are experienced and culturally enacted in the United States.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Summer 2025CASE DUScourseSpring 2025CASE DUScourseFall 2024CASE DUScourse
PHIL-P 141 Introduction to Ethical Theories and Problems
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Explores ethical theories and fundamental issues in philosophical ethics (e.g., relation of morality to self-interest, objectivity of ethics, happiness and the good life). Applies theory to contemporary problems. Concentrates on reading and interpretation of original philosophical texts, evaluation of argumentation, and development of skills in ethical reasoning, argumentation, and analysis.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 145 Liberty and Justice: A Philosophical Introduction
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Fundamental problems of social and political philosophy: the nature of the state, political obligation, freedom and liberty, equality, justice, rights, social change, revolution, and community. Readings from classical and contemporary sources.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 240 Business and Morality - Ethics in Context
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Fundamental issues of moral philosophy in a business context. Application of moral theory to issues such as the ethics of investment, moral assessment of corporations, and duties of vocation.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-R 170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Explores religious convictions and their consequences for judgments about personal and social morality, including such issues as sexual morality, medical ethics, questions of socio-economic organization, and moral judgments about warfare.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Ethical Theory. Two (2) courses:
- PHIL-P 332 Feminism and Value
- PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics
- PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics
- PHIL-P 343 Classics in Social and Political Philosophy
- PHIL-P 345 Problems in Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL-P 332 Feminism and Value
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: 3 credit hours in philosophy or advanced work in a field related to the course topic. Students without this background should take PHIL-P 103
- Description
- Selected topics from philosophical feminism. Topics may include gender and its relationship to sex; the relationship among sexism, feminism and sexuality; theories of the institutions through which sexist norms are perpetuated and reified and of the intersections and interactions amongst sexism, classism, racism and heterosexism. Focus is on philosophical frameworks underlying feminist theorizing.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: 3 credit hours in philosophy or 300-level work in a related field such as religious studies, political theory, or intellectual history. Students without this background should take PHIL-P 140
- Description
- Readings from Plato and Aristotle to Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche. Topics include virtue and human nature, pleasure and the good, the role of reason in ethics, the objectivity of moral principles, and the relation of religion to ethics.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: 3 credit hours in Philosophy or 300-level work in a related field such as religious studies or political theory. Students without this background should take PHIL-P 140
- Description
- May concentrate on a single large issue (e.g., whether utilitarianism is an adequate ethical theory), or several more or less independent issues (e.g., the nature of goodness, the relation of good to ought, the objectivity of moral judgments, moral responsibility, moral emotions, concepts of virtue, cultural conflicts of value, the nature of moral discourse).
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 343 Classics in Social and Political Philosophy
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: 3 credit hours in philosophy
- Description
- Readings from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes, Locke, Hegel, and Marx. Topics include the ideal state, the nature and proper ends of the state, natural law and natural right, social contract theory, and the notion of community.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 345 Problems in Social and Political Philosophy
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: 3 credit hours in Philosophy or in a field related to the course. Students without this background should take PHIL-P 145
- Description
- Problems of contemporary relevance: civil disobedience, participatory democracy, conscience and authority, law and morality.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Issues, Interdisciplinary, and Electives. Two (2) courses:
- Additional courses from the Theory of Ethics course list
- PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics
- PHIL-P 375 Philosophy of Law
- PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
- ANTH-P 409 Archaeological Ethics
- CJUS-P 330 Criminal Justice Ethics
- ECON-E 309 Topics in Economics (Approved topics: "ECONOMICS AND ETHICS" (TPC 302))
- GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
- INTL-I 340 Ethics and Decision-Making in International Politics
- LAMP-M 302 Ethics and Responsible Management
- MSCH-L 317 Media Ethics and Professional Responsibility
- POLS-Y 379 Ethics and Public Policy
- REL-D 340 Religion and Bioethics
- REL-D 350 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment
- REL-D 365 Friendship, Benevolence, and Love
- REL-D 430 Problems in Social Ethics
- Additional courses with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies
PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Application of moral theory to a variety of personal, social, and political contexts, such as world hunger, nuclear weapons, social justice, life-and-death decisions, and problems in medical ethics.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 375 Philosophy of Law
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: 3 credit hours of philosophy
- Description
- Selective survey of philosophical problems concerning law and the legal system. Topics include nature and validity of law, morality and law, legal obligation, judicial decision, rights, justice, responsibility, and punishment.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- A philosophical consideration of ethical problems that arise in current biomedical practice, e.g., with regard to abortion, euthanasia, determination of death, consent to treatment, and professional responsibilities in connection with research, experimentation, and health care delivery.
