Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the ethical issues arising from interactions of states, NGOs and other international agents. Topics may include international human rights, terrorism, war, gender justice, climate justice, fairness in international trade, cultural diversity and conflict, the rights of indigenous peoples, collective responsibility and restitution for historical wrongdoing, among others. Students who have received credit for PHIL 220 cannot receive credit for this course. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

 

This course will introduce students to contemporary debates in global justice. It will also introduce students the concept of race as a structuring feature of global phenomena. This class is motivated by two projects. First, we commonly agree that justice matters for citizens of a nation state. But how should we understand justice as a global norm and what does it require once we look beyond our borders and allegiances? And of what importance should such concepts as state sovereignty and citizenship play in ameliorating global patterns of injustice? Second, critics claim that we do not properly understand or appreciate the various patterns of inequality between the global north and south without the concept of race because we likely ignore the effects of past practices. Or, we misrecognize ongoing practices of imperialism and colonialism. These projects are related: understanding how past colonial and imperial practices influence ongoing patterns of inequalities facilitate determining the adequacy of applications of principles of global justice. Paying particular attention to US and Canadian polices and practices we will focus on several issues. We will focus on global poverty; exploitation of third world resources including the “brain drain” and organ selling; and legal and illegal migration. These problems bring to light the vexing issues around the causal role and responsibility of first world states; the justification and application of admissions policies of first world states; the nature and limits of state sovereignty; and the meaning of membership in a political and ultimately a global community.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

PHIL 121 may be applied towards the Breadth-Humanities Requirement  OR the Breadth-Social Sciences Requirement  (but not both; student can choose which Breadth requirement to satisfy and plan enrollment in other courses accordingly).

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: