Admission requirements
Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the information bar on the right.
Description
This course provides an introduction to some of the most influential debates shaping contemporary political thought and enables you to explore how ethics and political philosophy connect to real-world politics. We will examine the grounds and limits of free speech, especially in controversial contexts such as pornography. The course will also address the problem of implicit bias and structural discrimination, drawing on recent work in epistemic injustice to understand how marginalized voices are silenced or distorted in public discourse. Students will engage with recent developments in democratic theory, focusing particularly on the role of experts in democratic decision-making and the tension between democratic legitimacy and epistemic authority. We will explore questions of privacy and surveillance in democratic states, where we will consider the ethical implications of data collection and monitoring. Closely related are ethical issues related to algorithms, including the growing influence of Big Tech in shaping civic life. In the context of global poverty, the course will inquire into our moral duties to distant others. Relatedly, we will discuss the topic of migration, culminating in an in-class debate on the question of open versus closed borders. Finally, we will turn to the ethics of political violence, especially in the context of secession movements, and examine foundational questions in the ethics of war.
Course objectives
Students who successfully complete the course will:
have a good understanding of central debates in practical philosophy such as epistemic (in)justice, privacy and surveillance, the ethics of the media, global poverty,
formulate their views in practical philosophy and defend them against criticisms;
write in a confident, informed and precise manner about current issues in practical philosophy.
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminars.
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Presentation in class | pass/fail |
| Presentation of the final paper proposal | pass/fail |
| Final paper | 100% |
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of two subtests (see above).
Resit
The resit consists of one examination for all parts at once (100%), consisting of an essay. The mark for the resit will replace all previously earned marks for subtests. No separate resits will be offered for subtest.
Class attendance and participation is required for taking the resit.
Students who have obtained a satisfactory grade for the first examination cannot take the resit.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The readling list will be posted on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga.