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pol
s 410/514: contemporary (normative) political philosophy Tuesdays, 3-6 pm, Fall term –
2007-08 Don
Carmichael Phone:
492‑5390 email:
Don.Carmichael@ualberta.ca |
This
will be a seminar on some of the principal recent works in contemporary
Anormative” political theory/philosophy. This approach, exemplified by
Rawls’ A Theory of Justice,
addresses value questions of political life in terms that typically combine
analysis of the value-question with careful attention to issues of
justification and clarity.
A
great deal of this work is concerned with issues of the liberal democratic state
(eg, freedom, equality, justice) -- but the field also includes many radical
and revolutionary theorists who reject the liberal democratic state. The field is politically wide-open. It is
characterized by a commitment to clarity in explanation and justification, not
by political beliefs.
This
course will attempt, somewhat ambitiously, to provide an overview of the field
(introducing students to the leading theorists and issues) while also, at the
same time, engaging in some depth with two major thinkers: John Rawls (the most
important liberal theorist since Mill) and Charles Taylor (a Canadian, and one
of the most creative political theorists today). The overview topics will include: social
justice, self-ownership, rights, multiculturalism and world citizenship
The purpose of
this seminar is not to “instruct” students, but rather to provide a format in
which they can read and discuss some core works of the field. Clearly, only some of the core works can be
covered. Consequently, I invite
participants to suggest revisions to the course topics and work load as the
seminar proceeds
Students taking
the course for credit will be asked to do three short “positional” papers, two during
the term and one at the end of the term.
It may be possible to discuss some of these papers in the seminar. In
addition all participants (including auditors) will be expected (i) to
contribute to the seminar discussions, (ii) to prepare digests of the readings
for each session (with two weeks off of your own choosing) and (iii) to read
their digests aloud in the seminar on various occasions as a way of opening
discussion.
Essays: (3 @
equal weight) 80%
contributions to the seminar** 20%
* The reading digests ‑‑ which must be
done each week before the seminar ‑‑ will be graded only as
satisfactory/ unsatisfactory. But they
are a strict requirement and marks will be deducted from the final grade (up to
two letter grades) for missing digests (note again that everyone gets two weeks
off, at dates of their own choosing.
**
Seminar contributions will be evaluated by the quality of oral
contributions, including questions. One can
contribute effectively to the quality of a seminar without speaking much, or
even at all. Students who are
uncomfortable speaking in public are invited to discuss alternative forms of
seminar contribution with me.
Texts Pol S 410/514
course reader (for everyone)
grad students are asked also to purchase Rawls, Justice as Fairness: A Restatement
All
essays should be terse, analytical, and "positional" -- arguing a
definite thesis in relation to some aspect of the readings. Students are
encouraged to develop their own views in these essays -- eg, by contesting a
specific claim made by Aristotle, or by arguing a rival thesis on the topic, or
(in certain cases) by writing a critical response to a fellow student in the
seminar. The only requirement is that the essay argue a specific and explicitly
stated thesis ("In this essay I will argue that... ").
Essay Deadlines
Students
in 410 (undergraduates) will do one of their two term papers as a seminar paper
(distributed to and discussed by the other undergraduate students in the
seminar). This paper will be due on the
deadlines established in the seminar (though it may be revised for grading
after that date). Apart from this paper,
essays will be due:
essay 1: Fri,
Oct 12th
essay 2: Wed,
Nov 14th
essay 3: Tues,
Dec 11th
Topics and
Part 1: The
Just Society: Fundamental Principles and Approaches
The
first half of the seminar (Part 1) will consider some leading principles and
approaches. These will later be applied
and tested in the different issues considered in Parts 2 and 3. In reading and
discussing these, think about what you see as the strengths and weakness of
each.
Seminar papers are due (email) by 4 pm on the Sunday before the class in which they’ll be discussed
Links
are indicated for all on-line readings.
All other readings are in the course pack.
Sept 11-- Introduction and Organizational Meeting
Selections
from Jencks, “Justice and Equality of Opportunity” distributed in class
Sept.18 B
Background: Mill -- Problems of Liberty & Democracy
4 Mill, Utilitarianism, ch 5
9 Mill, AThe Harm Principle@,
selections from On Liberty
8
40 Swift, “Democracy”
8
illustration: Decisions of the Supreme Court in Rodriguez v BC
(euthanasia)
69
410: Bryant Lukes commentary: Corrie Side
514: Hart, “The Ascription of Responsibility and Rights” (handout)
Sept 25 -- John Rawls (1): A Theory of Justice
28 pp
1-28 (stop here) of Freeman, “John Rawls – An Overview”, in The
Cambridge Companion to Rawls
20 Rawls,
selections from A Theory of Justice (sections 1-4, 11, 26)
23 Nagel,
“Rawls and Liberalism”, Cambridge
Companion, 62-85
71
410: Blake Murdoch commentary: Christopher Gallop
514: Williams, “Realism and Moralism in Political Theory” (handout)
Recommended: Pettit, “The Contribution of Analytic Philosophy” (required for Dec 4)
Oct 2 -- Criticisms: Rights, Libertarianism & Communitarianism
3 “Rights and Human Rights”
14 Nozick,
“Distributive Justice”
25
8 Sandel,
AThe
7 illustration: Thomson, “A
Defence of Abortion” – just pp 47-53 (up to “2. The extreme view...”)
