4 Week 1 summary

Congratulations on finishing Week 1! This week you have:

• learned about the history and significance of Notre-Dame Cathedral and the economic and heritage values which arise from such buildings
• learned about the serious damage caused by the fire in 2019 and the extraordinary cost of repairing it
• discovered and analysed some of the arguments given for and against spending our money and resources to restore the cathedral
• reflected on your own attitudes about the morality of this project.

The basic philosophical problem considered this week was how to weigh the value of cultural heritage against human lives and wellbeing. This dilemma will return in different forms throughout the rest of the course. In Week 2, you will see how it arises, even more urgently and dramatically, within the context of armed conflict.

You can now go to Week 2.