ETHICS AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

The Graduate Program proposed by the Department of Philosophy at the Federal University of Pelotas focuses on key themes in ethical and political thought, encompassing all periods of philosophical history. In this regard, the Program includes essential topics from ancient and medieval philosophy, such as conceptions of virtue and theories of ethics and justice as formulated by the most significant authors of these periods—thinkers who continue to contribute to contemporary reflections on these subjects.

Within the modern context, the Program addresses major themes and schools of thought related to ethics and political philosophy, particularly questions concerning the foundations and critique of morality that emerged during modernity itself. In contemporary discussions, the Program in Ethics and Political Philosophy aims to foster reflections on ethical issues from both an individual perspective—examining concepts of virtue, moral foundations, and critiques of morality, among other fundamental aspects of the tradition—and a social perspective, particularly in relation to Law and Politics.

Thus, the Program is guided by the understanding that ethical reflections, beyond their intrinsic value, have a strong practical application in society in various forms, a notion reinforced by the study of contemporary theories of justice.