75
410: Jennifer Jones commentary: Matthew Morgan
514: Rawls, Restatement: Preface, pp 1- 38 (Part 1)
Oct 9 – Alternatives: Capabilities & The Ethic of Care ►paper # 1 due Fri, Oct 12
13 Nussbaum,
“Capabilities
and Social Justice”, 2002, (this takes you to the abstract: click on
PDF at the bottom)
14 Sen, “Human
Rights and Capabilities,” 2005 ,Journal of Human Development, Jul2005, Vol. 6 Issue 2, p151-166,
15 Virginia
Held, “Care
and Justice in the Global Context”
12 Gottlieb, “The
Tasks of Embodied Love”, (2002)
54
410: Corrie Side & Christopher Gallop commentary: Jennifer Jones & Geoff Sigalet
514: Restatement, pp 39 – 61 in Part 2
Oct 16 --
Rawls (2) Public Reason
23 Freeman,
“John Rawls – An Overview”, 28-52, The
Cambridge Companion to Rawls
25 Larmore,
“Public Reason”, The
Cambridge Companion to Rawls, 368-93
11 Rawls,
Justice as Fairness, A Restatement: sections 9, 10, 26 (pp 26-32, 89-94)
12 pp
318-29 of Laborde, “Secular
Philosophy and Muslim Headscarves in Schools” (2005)
71
410: Tanya White commentary: Tristan Folinsbee
514: Restatement, pp 61-79 in Part 2
Recommended
22 sections
1-4 (pp 765-87) of Rawls, “The
Idea of Public Reason Revisited”, (University of
Part 2: --
In the remaining sessions we will work
our way carefully through some of Charles Taylor’s work and also take up issues
concerning human rights and the good society.
In the first part of each session we will discuss a short selection by
The main topic through next three
sessions (Part 2) is “human rights”.
Particular attention will be paid to the different possible meanings and
justifications of this concept.
Oct 23 -- Human Rights (1): Terms and Justifications
(Choice v Benefits)
17
13 Jones,
“Forms of Right”
20 Beitz,
“What
Human Rights Mean” (2003)
8 “Abortion
and The Right to Life” (excerpts)
Review
all readings from Oct 2
60
410: Kevin Hoy commentary: Jason Treit
514: Hart, “Are There any Natural Rights?”
Recommended
8 Hart,
“Are
There any Natural Rights?”
Oct 30 -- Human Rights (2): Human Rights and Global
Justice
21
4 Peter
Singer, “The Singer
Solution to World Poverty”, (1999)
16 Nussbaum, “Beyond
the social contract: capabilities and global justice” or at ....EBSCOhost
10 Pocklington, “Against
Inflating Human Rights”
51
410: Geoff Sigalet & Anna Meister commentary: Amanda Henry & Tanya White
514: Restatement, pp 80-111 in Part 3
Nov 6 -- Human Rights (3): Human Rights & World
Citizenship
20
8 Kymlicka,
“Citizenship Theory
6 Nussbaum,
“Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism”
18 Glendon,
“The Declaration of Interdependence”
4 Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
56
410: Tristan Folinsbee commentary: Kevin Hoy
514: Restatement, pp 111-134 Part 3
Recommended
12 Glendon,
“Universality Under Siege”
11 Heywood,
“Citizenship”
Nov 13 – Mid
term Break ►paper # 2 due Wed, Nov 14th
Part 3: --
The final three sessions will continue
work on
In considering these issues, you are
invited to keep in mind (and make free use of) the various “fundamental
approaches” covered earlier in Part 1.
These issues are important in their own right, but they also provide
opportunities to apply -- and to test -- fundamental principles and approaches.
Nov 20 -- Equality, Market Choice and Public Goods
13
4 Virginia
Held, “Care
and The Extension of Markets”,
11 illustration:
Chaoulli v
8 Barry,
“Why Equal Opportunity?” (ch 4 in Why Social Justice Matters)
36
410: Matthew Morgan commentary: Blake Murdoch
514: Restatement, sections 41-42, 45-7 and 51-53 (ie, pp 135-40, 148-57, 168-79)
Nov 27 -- Multiculturalism
15
14
14 Kymlicka,
“Freedom and Culture”
9 Parekh,
“Contemporary Liberal Responses to Diversity
Review
pp 318-29 of Laborde
51
410: Amanda Henry commentary: Anna Meister
514: Restatement, Part 5 (pp 180-202)
Recommended
11 John
Bowen, “Muslims and
Citizens”,
12 Barry,
“Theories of Group Rights”
Dec 4 -- Conclusion:
The first half of this final session will compare Taylor and Rawls using:
13
28 Pettit, “The Contribution of
Analytic Philosophy” (overview)
The second half of the session will reconsider one of these topics:
(1) justice and equality, using Jencks, “Justice and Equality of Opportunity”
(2) human rights, using Pocklington, “Against Inflating Human Rights”
(3) global citizenship, using Nussbaum, “Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism”
410: Jason Treit commentary: Bryant Lukes
514: tba
Dec 11 ► essay # 3 due