Next semester, I’m teaching biomedical ethics online, which I have been doing for some years now.  But I’m also excited about a course I haven’t taught before, which is PHIL 6320:  Ethical Theory.  I just finished taking a course on torts law that was fantastic, so I set up this course to explore ethical theory through tort law.  Here’s the syllabus and course description:

Course Description: This course will explore ethical theory through tort law.  We will investigate:  intentional torts, privileges, negligence, causation in fact, proximate cause, defenses, and damages.  In these investigations, our focus will be less on what the law is, than why it is what it is and whether it should be as it is.  Furthermore, we shall consider case-based approaches to moral methodology, as opposed to principle-based approaches or alternatives (e.g., reflective equilibrium).  To put this another way, torts doctrine is largely constructed from the common law, and we can query the advantages and disadvantages of this method.