TEACHING PLAN

Foundation of Ethics
Catalog Course Code: T6274
Course Code: 0102230106/0102240106
Credit: 2

Semester I
Batch 2024-29

Academic Year 2024-25

July 10, 2024 to November 12, 2024

By
Dr. Krishna Raina

Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA

Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune
1. INTRODUCTION

Foundation of Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of Philosophy

that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right
and wrong behaviour. Ethics are a central component of any happy, healthy,
and mature life. The subject matter of this course is the Foundation of Ethics,
introducing the concept of a philosophical study of morality.

The nature and characteristics of a life of excellence; the ultimate worth of the
goals we seek; and the right path to obtain those goals are simple questions
that cloud the mind of every reasonably rational individual and answers to
these questions are most difficult to find. The course is an attempt to logically
seek answers to these questions backed with in depth knowledge of popular
ethical theories.

The course is also designed to help students develop their ability to read,
explicate, analyze and evaluate philosophical literature, write and express their
ethical positions, as well as think critically and analyze ethical issues. A skill
that is expected to incur wide ranging benefits for a professional in the field of
Law.

Some may question the value benefit of studying ethics and living an ethical
life. If we could ignore ethics, we will lead a life addressing all personal
demands and that certainly makes life simpler. However, there are reasons
that can make one resist this line of thought.

Ethics allows an authentic life: An authentic and meaningful life requires you
to live with a sense of integrity. Integrity stands for making commitments and
sticking to them in all circumstances. Having a firm character or set of
principles to guide your life and the choices you make is what ethics is all about.

Ethics lead to success: It may seem that ethical behaviour is a limitation, but
the truth is quite different. Ethical people embody traits that unethical people
have to work at to fake — they are honest, trustworthy, loyal, and caring. As
a result, ethical people are perfectly suited not only for interpersonal
relationships generally, but also more specifically for the kinds of interactions
that make for a thriving business or profession.

Ethics allow cultivation of inner peace. Lives led ethically tend to be calmer,
more focused, and more productive than those lived unethically. Most people
cannot turn off their sympathy for other human beings. Hurting people leaves
scars on both the giver and the receiver. As a result, unethical people have
stormier internal lives because they have to work to suppress their consciences
and sympathies to deal with the ways they treat others. When they fail to
suppress their sympathy, the guilt and shame within the wrongdoer takes a
toll over him.

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 Ethics promote a stable society: Leading ethical lives, people tell the truth,
avoid harming others, and are generous. Working with such people is easy. On
the other hand, callous and insensitive people are distrusted, so it is difficult
for them to be integrated well into social arrangements. A stable society
requires a lot of ethical people working together in coordination. An unethical
society would easily crumble.

Ethics is an important factor for theists and theologists: No one can be sure
about an eternal life, however almost every faith promotes ethical living for
reaping benefits in the next life.

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES | OUTCOMES (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS &

OUTCOMES)

A. Objective (Knowledge, Skills & Employability)

• To explain the basic concepts of Ethics that are part of daily life.
(Knowledge)
• To make students understand ethical behavior through different moral
philosophies. (Skills)
• To summarize different Ethical Theories and enable students to logically
interpret ethical questions accordingly. (Skills and Employability)
• To introduce students to methods that categorize one’s values (Knowledge)

B. Outcomes (Knowledge, Skills & Employability)

• Understanding basic concepts of Ethics (Knowledge) (CO1)

• Comparison of Ethics from the perspective of societies and cultures
(Knowledge) (CO2)
• To compare between different ethical standpoints. (Knowledge) (CO3)
• To relate moral philosophies with day-to-day happenings and use them to
resolve ethical dilemmas. (Skills and Employability) (CO4)
• To understand the relationship between law, ethics, and values and pursue
methodologies in a career (Skills and Employability) (CO5)
• To demonstrate understanding of legal facts and ideas in the light of Ethical
Theories. (KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS) (CO6)

3. COURSE CONTENT AND SCHEDULE

A. Times and Attendance

Two to three lectures per week have been allocated for this course for each
division. Please verify the specific schedule from the timetable assigned to
your division. Additionally, check the ‘Academic Support’ and ‘Posts’ sections
on Microsoft Teams for any related notifications. It is the student's
responsibility to stay informed regarding notifications.

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According to Symbiosis International (Deemed University) Regulations,
students must attend at least 75% of all scheduled sessions and other forms
of instruction as defined by the programme of study. Students who do not meet
the attendance criteria will not be eligible to appear for the examination.

