Introduction to Ethics | Enroll Anytime Online Course

Study foundational approaches to ethics through classic and contemporary texts that examine moral principles, responsibility, justice, freedom, and the meaning of the good life.

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Why Take Introduction to Ethics Online?

PHIL 120: Introduction to Ethics introduces students to one of the central areas of philosophy: the study of morality, responsibility, and the good life. The course examines major ethical theories and asks how moral principles can guide human action, personal decision-making, and public debate.

Students begin by exploring foundational works in Western moral and political philosophy, including texts by Plato, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. Through these readings, students examine questions about human nature, social contracts, moral duty, justice, utility, and the relationship between individual freedom and collective responsibility.

The course also moves beyond traditional ethical frameworks to consider deeper questions about moral choice, responsibility, obedience, violence, and complicity. Readings and films by Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze, Ursula K. Le Guin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jean-Paul Sartre, Hannah Arendt, Robert Schwentke, and Terrence Malick invite students to think critically about whether any single ethical system can fully guide human action.

Throughout the course, students consider how ethical theories apply to contemporary moral debates. Topics may include questions about war, punishment, social welfare, sexual behavior, political authority, obedience to law, and individual responsibility. Rather than memorizing a single moral system, students learn to compare ethical frameworks, evaluate arguments, and reflect on their own relationship to ethical decision-making.

By the end of the course, students will be able to identify key differences among major ethical theories, analyze philosophical arguments, and think more carefully about moral responsibility in personal, social, and political life. PHIL 120 is valuable for students in any field who want to strengthen critical thinking, ethical reasoning, argument analysis, and reflective writing skills.

Delivered in a flexible online format, Introduction to Ethics gives students the opportunity to engage with enduring philosophical questions while connecting them to real-world choices and contemporary debates.

Required Materials

All readings for this course are provided in the course at no additional cost. 

How will the course appear on my transcript?

You may enroll at any time and have up to 9 months to complete this online course. The credits earned will be recorded on your UND transcript based on the date you registered for the course. It will appear on your transcript in the same way as a course taken during a regular semester. There is no indication that the course was taken online or that you completed it at your own pace. 

Consult the table on our How Enroll Anytime Courses Work page for a current listing of Enroll Anytime Registration Dates and the semester information that will appear on a UND transcript.

Why Take Online Classes at UND?

Here are a few reasons why you should take an online enroll anytime course at UND:

• Great customer service – Our registration team is ready to answer questions quickly so you can focus on your coursework.
• Affordable – UND's enroll anytime courses are priced at North Dakota's affordable, in-state tuition rate.
• Accredited – UND is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Easily transfer credits – Transferring credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which the credits are being transferred. In general, credits from schools/universities that are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. UND's online courses appear on your UND transcript in the same way as other courses.

Flexible 100% Online Course

You'll take this online course at your own pace. Some students thrive in this environment, while other students may struggle with setting their own deadlines. If you have successfully taken an independent study or correspondence course previously, UND’s enroll anytime courses may be right for you. Still not sure? Take our online quiz to help determine if online enroll anytime courses are right for you.

Course information including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams is subject to change without notice.