Ethics

Focus

Philosophy is the search for answers to the fundamental questions of human existence, such as the conditions of scientific knowledge and the criteria for truth, the specific nature of humans, their competencies and place in the world, the meaning of religion, the prerequisites for a meaningful existence, questions of ethics and social responsibility, or issues of political and economic structures in human societies. Academic disciplines tend to impart increasingly specialized knowledge, often neglecting the broader perspective of human beings and their responsibilities. Today, there is a growing call for ethical orientation in many areas of society.

Target Group

The supplementary study “Ethics” offers the opportunity to engage with questions of moral responsibility, right action, and its ethical justification. Having an enhanced awareness of the ethical dimension of human actions in private as well as public, social, and political contexts, but also within economic and social structures, and the ability to understand the specific moral consequences of different ethical theories and principles, enriches personal life and provides a highly sought-after additional qualification in many professional fields.

The supplementary study “Ethics” is therefore aimed at the following target groups:

• Students of natural sciences (e.g., Biology, Geography, Psychology)
• Students of social and cultural studies (e.g., German Studies, History, Communication Studies, Political Science, Sociology, and Cultural Studies)
• Students of theological studies
• Students of legal studies (Law, Law and Economics)
• Students of Digital Studies
• Students of Economics

Courses that are part of the mandatory or elective subjects of a program cannot be counted as free electives within the same program for the purpose of supplementary studies. Therefore, this supplementary study is not intended for students in the Bachelor’s program in Philosophy at the Faculty of Catholic Theology.

Structure & Requirements

Basic Module (12 ECTS)

The Basic Module provides an introduction to the fields of philosophical anthropology and ethics and addresses two major areas of applied ethics. To complete this module, courses totaling 12 ECTS points must be completed from the following topics*:

• Introduction to Philosophical Ethics (3 ECTS)
• Introduction to Philosophical Anthropology (3 ECTS)
• Applied Ethics (6 ECTS)

Advanced Module (12 ECTS)

The Advanced Module serves to deepen and further apply philosophical-ethical and anthropological knowledge to the question of a successful life, specific issues of philosophical ethics or anthropology, and another area of applied ethics. Psychological or political science aspects of ethics should also be illuminated. For this purpose, courses totaling 12 ECTS points must be completed from the following topics*:

• 2 courses totaling 6 ECTS from the areas:
  • Philosophy of Existence
  • Philosophy of Happiness
  • Political Philosophy
  • Intercultural Philosophy
  • Moral Psychology
• Specific Issues in Ethics or Anthropology (3 ECTS)

• Applied Ethics (3 ECTS)

^{*Courses from your own field of study may only be chosen if they are not part of the mandatory or elective subjects.}

Course Registration

Registration for individual courses is done via PLUSonline.

Note: For courses you take as part of the supplementary study, select “Free Registration” in PLUSonline (if the option is available) during course registration:

Certificate

After successfully completing the courses listed above, the following certificates can be requested:

• Basic Module Ethics: This will be issued after successful completion of the Basic Module totaling 12 ECTS points.
• Supplementary Studies Ethics: This will be issued after successful completion of both the Basic and Advanced Modules, totaling 24 ECTS points.

IMPORTANT: It is possible to include supplementary studies and specializations in the Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Diploma examination certificate (naming of free electives). Regulations can be found in your curriculum, or you may need to reach an agreement with the chair of your curriculum committee beforehand.

Requesting a Certificate

Once you have completed the required courses, submit the completed exam pass and the corresponding certificates to the Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Catholic Theology. After verifying the documents, the certificate will be issued by the ZFL – Flexible Learning on behalf of the Vice-Rectorate for Education and Student Experience and will be sent digitally to your university email address.

Issuing the certificate is no longer possible after graduation. Therefore, please make sure to apply for the certificate at least a few weeks before graduation.

If it is not possible to print the transcripts from PLUSonline, only submit the completed exam pass.

Download Exam Pass

• Exam Pass Basic Module Ethics (12 ECTS)
• Exam Pass Supplementary Studies Ethics (24 ECTS)

© Luigi Caputo

Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Catholic Theology (KTH)
Coordination

Franziskanergasse 1/IV, 5020 Salzburg

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