Cultural and Ethical Values

General Information

How can we judge what is right, and what wrong? Is morality just a matter of personal opinion? From where does the state get its authority? Are there limits to that authority? In this subject we examine some of the most influential, and often competing, philosophical theories of ethics and society. We do so in historical order, starting with four ancient pre-Christian Greek thinkers; Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Epicurus. From Athens we move to medieval Naples and St Thomas Aquinas, natural law theory, and his controversial account of what makes a war a just war. To England next and Thomas Hobbes, the first to assert that the authority of government flows from the people upwards, and not down from some higher authority. His successor John Locke agreed, but insisted this authority is limited, never absolute, and that people have certain 'natural rights' which no government can ever rightly violate - a view that was to influence the framing of the US Bill of Rights. Next, to the 18th century Enlightenment and two giants, the Scot David Hume, and the German Immanuel Kant, who argued an action is moral only if it is motivated by a sense of moral duty, and that moral duties are universally binding irrespective of culture or time, thus rejecting moral and cultural relativism. Then to England again and the utilitarian theories of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, arguing that an action is right only if it increases happiness, and reduces misery, to all affected. We then turn to 20th century America and the attempt by John Rawls to answer the question of what makes a society a just or fair one, an account which we contrast with radical libertarianism. Students will be encouraged to develop their own answers to these and other questions, and learn to argue rationally for them.

  • Academic unit: Faculty of Society & Design
    Subject code: PHIL11-121
    Subject title: Cultural and Ethical Values
    Subject level: Undergraduate
    Semester/Year: September 2018
    Credit points: 10.000
  • Timetable: https://bond.edu.au/timetable
    Delivery mode: Standard
    Workload items:
    • Lecture: x12 (Total hours: 24) - Weekly Lecture
    • Tutorial: x12 (Total hours: 12) - Weekly Tutorial
    • Personal Study Hours: x12 (Total hours: 84) - Recommended Study Hours
    Attendance and learning activities:
  • Prescribed resources:

    Books

    • T C Denise, N R White, S P Peterfreund, D Cox (2011). Core 11-120 Ethics and Values. 1st, Melbourne Cengage 171
    After enrolment, students can check the Books and Tools area in iLearn for the full Resource List.
    iLearn@Bond & Email: iLearn@Bond is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student.

    To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au
Academic unit: Faculty of Society & Design
Subject code: PHIL11-121
Subject title: Cultural and Ethical Values
Subject level: Undergraduate
Semester/Year: September 2018
Credit points: 10.000

Enrolment requirements

Requisites:

Nil
Assumed knowledge:

Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge.

Restrictions:

Nil

Assurance of learning

Assurance of Learning means that universities take responsibility for creating, monitoring and updating curriculum, teaching and assessment so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for employability and/or further study.

At Bond University, we carefully develop subject and program outcomes to ensure that student learning in each subject contributes to the whole student experience. Students are encouraged to carefully read and consider subject and program outcomes as combined elements.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge and skills that will be achieved on completion of the program. If you are undertaking this subject as part of a degree program, you should refer to the relevant degree program outcomes and graduate attributes as they relate to this subject.

Find your program

Subject Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject the learner will be able to:

  1. Knowledge of the western tradition of ethical and political thought, and the ability to express this knowledge in both speech and writing.
  2. Capacity to expound, interact with, and rigorously evaluate ideas in moral and political thought.
  3. Capacity to effectively communicate complex ideas and arguments, in both speech and writing, in ways that are useful in other subjects and in personal and professional life..
  4. Appreciation of and respect for a wide variety of moral opinions and cultural beliefs.
  5. Capacity to engage in group discussion of contested ideas in an intelligent, civil, and cooperative manner.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment

The University acknowledges that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools are an important facet of contemporary life. Their use in assessment is considered in line with students’ development of the skills and knowledge which demonstrate learning outcomes and underpin study and career success. Instructions on the use of Gen-AI are given for each assessment task; it is your responsibility to adhere to these instructions.

  • Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed
    Paper-based Examination (Closed) End of Semester Exam 40% Final Examination Period 1
    Essay Essay (1200-1500 words) 30% Week 1 2,3,4,5
    Activity Tutorial Participation 10% Weekly 2,5
    *In-Class Quiz - Individual Weekly Tutorial Quizzes from Week 3 20% Weekly 1,3
    • * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
    • C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.

  • Assessment criteria

    High Distinction 85-100 Outstanding or exemplary performance in the following areas: interpretative ability; intellectual initiative in response to questions; mastery of the skills required by the subject, general levels of knowledge and analytic ability or clear thinking.
    Distinction 75-84 Usually awarded to students whose performance goes well beyond the minimum requirements set for tasks required in assessment, and who perform well in most of the above areas.
    Credit 65-74 Usually awarded to students whose performance is considered to go beyond the minimum requirements for work set for assessment. Assessable work is typically characterised by a strong performance in some of the capacities listed above.
    Pass 50-64 Usually awarded to students whose performance meets the requirements set for work provided for assessment.
    Fail 0-49 Usually awarded to students whose performance is not considered to meet the minimum requirements set for particular tasks. The fail grade may be a result of insufficient preparation, of inattention to assignment guidelines or lack of academic ability. A frequent cause of failure is lack of attention to subject or assignment guidelines.

    Quality assurance

    For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.

Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed
Paper-based Examination (Closed) End of Semester Exam 40% Final Examination Period 1
Essay Essay (1200-1500 words) 30% Week 1 2,3,4,5
Activity Tutorial Participation 10% Weekly 2,5
*In-Class Quiz - Individual Weekly Tutorial Quizzes from Week 3 20% Weekly 1,3
  • * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
  • C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.

Study Information

Submission procedures

Students must check the iLearn@Bond subject site for detailed assessment information and submission procedures.

Policy on late submission and extensions

A late penalty will be applied to all overdue assessment tasks unless an extension is granted by the subject coordinator. The standard penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assessment per day late with no assessment to be accepted seven days after the due date. Where a student is granted an extension, the penalty of 10% per day late starts from the new due date.

Academic Integrity

University’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work: another’s ideas, interpretations, words, or creative works; and/or one’s own previous ideas, interpretations, words, or creative work without acknowledging that it was used previously (i.e., self-plagiarism). The University considers the act of plagiarising to be a breach of the Student Conduct Code and, therefore, subject to the Discipline Regulations which provide for a range of penalties including the reduction of marks or grades, fines and suspension from the University.

Bond University utilises Originality Reporting software to inform academic integrity.

Feedback on assessment

Feedback on assessment will be provided to students within two weeks of the assessment submission due date, as per the Assessment Policy.

Accessibility and Inclusion Support

If you have a disability, illness, injury or health condition that impacts your capacity to complete studies, exams or assessment tasks, it is important you let us know your special requirements, early in the semester. Students will need to make an application for support and submit it with recent, comprehensive documentation at an appointment with a Disability Officer. Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Office at the earliest possible time, to meet staff and learn about the services available to meet your specific needs. Please note that late notification or failure to disclose your disability can be to your disadvantage as the University cannot guarantee support under such circumstances.

Additional subject information

Subject curriculum

Approved on: Aug 14, 2017. Edition: 1.1
Last updated: Oct 10, 2022
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