ANTH-P 409 Archaeological Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Explores the professional responsibilities of archaeologists by examining timely issues, such as the differences and, sometimes, conflicts between international law and professional ethics, and between archaeologists and others (e.g., Native Americans, antiquities collectors) who affect and are affected by archaeological work. Some background in archaeology is helpful.
CJUS-P 330 Criminal Justice Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Study of major ethical theories with emphasis on their application to components of the criminal justice system. Personal and professional dilemmas and problem-solving strategies are emphasized.
ECON-E 309 Topics in Economics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- ECON-E 252 or ECON-B 252
- Description
- Study of a topic area in economics. Topics will vary. Intended primarily for those wanting exposure to economics beyond the introductory level.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
- Summer 2025CASE SHcourseSpring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Can humans restore ecosystems and undo the environmental harm they have caused? To what state/extent should ecosystems be restored? What drives the ecological restoration movement? Investigates the deeply interconnected history, philosophy, ecology, geomorphology, and political economy of restoration through readings, discussions, and fieldwork.
- Summer 2025CASE SHcourseSpring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
INTL-I 340 Ethics and Decision-Making in International Politics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Addresses the role of ethics and morality in the international system as applied to states, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals. Explores dilemmas policymakers face as they weigh alternatives, try to reconcile competing demands, and search for acceptable trade-offs. Focuses on problems such as mass atrocities, forms of slavery, poverty, and the challenges of dealing with illiberal governments.
LAMP-M 302 Ethics and Responsible Management
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- Completion of the English composition requirement
- Description
- Addresses the ethical dimensions of management and social responsibilities within the public and private sectors. Examines the legal and regulatory requirements of ethical conduct, including the establishment and use of codes of conduct by various organizations and industry groups. Particular emphasis placed on examining the processes managers may use to confront conflicts that arise in organizational settings between individual values and organizational goals. Evaluates case studies involving alleged breaches of ethical conduct.
MSCH-L 317 Media Ethics and Professional Responsibility
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 207 or MSCH-C 213
- Description
- An analysis of the media environment, including organizational structure, corporate responsibility, and the role of the individual in the media environment. Formulation of ethical principles to guide media policy and practice.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MSCH-L 317 or TEL-T 316.
- Summer 2025CASE SHcourseSpring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
POLS-Y 379 Ethics and Public Policy
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- This course examines the ethical responsibilities of public officials in democratic societies. It explores such topics as the meaning of moral leadership, the appeal to personal conscious in public decision making, and the problem of "dirty hands" among others. A special concern is how institutional arrangements affect moral choices.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-D 340 Religion and Bioethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Examines questions about human nature, finitude, the meaning of suffering, and appropriate uses of medical technology in the face of natural limitations, such as disease and death, that humans encounter. Issues include prenatal/genetic testing, transhumanism, enhancement technologies, cloning, euthanasia, and organ transplantation. Judeo-Christian and cross-cultural perspectives on illness are considered.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-D 350 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Exploration of relationships between religious worldviews and environmental ethics. Considers environmental critiques and defenses of monotheistic traditions, selected non-Western traditions, the impact of secular \"mythologies,\" philosophical questions, and lifestyle issues.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of REL-D 350 or REL-R 371.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-D 365 Friendship, Benevolence, and Love
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- By closely reading relevant classic works from Western and East Asian cultures, students examine ideas of friendship, benevolence, and love. Questions include: What are the varieties of love and friendship? Is romantic love uniquely Western? Is compassion for others natural to human beings? Could true benevolence require actions that appear cruel?
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of REL-D 365 or REL-R 377.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
REL-D 430 Problems in Social Ethics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Intensive study of a selected problem in religion and society such as religion and American politics, war and conscience, medical ethics.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Summer 2025CASE AHcourseSpring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
- Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Minor GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
- Minor Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
- Minor Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Minor Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
Notes
Minor Area Courses
-
Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:
- Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
- Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.