ASP129 - Love, Sex and Death
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online Trimester 3: Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Patrick Stokes Trimester 3: Christopher Mayes |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
This unit consists of three modules. The first is a philosophical exploration of the concept of romantic love, including its relationship to biology, rationality and friendship, and its expression in the institution of marriage. The second module explores sex and the moral concepts that have grown up around it. Related social issues such as sex-work and pornography are also discussed. The third module explores death, including traditional and contemporary understandings of death, medical definitions of death, and ethical issues related to killing such as abortion and euthanasia.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Identify, evaluate and discuss a range of philosophical problems raised by love, sex and death | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication |
| ULO2 | Critically reflect on some of the philosophical problems raised by love, sex and death and explore these in both essay and dialogue format | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Work collaboratively to analyse, compare, and defend philosophical arguments | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO3: Digital literacy GLO7: Teamwork |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: (Group) Assignment | 800 words or equivalent | 20% | Week 4 |
| Assessment 2: Written tasks | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 3: Case Study | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ASP129 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.