Students can monitor their attendance daily through the Learning Management
System (LMS). Please keep track of your attendance regularly to meet the
required criteria.

Attendance Correction Procedure:

If a student identifies a discrepancy in their attendance record, they must

promptly contact via email the Course in Charge or the Co-Faculty who
conducted the class within 48 hours of marking the attendance. The faculty
member is responsible for verifying the claim and making corrections within 24
hours of receiving the communication, ensuring the student's satisfaction upon
verification. This process ensures accuracy and fairness in attendance records.

If students do not receive a response within the specified timeframe, they

should email the Officer in Charge of their batch, attaching the earlier
communications regarding the attendance discrepancy. A copy of this email
should also be sent to director@symlaw.edu.in for further review and
resolution. This ensures that the issue is escalated appropriately for timely
correction.

Please adhere to the specified process. After the specified period, no concerns
or grievances regarding attendance will be considered or addressed.

B. Mode of Delivery

This course will be delivered in 100 % Synchronous mode. Session Plan,

Lecture outlines (principally in the form of PowerPoint slides), Hand-outs,
reading material including e-books, and Articles as applicable in a given case,
will be made available in ‘Class Materials’ @ Microsoft Teams. To facilitate
understanding of these lectures, students should always read the relevant
pages of suggested readings in advance of each lecture.

The pedagogy for teaching Foundation of Ethics will be direct instruction using
PowerPoint presentations, class discussions, case studies, debates, and
Seminar Assignment combined with the Socratic method to engage students
in critical thinking, real-world applications, and in-depth understanding

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C. Notification

Please be advised that the Course-in-Charge or Officer-In-Charge of Academic

Coordination will disseminate notices regarding Academic Administration using
the "Posts" feature on Microsoft Teams. It is imperative that students remain
updated by regularly checking these notifications.

D. Weekly Lecture Outline

Week Lecture Topics

Week 1
1 Teaching Plan – Overview
July 10, 2024
Week 2
2 Teaching Plan – Assessment
July 15, 2024
1. Introduction
Week 3 3
A. Meaning and definition of Ethics
July 22, 2024
4 B. Difference between Morality and Ethics
2.1 Principle Ethics: Good, Autonomy,
Week 4 5
Beneficence, Justice, Virtue
July 29, 2024
62.2 Legal Ethics
7 3. Values Clarification
Week 5
August 05, 2024 Cognitive moral development -Lawrence
8
Kohlberg
9 4.1Theories: Consequentialism
Week 6
August 12, 2024 10 4.2: Utilitarianism – Act and Rule

Week 7 11 Deontology
August 19, 2024 12 Analysis / Ethical Dilemmas
5. Indian Moral Philosophy
13 6. Concept of Dharma – Dharma in Vedas and
Week 8
its Evolution
August 26, 2024
Stages of Purusharthas: Dharma, Artha,
14
Kama, Moksha
15 5.3 Mahabharata and Ethical Dilemmas
Week 9
September 02, 2024 7. Ethical Theories
16
6.1 Ethical Hierarchicalism
Week 10 17 6.2 Moral Absolutism
September 09, 2024 18 6.3 Graded Moral Absolutism
Week 11 19 6.4 Moral Relativism
September 16, 2024 20 6.5 Moral Legalism
Week 12 21 6.6 Moral Realism

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 September 23, 2024 22 8. Seminar Presentation
23
Week 13 7. Seminar Presentation
September 30, 2024 24 8. Course Review
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16 Answer Scripts

Week 17

4. READING ASSIGNMENTS | COURSE MATERIAL

A. Textbook

• JL Mackie, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong (Penguin Books 1990).

• Roger Scruton, Kant: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press
2001).
• GC Nayak, Philosophical Reflections: Revised and Enlarged Edition (Indian
Council of Philosophical Research 2002).
• Rajendra Prasad, Karma causation and retributive morality: conceptual
essays in ethics and metaethics (Indian Council of Philosophical Research
2004).

