The class will introduce participants to several distinct ethical systems, each of which can be used to approach the moral dilemmas that Jane Austen explores in the novel Pride and Prejudice. The ethical systems include Utilitarianism, Ethics of Care, Relational Ethics, Contract Ethics and Deontological Ethics. We will discuss how each one corresponds to different characters in the novel including Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and others. Ethical themes are central to Austen’s work, especially in the novel Pride and Prejudice. For example, as the story unfolds, the reader is invited to consider how much happiness an individual ought to sacrifice for the benefit of their family and how much freedom we should give up in exchange for security. Finally, we will discuss the different approaches to moral decision making taken by the female characters in Pride and Prejudice in a society that is not fair to women.

Dates: Thursdays, May 9 – June 13, 2024.

Time: 9:30am-11:30am

Location: Online, via Zoom

Prior to the first day of the series, registered participants will receive a Welcome Email. That email will include the Zoom link and instructions on accessing the series material (slides and if applicable, lecture recordings).

Topics:

  • Week 1: Introduction to Ethics with Austen. I will place Pride and Prejudice in historical context. We’ll discuss ethical themes central to Austen’s work, i.e. individual happiness vs family needs and freedom vs security.
  • Week 2: Relational Ethics and Ethics of Care. These two ethical systems are outlined and explored through Mrs. Bennet’s focus on care and relationships throughout the novel. We will interrogate the common reading of Mrs. Bennett as shrill and irresponsible.
  • Week 3: Utilitarianism with Elizabeth Bennett. We discuss Elizabeth Bennett’s focus on personal happiness as it relates to Utilitarianism. We look at how philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill might address one of the core questions of the novel: How much happiness should a person sacrifice to protect their security?
  • Week 4: Deontological Ethics with Darcy. This duty-based ethics of Immanuel Kant is often praised for respecting the dignity of all persons but shares a certain rigidity with Mr. Darcy. We will discuss this tension..
  • Week 5: Contract Ethics. We will discuss how Austen’s female characters approach a social contract that does not truly include them. From Thomas Hobbes to John Rawls, philosophers have grappled with the question of how to act morally in a society that is not fair to you. Contract ethics is about how to design a society that all citizens could willingly agree to be part of.
  • Week 6: Wild at Heart. We explore the philosophy of Nietzsche by way of Austen’s character Lydia Bennet. Our primary question is whether the other systems give us enough reasons to behave the way society wants us to. In this final week we also reprise and critique the five ethical systems we have examined.

About the Lecturer: Rebecca Robb is a PhD candidate in Ethics and Public Affairs at Carleton University. She holds a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Victoria and a Master of Philosophy from Carleton University. Her teaching philosophy centres on an interdisciplinary approach to ethics. While ethics is a branch of philosophy, Rebecca finds it can also be approached through theology, literature, history, or other academic disciplines. At its most basic, the study of ethics is the study of what makes an action morally right or wrong. Rebecca especially enjoys connecting with students new to the discipline. Her focus is always on engaging students in dialogue and encouraging them to bring their life experience to the study of philosophy.

 

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