This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
There are a number of issues which are of great moral concern today.
This course is an introduction to some of these issues: experiments on animals; abortion; euthanasia; immigration; multiculturalism; freedom of speech and religion; capital punishment; war; world hunger; and economic justice.
In each case, we'll arrive at an understanding of the issue and then we'll consider some of the debate around it.
Courses starts: 24th Apr 2025
Week 1: Introduction: Experiments on Animals
Week 2: Abortion
Week 3: Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide
Week 4: Immigration
Week 5: Multiculturalism
Week 6: Freedom of Speech and Religion
Week 7: Capital Punishment
Week 8: War
Week 9: World Hunger
Week 10: Economic Justice
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £285.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £30.00 |
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Dr Karim Esmail was educated at London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. He was awarded a British Academy Studentship and the Gregg Bury Prize at Cambridge. During his career, he has been a Research Fellow at Oxford and Burney Student at Cambridge and a Visiting Fellow at Harvard. Alongside international articles, he is the author of four clear, concise, and original volumes on God's nature and existence. As well as working for the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education, he is a Course Director and Tutor in the University of Cambridge.
To consider some of the great moral issues in contemporary society.
1. To provide an understanding of some of the discussion about these issues in the academic area of applied ethics.
2. To provide analysis of, and reflections on, these issues.
Lectures (principally) and discussion.
Sessions consist of clearly structured talks and an encouragement to ask questions and to make comments.
Participants are assisted in their understanding of the subject.
There is in each session an opportunity to engage with other participants.
By the end of the course, students should:
1. Have a knowledge of some of the discussion about these issues in the area of applied ethics.
2. Be able to begin to evaluate and to engage critically with these issues.
3 very short (c. 500 words) pieces of written work.
or
1 short essay (c. 1, 500 words). (Students will be asked to provide a very short plan for an essay in this case.)
Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an application form.
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
