Course Catalogue

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This course introduces students to some major contemporary theories of distributive justice. It allows them to scrutinize, compare, and assess those theories, and to consider their application to questions of intra- and international institutional design.

16 x 1hr lectures

4 x 1hr seminars over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

Standard entry to Master's at College level

PHIL4054

None.

2 x essay (2,500 words each)

This course aims to:

■ Familiarize students with the philosophical study of contemporary theories of distributive justice, including different varieties of egalitarianism, libertarianism, sufficientarianism and prioritarianism, and different views concerning the proper currency of distributive justice;

■ Develop students' ability to criticise and develop their own theories of distributive justice;

■ Apply both established and students' own views on distributive justice to questions of intra- and international institutional design.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Explain the content of a number of contemporary theories of distributive justice, including different varieties of egalitarianism, libertarianism, sufficientarianism and prioritarianism, and different views concerning the proper currency of distributive justice;

■ Compare and evaluate these theories;

■ Apply these theories to real-world political and economic policies and institutions;

■ Communicate their own political philosophical ideas and arguments clearly and effectively.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.