POL259 Contemporary Theories of Justice: Levels, Concepts, Problems

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Werner (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D.
Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 13:30–15:00 P52
Prerequisites (in Czech)
POL142 20th Century Pol. Philosophy || POL180 Political Philosophy || SOUHLAS
Schopnost číst texty v anglickém jazyce (tzn. pasivní znalost), ochota aktivně participovat v diskusích. Tento kurz bude sestávat z krátkých přednášek, po kterých následuje seminární diskuse k tématu vycházející z krátkých písemných příprav. Předpokládá se, že studenti budou mít prostudovanou povinnou literaturu a budou se zapojovat do seminárních diskusí.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 20 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
During this course students will acquire knowledge of selected philosophical approaches to the concept of justice, which can be regarded as the core field of ineterest of contemporary political philosophy. Based on this knowledge, course participants will be able to analyze several issue areas that every theory of justice has to deal with. Attention will be also devoted to the cosmopolitan ambitions of a number of authors.
Course participants should be thus able to grasp the content and sources of a major contemporary debate in political philosophy, as well as link theoretical arguments to real-world developments. Improved understanding of the normative aspect of modern societies will enable them to orientate themselves skillfully in both philosophical and political debates.
Syllabus
  • Course structure:
  • 1. Introduction: Couse mission and organization
  • I. Selected contemporary theories of justice
  • 2. History and meaning of the concept of justice
  • 3. Liberal Egalitarism I.
  • 4. Liberal Egalitarism II.
  • 5. Libertarianism
  • 6. Communitarianism
  • 7. Critical and Radical Democratic Theory
  • 8. Self-study week
  • II. Selected issues in Theories of Justice
  • 9. The Problem of Justification: Prerequisites of Argumentation
  • 10. Justice and Taxation
  • 11. Intergenerational Justice
  • 12. International and Cosmopolitan Justice. Critique of Nationalism and State Sovereignty
  • 13. Human Rights and (Global) Justice
Literature
  • DUFEK, Pavel. Úrovně spravedlnosti: Liberalismus, kosmopolitismus a lidská práva (Levels of Justice: Liberalism, Cosmopolitanism and Human Rights). Brno: Mezinárodní politologický ústav MU, 2010, 300 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-5317-5. info
  • DONNELLY, Jack. Universal human rights in theory and practice. 2nd ed. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2003, viii, 290. ISBN 0801487765. info
  • RAWLS, John. A theory of justice [Rawls, 1999]. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, xxii, 538. ISBN 0-19-825055-X. info
  • Současná politická filosofie :sborník textů anglosaských autorů 20. století. Edited by János Kis, Translated by Pavel Barša. Vyd. 1. Praha: Oikoymenh, 1997, 501 s. ISBN 80-86005-60-7. info
  • Spor o spravedlnost. Translated by Alena Bakešová - Josef Velek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Filosofia, 1997, 160 s. ISBN 807007115X. info
  • RAWLS, John. Political liberalism. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996, lxii, 464. ISBN 0-231-05249-9. info
  • BARRY, Brian. Justice as impartiality. 1st pub. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995, xvi, 315. ISBN 0198290926. info
  • YOUNG, Iris Marion. Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990, viii, 286. ISBN 0691023158. info
  • RAPHAEL, D. D. Problems of political philosophy. London: Macmillan, 1970, vi, 207. info
Teaching methods
The course consists of shorter lectures and in-class seminars; these two parts of each class are not strictly separated. Students' position papers based on asigned readings are discussed in the seminars.
Assessment methods
Course evaluation has three parts:
(1) Position papers. Students are expected to submit at least six shorter essays or position papers, dealing with a topic (or topics) discussed in the assigned readings. These papers should then serve as a basis for in-class discussions. Each position paper will receive 0-6 points, based on its quality.
(2) Presentation. During the term, each student (or a group of students) will have an opportunity to outline the content of both the compulsory and recommended readings publicly for the rest of the class. Students will receive 0-15 points for their presentation, based on its quality and information value.
(3) In-class activity (up to 2 points each time)
The overall assesment (A through F) will be determined by the total poiont score from these three activities
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Omezení vyplývá ze seminární/diskusní formy kurzu
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2015/POL259