In our introductory lecture, we commence the course at the transition point from medieval to modern ethics. Professor Stephen Hicks traces the intellectual developments in Europe, particularly in England, and examines key figures like King James I, who represented traditional hierarchical authority, and John Locke, who championed individual liberty, rational thinking, and demonstrable morality. The lecture concludes by introducing Jean-Jacques Rousseau as a counterpoint to Locke, arguing for a return to a more natural, egalitarian state of human existence.

In lecture two, we study the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, a prominent Enlightenment thinker who sought to reconcile traditional religious ethics with modern rationality. We examine how Kant attempts to establish a pure moral philosophy based on rational principles rather than empirical observations or consequences, emphasizing that moral actions must be done from duty alone rather than inclination or desired outcomes. The lecture explores the challenges Kant faced in justifying moral principles without relying on metaphysical assumptions about God, free will, or immortality, and highlights his complex position as both an Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment thinker.

In lecture three, we delve into Søren Kierkegaard's exploration of faith through his works Either/Or and Fear and Trembling, and focus on the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. We examine how Kierkegaard presents three possible life approaches: the aesthetic life of sensual pleasure, the ethical life of duty and commitment, and the religious life of faith that transcends rational understanding. We also explore Kierkegaard's concept of the "teleological suspension of the ethical," where faith requires going beyond conventional morality and reason to embrace what he calls "divine madness."