Module manager: Carl Fox
Email: ca.fox@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 Jan to 28 Feb View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
The module aims to provide a philosophical basis for critically examining a range of controversial and consequential moral issues at the end of life, such as: palliative care; suicide; active and passive euthanasia; withdrawal of treatment.
The aims of this module are to gain an understanding of philosophical debates about significant moral questions that arise at the end of life; to critically analyse and evaluate arguments made in those debates; and to articulate, explain, and defend reasoned views about them.
The aims will be achieved through:
- Learning resources such as online documents which you will work through in your own time
- Further independent study where you are encouraged to read texts critically and reflect on and analyse arguments and concepts
- A webinar where you will interact with the tutor and other students to discuss and evaluate concepts and arguments
- Online discussion boards, where you will be prompted to engage in detailed critical discussion with the tutor and other students about concepts and arguments.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically analyse and evaluate concepts, arguments, and positions central to debates about ethics at the end of life
2. Apply insights from theory to specific problems that arise in end-of-life care
3. Articulate and defend your own views on issues at the end of life through insightful and sophisticated arguments
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. Apply ethical perspectives to practical problems in end-of-life care (Academic, Work Ready, Sustainability and Enterprise skill)
8. Effectively communicate, participate and collaborate in an online environment (Digital and Work Ready skill)
Topics may include, for example:
- The wrongness of killing
- Consequentialism and non-consequentialism
- Suicide and assisted suicide
- Palliative care
- Quality of life and best interests
- Rights and interests of the dead
- Withdrawing treatment
- Active and passive euthanasia
| 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-based 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 boards | 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: 03/03/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team