Phil 327 – Ethics in the Information Age --Fall, 2018 

Metropolitan Sate University

 

 

Syllabus

 

Paper Assignments 

 

 First Position Paper Assignment -- Due October 17

 

Second Position Paper Assignment -- Due December 17 by noon

Paper writing guides: 

from Jim Pryor of NYU

from Joe Cruz of Williams College

 


Schedule of assignments
Date Topic Reading Writing Due Handouts - in class stuff
Aug 29 Introduction none    
Sept. 5 A Conservative Perspective on Economic Justice

1. Wehner and Brooks, Wealth and Justice (slim book, available at the bookstore). Read the whole thing.
2. Kymlicka, "Chapter 1, Introduction" in Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction (handout)

 Response to Readings

Interactive graph of 100 years of income changes from the Economic Policy Institute;

Timothy Noah's "Great Divergence" slides
Sept. 12 Utilitarianism

1. Shaw,Utilitarianism(handout)
2. Kymlicka, Chapter 2 (handout)
3. Schmidtz, Marginal Utility (handout)
4. Buchanan, Markets and Efficiency (handout)

 Response to Readings Handout: "Notes on the Alleged Virtues of Free Markets"
Sept. 19 Rawls' Liberal Egalitarianism

1. Rawls, selections from A Theory of Justice (handout - for this week read to the top of page 46, but skip the section that runs from page 38 to page 42)
2. Kymlicka, Chapter 3, pp. 53-74 (handout, attached to Chapter 2)

Response to Readings  
Sept. 26 .... continued

1. Finish the Rawls selections handed out last week;
2. Kymlicka, Chapter 3, pp.88-96 (handout)
3. Wilkinson and Pickett, The Spirit Level, Chs 1-3 (handout)
Optional extra reading on Dworkin's theory:
1. Kymlicka on Dworkin
2. Dworkin on Justice

Response to Readings Tom's notes on Rawls and Nozick
Oct. 3 Nozick's Libertarianism 1. Nozick, Selections from Chapter 7, "Distributive Justice" from Anarchy, State, and Utopia" (handout) -- for this week read only the first main section (pp. 64-79) and Nozick's critique of Rawls, pp. 84-101
2. Nozick, Chapter 8, "Equality, Envy, Exploitation, Etc." from Anarchy, State, and Utopia (handout) -- for this week read just the first two sections, pp. 232-238
3. Kymlicka, Chapter 4, "Libertarianism" (handout) -- for this week read just pp. 102-110		 Response to Readings

Tom's notes on Locke's theory of limited government

Locke on the State of Nature

Nozick on Rights as Side Constraints
Oct. 10 .... continued

1. John Locke,Second Treatise of GovernmentSections 26-37 from Chapter 5 "on Property. (Read the last sentence of Section 25 to see Locke's statement of his project in these pages.) Audio version.

The above reading was handed out in class on October 3. The rest of these readings were handed out in class on September 26.

2. Nozick, selections from Chapter 7, "Distributive Justice"from Anarchy, State and Utopia, pp.79-84-- (the section on "Original Acquisition"
3. Nozick,Chapter 8, "Equality, Envy, Exploitation, Etc." from Anarchy, State, and Utopia -- for this week read just the last four sections, pp. 262-275.
4. Kymlicka, Chapter 4, "Libertarianism" -- for this week read pp110-127 and pp.154-159. Pp.138-154 are optional.

 Response to Readings  
Oct. 17 Socialism and Justice 1. Karl Marx, "Critique of the Gotha Program," Part 1 (handout)
2. Marx on Estranged (or Alienated) Labor (handout)
2. Kymlicka, Chapter 5, "Marxism", pp.166-168 and pp. 187-195.		 Response to Readings; 1st Position Paper Due  
Oct. 24 .... continued

Handed out on Oct. 17:
1. Paul Gomberg, "Why Distributive Justice is Impossible But Contributive Justice Would Work" (If you don't have time for the whole article, start with section 4 on page 42; but try to find time for the whole thing)
2. Elizabeth Anderson, "Private Government"
3. "Codetermination" (World Economic Forum Report)

Handed out on October 10:
4. Kymlicka, Chapter 5, "Marxism", pp.195-201.

Handed out on September 26:
4. Robert Nozick, sections on "Self Esteem and Envy," "Meaningful Work", and "Workers Control" (pp. 239-253) in Chapter 8 of Anarchy, State, and Utopia - "Equality, Envy, Exploitation, Etc."

 Response to Readings  
Oct. 31 Feminism and Justice

1. Susan Moller Okin, "Justice and Gender"
2. Kymlicka, Chapter 9, "Feminism"

Response to Readings  
Nov. 7 Race and Justice john powell, Racing To Justice, Introduction and Part One (to page 72) Response to Readings  
Nov. 14 .... continued john powell, Racing To Justice, Part Three and Afterword (pp. 135-194 and pp. 229-245) Response to Readings  
Nov. 21 Thanksgiving holiday No class    
Nov. 28 What am I obligated to do about it? Chapters 1 and 2 from Iris Marion Young, Responsibility for Justice. Read chapter 3 if you can. Response to Readings  
Dec. 5 .... continued Chapters 3 and 4 from Iris Marion Young, Responsibility for Justice Response to Readings  
Dec. 12 .... continued Chapters 5, 6, and 7 from Iris Marion Young, Responsibility for Justice 2nd Position Paper due by email by noon on Monday, December 17