FVPAA026 Ethics

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Petr Slováček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petr Slováček, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Kateřina Janků, Ph.D.
Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the broad context of the social worker's ethics by identifying several dimensions of the issue to the students: (a) ethics as a philosophical discipline that competes with its rational claim of morality as a traditional system of values; (b) relevance of the religious tradition for understanding the specific value orientation of the "Western" ethical thinking, which is governed primarily by the idea of the dignity of the person, and the situation of the client; (c) specific area of morality, which is determined by the specific space of the religious tradition.
Learning outcomes
The aim of teaching is to make the students familiar with the sources of ethical thinking, which is not only a philosophical discipline but is, especially in a European context, determined by the values and accents that derive from the association of ethics as a philosophical discipline and morality motivated by tradition or religion. At the same time, students will be familiar with the specifics of ethics in social work, which implements the suggested tensions both in the values that stand as principles in human rights documents as well as in the ethical codes of social workers, and in relation to the client himself.
Syllabus
  • 1. Sources of ethical thinking I - ethics and philosophy, the place of ethics within philosophy, basic introduction to the issue of ethics.
    2. Sources of ethical thinking II - basic concepts of ethics.
    3. Sources of ethical thinking III - ethics and religious traditions (Judaism and Christianity) relevant in the European area.
    4. From the history of ethical theories I - ancient and medieval concepts.
    5. From the history of ethical theories II – concepts of modern history and contemporary concepts.
    6. Basic ethical theories - intuitionism, emotivism, deontological conception, natural law conception, positive law, utilitarian, eudemonistic.
    7. Ethics in social work - specifics of ethics in social work in the space given by the client, the environment and the social worker.
    8. Ethics and modern human sciences - biology.
    9. Ethics and modern human sciences - anthropology.
    10. Ethics and modern human sciences - psychology.
    11. Ethics and modern human sciences - neurosciences.
    12. Codes of ethics in social work I - importance and development of codes of ethics in history. Code of Ethics for Social Workers in the Czech Republic.
Literature
    required literature
  • ANZENBACHER, A. Úvod do etiky. Praha: Academia, 2001. ISBN 80-200-0917-5. info
  • JANKOVSKÝ, J., Etika pro pomáhající profese. Praha: Triton 2003. 223 s. ISBN 80-7254-329-6.
  • THOMPSON, M. Přehled etiky. Praha: Portál, 2004. ISBN 80-7178-606-6. info
  • FISCHER, O., MILFAIT, R. Etika pro sociální práci. Praha: JABOK, 2008. ISBN 978-80-904137-3-3. info
  • JANÁK, D. Kapitoly z dějin sociální práce. Opava: Slezská univerzita v Opavě, 2011.
    recommended literature
  • ANZENBACHER, A. Úvod do etiky. Praha: Academia, 2001. ISBN 80-200-0917-5. info
  • HRUBEC, M. Od zneuznání ke spravedlnosti. Praha, 2011. ISBN 978-80-7007-362-9. info
  • RICH, A. Etika hospodářství I. Praha: OIKOYMENH. ISBN 80-85241-61-7. info
Teaching methods
lectures, seminars
Assessment methods
Active participation in seminars (preparation and study of assigned texts) will be required for the credit. The course will be closed by an oral exam verifying the knowledge of the topics covered.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2019, Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Summer 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fvp/summer2025/FVPAA026