Ethics and the risk society

We live in a world where we increasingly control and know about the risks imposed on ourselves and others, in technological development, global health, the economy and the environment. Yet the increasing interconnectedness of our actions, for example through globalization, and dependence on a technological and information commons, make it difficult for any one agent to control the net risks to which individuals and particular groups are exposed. Students will develop an analysis of risk through the examination of cases such as environmental risks and sustainability, the nuclear power industry, and terrorist threats linked to new technologies. Students will learn to apply their analyses to new cases through a term paper assignment and individual/group presentations.

Students will(a) to get familiar with different conceptualisations and applications of risks'
(b) identify ethical principles governing the imposition of risk on oneself and others and develop a critical personal opinion;
(c) learn to classify types of risk;
(d) identify psychological principles of risk perception and develop a critical personal opinion;
(e) learn strategies of managing risk. Most importantly,
(f) students will learn to apply these analytical tools to case studies of risk and reach practical recommendations and critically reflect on their own work.
(g) students give adequate peer-feedback and apply peer- and tutorfeedback
(h) students make a strong line of argument about their work, written in a paper and orally in the oral exam where the paper is 'defended'.

You must meet one of the following collections of requirements

• Collection 1
• Completed Final examination Bsc program
• Collection 2
• Completed Pre-Master

• Lecture Notes
• Course reader with reprinted articles (deels verplicht, deels aanbevolen)