PY4626 Life and Death

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

To be confirmed.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Prof T G Pummer

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr T Pummer, Dr E Ashford

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

How should we think about moral problems concerning life and death? Choices about whose life to save and whom to allow to die have to be made, in health services and elsewhere. Some actions which aim at good ends will endanger lives. How should we think about decisions such as these? This module is not a 'moral problems' module. Instead it deals with the following general questions concerning life and death: Is death bad? In virtue of what is life good? Is there a morally significant difference between killing and letting die, or between intending someone's death and merely foreseeing it? On what principles would one choose between lives, when the choice is forced? How should future lives be taken into account in present decisions?

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS PY1012

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 x 2-hour lecture and 1 x 1-hour seminar.

Scheduled learning hours

33

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

267

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.