B. Supplementary Materials:

Reference Book

• Rist. M. Jhon., Real Ethics: Reconsidering the Foundations of Morality,

Cambridge University Press, (2008).
• Craig. Petrson, Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: A natural Law Ethics
Approach, Taylor and Francis Group (2008)
• Jennifer Gunning, Søren Holm, and Ian Kenway, Ethics, Law and Society:
Volume IV, Taylor and Francis Group (2009)
• Gowans. W. Christopher, Moral Disagreements: Classic and Contemporary
Readings, Taylor and Francis Group, (2000).
• Justin Oakley and Dean Cocking, Virtue Ethics and Professional Roles,
Cambridge University Press, (2018)
• Jayshree, Suresh, B.S. Raghavan, Human values and professional ethics
(81-219-2452-9) S. Chand
• Hill, Thomas E.,Jr. Hill, Thomas E., Respect, Pluralism and Justice: Kantian
Perspectives, Oxford University Press
• Deepak. S. J, India that Bharat: Coloniality, Civilization, Constitution
Bloomsbury Publishing, (2021).

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 Articles

• Russ Shafer-Landau (ed.), Ethical Theory: An Anthology (Wiley Blackwell

2013).

Other Reading Material shall be notified and whenever possible shared with the
learners by the Course-in-Charge throughout the semester.

C. Online Resources

RemoteXs, our new Library Portal, is a cloud-based service designed to simplify

and enhance access to a wide range of e-content. With RemoteXs, you will
benefit from optimising our valuable resources fostering research interests
among faculty and students. By bringing together scattered eResources under
one secure umbrella, RemoteXs ensures you can access subscribed eJournals,
eBooks, and other eContent anytime, anywhere. This new portal makes it
easier to stay connected to the latest information and research materials, no
matter where you are.

5. ASSESSMENT METHODS

This is a two-credit Fully internal course, so you will be examined in this course
by 50 marks. In totality, you will be examined in this course by the Internal
Continuous Evaluation (100%) assessment format.

A. Internal Continuous Evaluation

This course’s Internal continuous evaluation (ICE) is designed to assess

students' understanding and engagement throughout the semester
comprehensively. The total weightage for (ICE) is 50 marks, distributed across
various components as follows:

Mode of Assessment Tutorial Research Project

(ICE 1) (ICE 2)
Weightage in Marks 25 25

6. INTERNAL CONTINUOUS EVALUATION: MODE, SCHEDULE, FORMAT

AND STRUCTURE, ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

A. ICE 1- Tutorial: Schedule, Format and Structure, Assessment Criteria

The tutorial uses situation-based, open-ended illustrations that test each

learner's analytical and professional understanding.

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 Schedule:

Date Examination Result

October 09, 2024 October 18, 2024
Topics: All Syllabus Covered
Examiner: Dr. Krishna Raina

Format and Structure:

Tutorial is an open-book examination. It is an assessment where students can

refer to their bare act/s, textbooks, notes, and other approved resources while
answering the exam questions. This format is designed to evaluate a student's
understanding and application of the material rather than their ability to
memorize information.

Situation-Based Questions: The tutorial includes open-ended, situation-

based questions that require students to think critically and analytically.
Open-Ended Illustrations: Students are presented with complex scenarios
or problems and must use their course materials to construct well-reasoned
and supported responses.

Assessment Criteria:

Marks are awarded based on the depth of analysis, relevance of the a

presented, and the ability to apply theoretical concepts to practical situations.

Criteria Marks %
Depth of Analysis 10 – 40
Marks are awarded based on the student’s ability to analyse the scenarios
and provide insightful, well-reasoned answers.
Relevance 7.5 30
Answers must be directly relevant to the questions and effectively apply the
course concepts.
– Logical Structure 7.5 – 30
Responses should be logically structured, with arguments presented and
supporting them with evidence from the course materials.

B. ICE 2- Seminar Presentation: Schedule, General Guidelines and

Assessment Criteria:

Seminar Assignment, where each learner will be required to do a situation

description, Appraisal, & Exploration. The ability to pinpoint the pertinent
Ethical questions is crucial, as it sets the stage for the entire analysis on the
topic allotted by the Course-In-charge and will be evaluated out of 25 marks.
This part requires students to identify and articulate the legal Situation
presented in a given scenario or case study.

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The Seminar Assignment is aimed at improving the research and analytical
skills of the Learner and to make learning academically more challenging and
rigorous.

Schedule:

Date Assignment Submission Result

July 15, 2024 September 14, 2024 September 24, 2024
Examiner: Dr. Krishna Raina

General Guidelines:

The Seminar Assignment should state the details of the learner like Name, PRN,
Division, Batch, Programme, and Academic Year. The Seminar Assignment
must be accompanied by a Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Report. No submission
will be accepted without the aforesaid report. This Seminar Assignment with
more than 10% plagiarized content shall be marked zero.

Following are the guidelines for the Seminar Assignment:

• The Seminar Assignment will be allotted by the Course in charge.

