Course 7: Torah’s Universal Ethics

THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF UNIVERSAL ETHICS
The Noahide Laws

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is given by Rabbi Dr. Shimon Dovid Cowen on the world-view of the Seven Noahide Laws. They contain Divinely-inspired universal ethical principles that you will explore, which have been extant for thousands of years. It will be explained how these commandments constitute the fundamental ethical covenant that God established with humanity in Biblical times, as related in the Book of Genesis. You will learn how they have been the root of the moral codes of the major world cultures throughout history, and the inspiration for the groundbreaking doctrine of “human equality” that was revived by the Renaissance. It will be demonstrated that these traditional values are concrete and fully capable of precise application to all the issues of contemporary society and life, with specific examples being given. You will also gain more understanding of their universality, both in spiritual and historical terms, which endows them with a legitimacy for all peoples.

The Noahide Laws were given to be an intrinsic heritage for all humanity, as you will learn in this course. You will also explore the connection between the moral principles they teach, and the Biblical text which teaches that a human being is “created in the image of God,” meaning that we are all endowed with the ability to “imitate God” through righteous and charitable living. As will be shown in this course, this imitation takes place through observance of these Seven Commandments and their many offshoots.

STRUCTURE

• 5 Video Lessons
• 5 Handouts
• 5 Quizzes
• 1 Certificate

CERTIFICATION

You will receive the certificate of course completion if you pass with 80% or more, and a special recognition if you get 100%.

 LEARNING OUTCOMES

• At the end of the course you will have clearly understood the historical process of the spiritual refinement of humanity from its inception until our days.
• You will understand the meaning of the Biblical concept that every human being is created in the "image" of God, in terms of essential qualities of the human intellect.
• You will understand how the Seven Noahide Laws are intrinsically fitted to human rationality.
• You will learn how the dimensions of human personality can be described within a psychological matrix of the Noahide Laws.