The course focuses on philosophical views concerning ethics and their implications for thinking critically about the moral and socio-political dimensions of various philosophical or religious traditions. Students will reflect on philosophical theories or ideas that have important bearings on how we should go about answering the fundamental questions in ethics such as “How should we live?” “What do we owe to other people?” “Do we have good reason to believe that judgments of value are capable of being true or false?” “What rights and liberties should people have?” and “What rule or principle should govern the distribution of goods within society?” Students will bring these reflections to bear on several pressing issues facing society today, such as socioeconomic inequality, access to universal healthcare, and global climate justice.