Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Globalization, which has created a more interconnected world, has been accompanied by persistent and in some ways deepening patterns of inequality. Disparities in income and
in access to a clean and secure environment are especially striking. This course examines a range of ethical debates about these inequalities. We will ask: What obligations do
affluent states and their citizens have to ameliorate the suffering caused by extreme poverty in the Global South? In what ways and to what extent are relatively wealthy
states and individuals obligated to act? What are the limits of our obligations to reduce suffering beyond our borders? And, in the context of climate change, what are our
obligations to future generations? What is the most defensible and fair way to address the problem of global warming? Under what conditions and for what purposes (if any) is it
justifiable to use military force, or to wage war? What responsibilities do relatively powerful states have for protecting people in other countries whose lives or livelihoods
are in danger because of violence, on-going war, or environmental change?

We will begin our examination of these important issues by looking at a range of contending ethical perspectives on them. We will then turn to the practical question of
what should be done to address these problems. We will examine and evaluate various policy initiatives and proposals aimed at addressing global poverty, climate change, and
a range of other pressing global challenges.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course will help students develop:

• An understanding of the role ethical values and ethical disagreements play in international affairs
• An ability to articulate your own ethical viewpoints clearly and coherently, and to defend them in effective ways
• An ability to analyze and ethically evaluate different policy responses to pressing global challenges
• The analytical and critical skills needed to understand contemporary global problems in their complexity, as well as the skills needed to communicate clearly and persuasively about them.

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

These books are available electronically in the SFU Library collection. Other required readings will be available online or on reserve (via Canvas).

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: