Ethics with Austen

Course Overview:

Length: 2 hours per week

Join us for this lively, discussion-based course. We will use Austen’s classic story to explore how different ethical frameworks—such as utilitarianism, care ethics, relational ethics, contract theory, and deontological ethics—shape the decisions we make and the responsibilities we carry.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is more than a beloved romantic novel—it is also a rich exploration of the moral choices people face in family, friendship, and society.

Together we’ll consider questions that remain as relevant today as they were in Austen’s time:  

• How do we balance personal happiness with family duty?

• When should we follow social expectations—and when should we challenge them?

• What does it mean to act with integrity in a complicated world?

We will also place the novel within its historical and cultural context while examining the timeless moral dilemmas faced by Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and the society around them.