Ethics

Ethics, Now More than Ever

We live in a fractious time. Political polarization, religious polarization, and culture wars make it difficult to know what is right and wrong, good and bad.

Technologies such as social media, artificial intelligence, and gene-editing, extend human powers, but too often we fail to ask if this is something we should do.

Professionals in all areas, including medicine, engineering, journalism, law, and business, face challenges to subordinate the good that a profession aims for to economic efficiency.

Disagreements about what is good and bad, right and wrong tempt us either to retreat into our own enclaves and disengage from others or to stridently impose our views on them.

We need ethical reflection now, more than ever.

The ethics minor will give you the tools to answer questions such as:

  • What do you think are the marks of a good life?
  • Is that view of the good life worth holding?
  • On what basis can I make that judgment?
  • How can I act on these judgments in the situations I will face in everyday life and in my profession?
  • How can I live with integrity when I have to relate to people who disagree with me on important issues?

The minor in ethics consists of 19 hours of coursework. See all program requirements and course descriptions in the Mercer University catalog.

Contact us

Dr. Paul A. Lewis, Director

Professor of Religion

Dr. Creighton Rosental

Professor

Dr. Marc A. Jolley

Senior Lecturer of Philosophy