Ethics Minor

The Ethics Minor is a philosophy-based minor that is administered by the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. Since ethical issues are addressed across the curriculum, appropriate courses in other disciplines can also count toward the minor.

Ethical issues are important to many human activities, fields of inquiry, and professions.  Indeed, one of the Student Learning Outcomes of Butler University is that “students will make informed, rational and ethical choices.” Knowledge of ethics will be beneficial to students as a complement to their major in many different areas, to their post-bachelor education (law, medicine, political science, etc.), to their careers (government, business, etc.), and, more broadly, to finding their way in life.

Students are advised to create a thematic unity in their course selection, in consultation with the program director or other faculty connected to the Ethics Minor. For advising, or more information, contact the Ethics minor director, Lavender McKittrick-Sweizter (lmckittricksweit@butler.edu) or Kyle Furlane (kfurlane@butler.edu).

What are some activities outside the classroom?

Students are encouraged to participate in the annual Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, attend ethics talks sponsored by the Ethics Minor or other programs, and attend the meetings of the Philosophy Club. Students also have the option to do an internship with an ethical focus or to pursue an independent study with research in moral theory or applied ethics.