Ethics Minor Requirements

Ethics, the study of right action and the good life, lies at the core of the human experience. It is also essential for those who wish to engage in business, politics, relationships, and self-examination. What ought we to do? How should we live? When should we help others and how often should we help ourselves? Everyone has asked these questions but few have allowed themselves the opportunity to really study them and to examine their own beliefs. The minor in ethics provides just such an occasion.

Through the minor in ethics, students will be able to examine classic texts (of philosophy, religion, and other subjects) and apply their lessons to day-to-day life. Through debates and discussions, students and teachers will identify the assumptions and beliefs that guide people’s actions and ask whether some are preferable to others or, even, whether any ethical approach is defensible at all. The classes in the minor work well with those of other disciplines—whatever your major, ethics can help you do your job better, learn more from your current classes, and prepare yourself for whatever comes your way.