Philosophy, Bioethics, Theology

Bioethics

Campus | Clayton

Bioethics addresses the growth of scientific knowledge and technical ability in medicine, genetics and the biological sciences. This growth has led to a number of perplexing ethical issues, especially in the healthcare field. Monash's Centre for Human Bioethics advances ethical thinking in order to anticipate future developments and assess courses of action.

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Human rights theory

Campus | Caulfield, Clayton

Human Rights Theory is an interdisciplinary area of study examining the history and nature of human rights. Core units focus on issues such as the basis of universal human rights, the relations between rights and responsibilities, and the significance of global institutions to human rights obligations. Elective units give students the opportunity to examine contemporary human rights questions, such as: global poverty, unequal access to medicine, free trade, terrorism, humanitarian intervention, immigration, and torture.

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Islamic studies

Campus | Clayton

The program is dedicated to rigorously pursue objective academic research on Islam and contemporary issues of concern specifically to Australia and Asia-pacific and Muslims engagement with other civilizations and intercultural dialogue. The program will offer information through elective units to interested parties, such as professionals who work in immigration, law, and educational institutions, organisations with Muslim employees, community organisations, researchers, journalists, religious leaders, social workers and anyone who has some responsibility or interest in understanding the Muslim faith in general and Muslims in Australia in particular.

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Jewish civilisation

Campus | Caulfield, Clayton,

Units offered within the Centre for the Study of Jewish Civilisation encompass a number of diverse areas of study which reflect the nature of Jewish civilisation and help students understand different aspects of Jewish civilisation such as language and literature (Hebrew and Yiddish), history, theology, philosophy, law, politics and sociology. Students can also study a wide range of subjects that relate to the Jewish historical experience - ancient, medieval and modern. Archaeology, religion and theology units focus on a comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

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Philosophy

Campus | Caulfield, Clayton, Off-campus

Philosophy is the study of fundamental ideas about the world and raises important questions about life. Areas of study include logic (theory of implication), critical reasoning (theory of influence), metaphysics (what sorts of things exist in the world and how are they related?), epistemology (what constitutes knowledge?), ethics and aesthetics (value judgments and their justification), professional ethics (in health care, law, business, science and research, communications and media, information technology, and engineering and technology), political philosophy (principles underlying the structure of a good society), philosophy of mind (how are mind and matter related?) and history.

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Religion and theology

Campus | Clayton

All human cultures reflect on the meaning of life through myth, symbol and abstract reflection. Studying the religions and theologies of different cultures, within a variety of historical contexts, is both an important intellectual exercise and a fascinating process that provokes many questions about the past, the present and the future. The study of religion and theology deals with issues relating to the meaning of life, from a comparative viewpoint rather than from any particular faith tradition. Students may choose to study a range of religious traditions, beliefs and theological systems.

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