• Complete Plagiarism report generated via Turn-it-in shall be submitted.
• Turnitin report highlighting Index content similarity should be ≤10%.
• A similarity index of over 10 % shall invite strict actions and the learner
shall be awarded “zero” marks for the project.
• Please avoid the use of AI while preparing your project.
• Despite the report’s content similarity being lower, if the Course-in-charge
identifies any form of plagiarism undetected by Turnitin, the learner will
have to face a penalty of negative marking (Negative marking of up to five
marks).
• Pertinent details concerning the generation of the Turnitin Report and its
upload on ‘assignment @Microsoft Teams' are as follows:
• Classes – course-wise for Batch 2024-2029 at Turnitin will be created
• Upload the complete assignment in your respective Class @Turnitin
• Once the Turnitin report is generated, download it and then upload the same
report generated on ‘Assignment @Microsoft Teams,' as applicable in a
given case, for evaluation.
• Late submission will result in a deduction of 1.5 marks per day. The
deduction of the marks is to be calculated from the last submission date.

Assessment Criteria:

The learners shall be evaluated based on the following headers of the Seminar
Assignment & Presentation:

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 Written Submission Criteria
Parameter Parameter Brief Explanation Marks %
Research, Depth and cross-functional references, 9 60
Analysis type of research method used
Conclusion Originality and individual learning 6 40

Presentation Delivery Criteria

Parameter Parameter Brief Explanation Marks %
Content Inter-disciplinary approach 5 50
Clarity Effectiveness of content explained 5 50

7. CONTINGENCY PLAN

If a faculty member is unable to conduct a scheduled class due to an

emergency, we have designed the following effective contingency plans that
can be implemented to ensure minimal disruption to the student's learning
process.

Detailed Lesson Plan: We shall provide a detailed lesson plan with

instructions for students to review specific readings, assignments, or activities
related to the course topic. It will include discussion questions or prompts for
further engagement.

Assignments: We shall design assignments, or interactive activities that

students can complete independently during the scheduled class time. These
can be submitted electronically for assessment.

Please note that the Faculty, through the Officer in Charge, will notify students
of the respective class as soon as possible about the emergency and the
contingency plan in place. Don’t worry; you will be provided with clear
instructions on how you should proceed during the scheduled class time.

By implementing these contingency plans, we can ensure that students remain

engaged in their learning without causing significant disruption to the regular
timetable or requiring other faculty members to adjust their schedules
unexpectedly

8. CLASSROOMS POLICIES

Classroom Conduct:

• Students and faculty must maintain a respectful and professional

demeanour towards each other and foster an inclusive learning
environment.

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 • Regular attendance is expected unless excused for valid reasons.
Punctuality is appreciated to minimise disruption.
• Use of electronic devices should be limited to permitted activities related
to the course. Disruptive use (e.g., texting, browsing social media) is
discouraged during class sessions.
• Raise hands or use designated methods to seek permission to speak or
ask questions during lectures or discussions.
• Follow any prescribed dress code guidelines that contribute to
maintaining a professional atmosphere conducive to learning.

Policy on Punctuality and Attendance

• Students are required to be inside the classroom at the scheduled start

time of the class.
• Being late, even by a few seconds, is unacceptable and will not be
entertained as an excuse.
• Punctuality demonstrates respect for the instructor, fellow students, and
the learning process. It minimises disruption and ensures that all
students can fully benefit from the instructional time.
• Students arriving late may miss important instructions, announcements,
or the beginning of lectures, impacting their understanding of course
material.
• Persistent tardiness may result in penalties such as losing participation
points or other disciplinary measures outlined in the course syllabus or
university policies.
• Faculty members are responsible for enforcing this policy consistently
and fairly.
• Students are encouraged to seek clarification from faculty or course
administrators regarding any aspects of this policy they do not
understand.

By adhering to this policy, students contribute to a respectful and efficient

learning environment where punctuality is valued and contributes to overall
academic success.

9. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Kindly respect everyone's time involved in the teaching, learning, and

evaluation. You are encouraged to get your queries related to the course
addressed during the teaching session.

If you have any doubts regarding the topics covered, please get in touch with
the Course In- Charge Dr. Krishna Raina as required via email
krishna.raina.vf@symlaw.edu.in during office hours (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM).
You can expect a response within 48 hours.

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If you wish to meet the Course In-Charge in person, please request an
appointment by emailing for a slot on between 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM on
teaching days as mentioned in Time Table for the week.

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