Ethics Thinking in Public Affairs is a one-credit course for Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University. Its central purpose is to help students gain basic understanding of (1) the ubiquity of ethical challenges in public affairs; (2) ethical considerations as one of the important and indispensable dimensions for decision making; (3) to whom we should be responsible for and what responsibilities a person and an entity should bear for the well-being of the whole society; (4) methods or frameworks by which we can rely on or consult with in order to align our conducts with these responsibilities.

The course is taught primarily using thought experiment and case study method with few activities and a number of recommended readings. It requires students’ active and sincere participation in class discussions and activities. Students shall be able to realize ethical challenges when decisions or choices have to be made in practices as well as in your daily lives, and possible consequences or impacts your decisions may bring about. They shall also be able to reflect on their seemingly reasonable claims and imbedded value systems, and be capable to apply ethical analysis frameworks in coping with ethical dilemmas.