Topics in the history of philosophy: justice & political economy

Sessions: 2 session / week, 1.5 hours / session

One philosophy subject or permission of the instructors.

This course will provide a selective historical survey of some philosophical approaches to questions of political economy and justice. Political economy is the integrated study of the relationships of government, political processes, property, production, markets, trade, and distribution from the standpoint of assessing these arrangements with respect to human welfare and justice. We will explore several traditional issues political theory, such as: The proper relations between individuals, the state, society, and the economy; the distribution of burdens and benefits throughout society; freedom and equality; the relation between individual well-being and the common good; and the proper goals of state action. We will also consider how political economy interacts with the history of imperialism; slavery; gender oppression; globalization and distributive justice; immigration policy.

Some of the major historical figures we will read include: Hobbes, Locke, Smith, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Marx, Mill, Douglass, Du Bois. We will also consider some contemporary political theorists such as Rubin, Pateman, Mills, Young, Sen, Nussbaum, Anderson.

"Look ahead" essays: Ten weekly reflections (2–3 paragraphs) on upcoming readings.

Short papers: Two 1800–2100 word essays, chosen from a list of topics distributed in advance.

Event response: Attendance at an event relevant to the content of the course and short (300–450 word) reflection on the event.

The student's final grade will be based on written work, attendance, class participation, and improvement over the term.

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