General provisions

The course may run jointly with the course 5FP113 at advanced level. The course requirements are higher on students at advanced level than on C level students.

Entry requirements

60 credits in Practical Philosophy or in Theoretical Philosophy

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students should:

• have a broad familiarity with ethical issues concerning the production, consumption, and regulation of food
• have a basic knowledge of empirical facts relevant to those ethical issues
• be able to analyse different kinds of ethical problems concerning the production, consumption, and regulation of food using theoretical tools and relevant empirical facts
• have an improved ability to express arguments about ethical concerns in speaking and in writing.

Content

This course looks at ethical issues in the production, consumption, and regulations of food, which may include questions such as whether it is permissible to eat animals, what kind of regulations should be applied to advertising food products, the impact of food production on workers and on the environment, and the role of food in global inequality.

Instruction

Teaching will be conducted through a mix of lecture and discussion, supported by course materials including relevant philosophical and empirical articles. Students will be expected to participate actively in discussions, including through group work and presentations.

Assessment

A take-home examination of 3000 words.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.