Module manager: Graham Bex-Priestley
Email: G.Bex-Priestley@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 Jan to 28 Feb View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module is about evaluating agents and their responsibility. Ethics is sometimes a matter of asking “What should I do?” but it can also involve assessments of people and their characters. We might ask whether a candidate is good, honest, fair, impartial, tactful, or sensitive enough for the role they’re being considered for, and we might ask whether they deserve it. You will critically examine the concepts of responsibility and desert, as well as challenges from “moral luck” and experiments in moral psychology that have led some to be sceptical about the existence of character traits at all. You will apply these concepts to broader issues as well, such as responsibility for structural injustices in supply chains. Finally, you will look at how all this might impact the ethics of leadership.
The aims of this module are to challenge your conceptions of character traits and moral responsibility and to give you an advanced understanding of several philosophical viewpoints on these issues, along with the skills to undertake a critical analysis of leadership ethics.
These aims will be achieved through:
- Independent online learning where you are introduced to core concepts, readings, and arguments and are encouraged to read texts critically and reflect on and analyse these arguments and concepts.
- Online discussion forums and synchronous webinars where you can develop your own arguments on the topics and test these through critical reflection with other learners and academic staff.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically analyse the central concepts and challenges involved in agent evaluation.
2. Critically analyse various moral theories of character, responsibility, and leadership.
3. Construct clear, insightful, and sophisticated arguments for your own position within the topic of agents and professional responsibility.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Communicate ideas and understanding clearly and concisely, using appropriate academic language (Academic and Work Ready skill)
5. Critically analyse source material and demonstrate independence of thought (Academic and Work Ready skill)
6. Independently search for and utilise appropriate material to support knowledge and analysis of topics (Academic, Work Ready, Digital and Sustainability skill)
7. Identify ethical questions and use ethical frameworks (Sustainability skill)
8. Effectively communicate, participate and collaborate in an online environment (Digital and Work Ready skill)
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-line Learning | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| WEBINAR | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Independent online learning hours | 33 | ||
| Private study hours | 100 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 17 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
In addition to the formative feedback available to students in student hours and discussion board activities, each student is invited to complete ONE piece of formative work which will receive written feedback.
Students are given a choice of: essay plan; exposition of an argument; objection and reply.
To ensure that students get the formative feedback that they need, they are asked to read and reflect on (i) the feedback they received in previous summative assessments, (ii) the PRHS marking criteria and (iii) the specific guidance provided on the summative assessment in this module. This requires students to critically engage with previous feedback, current expectations, and play an active role in honing their knowledge and skill development.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 90 |
| Coursework | Contributions to online discussion | 10 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The resit for the discussion contributions will be an essay demonstrating familiarity with a wide range of debates and will be descriptively as opposed to analytically focused.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 19/03/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team