Ever considered the moral motivation of characters in The Dark Knight? The Joker, one might say, strives for a Hobbesian “state of nature” by trying to eliminate social values. Thomas Hobbes argued that social structures eliminate the inclinations of the state of nature, which pit all men in a war against one another. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, could be considered moral using Kantain ethics. While his actions did not always turn out the way he’d like, he always had good intentions. However, Wayne’s reluctance to let others act as vigilante violates the concept of acting in a way that could become universal law.

Investigate all these issues and many more in PHIL 152: Introduction to Moral Theory. This course allows you the opportunity to earn Arts and Humanities GEP as you explore the philosophical theories of morality. Investigate various moral theories including moral skepticism, virtue ethics, utilitarianism, Kantianism and other forms of non-consequentialism.

PHIL 152 emphasizes critical and charitable reading, argument analysis, and writing.

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We live in a complex global environment, characterized by state actors, non-state actors, and transnational issues and forces. In POLI/GLBL 483: International Negotiation, students will work on contemporary case studies, including the Iran Nuclear Negotiations, the US-Cuban Rapprochement, and the Global Climate Talks. The exploration of negotiation as a high stakes game will feature conceptual material on issue salience for multiple stakeholders, the influence of public opinion and media agenda-setting, and the challenges of protracted conflicts to diplomatic resolution. This hands-on course features a multi-party negotiation simulation on the involvement of Shell Oil in the Niger River Delta.

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Why does the United States have a per capita Gross Domestic Product of $55,000, while many countries in Africa have per capita GDPs of $5,000 or less? What accounts for poverty in American cities, and what can be done to foster more equitable outcomes? What is a population pyramid and how can it help us to understand rates of population growth, the impact of traumatic events on a community’s population, and more?

GES 102: Human Geography explores the distributions of human activities such as population, economic activities, resources, agriculture, and settlements and how they affect human systems and behavior. GES 102 also serves as a gateway course in the Geography Environmental Studies department and sets up students for success in courses that delve into ecology, cartography, and the geography of health in greater detail.

This course satisfies the Social Sciences GEP requirement and the Culture requirement for undergraduates.

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GWST 290: Issues and Phases in Women’s Health provides a detailed overview of the health issues that occur during the various phases of women’s lives.

Explore the biological understandings and social meanings of puberty, menstruation, reproduction and menopause, as you examine the problems/situations facing today’s women, including the specific health needs of women from different races, cultures, and ethnicities.

GWST 290 is conducted entirely on online using Blackboard, UMBC’s course management system.

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