DEBRE BERHAN UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND
HUMANITIES
DEPARTMENT OF CIVICS AND ETHICAL
STUDIES
MODULE ON CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES (Cvet
1021)
Prepared by: Eyasu Hussen
Zelalem Teshome
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Module Introduction _________________________________________________________I
Module Objectives __________________________________________________________II
Table of Contents __________________________________________________________III
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO CIVICS AND ETHICAL STUDIES
1.1. Origins and Definitions of Civics and Ethics __________________________________1
1.2. Sources and Interdisciplinary Nature of Civics and Ethical Studies_________________ 5
1.3. Major goals and objectives of Civics and Ethical Studies_________________________ 8
CHAPTER TWO: SOCIETY, STATE AND GOVERNMENT
2.1 Conceptual Issues on Society_______________________________________________12
2.2 Conceptualization of State_________________________________________________17
2.3 Attributes of the State____________________________________________________23
2.4 Understanding Government________________________________________________28
2.5 Modern State Formations in Ethiopia________________________________________34
CHAPTER THREE: CITIZENSHIP
3.1 Meaning of Citizenship__________________________________________________51
3.2 Historical Development of Citizenship______________________________________53
3.3 Characteristics of Good Citizenship________________________________________55
3.4 Modes of Getting and Loosing Citizenship___________________________________60
3.5 The Ethiopian Experience________________________________________________ 63
CHAPTER FOUR: CONSTITUTION AND CONSTITUTIONALISM
4.1. Defining Constitution and Constitutionalism__________________________________71
4.2. Historical Development of Constitution______________________________________74
4.3. Modern Classification of Constitutions______________________________________77
4.4. Constitutional Development in Ethiopia______________________________________83
CHAPTER FIVE: UNDERSTANDING HUMAN RIGHTS
5.1. Conceptual Approaches to Human Rights______________ ______________________92
5.2. The Scopes and Contents of Human Rights_____________ ______________________97
5.3. Basic Features and Limitations of Human Rights _____________________________103
CHAPTER SIX: DEMOCRACY
6.1. What is Democracy? ___________________________________________________109
6.2. Ways of Exercising Democracy___________________________________________113
6.3. Typologies of Democracy________________________________________________116
6.4. Fundamental Values and Principles of Democracy____________________________118
6.5. Election and Democracy_________________________________________________127
CHAPTER SEVEN: ETHICS
7.1. What is Ethics ________________________________________________________134
7.2.Metaethics____________________________________________________________137
7.2.1. Objectivism______________________________________________________138
7.2.2. Relativism_______________________________________________________140
[Link] Ethics_______________________________________________________141
7.3.1. Virtue Ethics_____________________________________________________142
7.3.2. Deontological/Duty Ethics__________________________________________147
7.3.3. Consequentialist Ethics_____________________________________________150
7.4. Applied Ethics_________________________________________________________153
7.4.1. Normative Principles in Applied Ethics________________________________155
7.4.2. Issues in Applied Ethics____________________________________________157
