Syllabus
* Introductory Class:
Week 1: General Introduction, Discussion on Bias and the Principle of Charity
* Topic I: Nationalism
Week 1: Yael Tamir, “Part I: The Return of History,” in Why Nationalism?, pp. 3-40.
Week 2: Martha Nussbaum, “Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism”
* Topic II: Migration
Week 3: David Miller, “Immigration: The Case for Limits”
Week 4: Kieran Oberman, “Immigration as a Human Right,” in Migration in Political Theory, pp. 32-53.
* Topic III: Environmentalism
Week 5: Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, “It’s not My Fault: Global Warming and Individual
Responsibility,” in Climate Ethics: Essential Readings, pp. 332-344.
Week 6: Thomas E. Hill Jr., “Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments”
* Topic IV: Animal Rights
Week 7: Timothy Hsiao, “In Defense of Eating Meat,” in The Journal of Agricultural and
Environmental Ethics, pp. 277-291.
Week 8: Peter Singer, “All Animals Are Equal,” in Animal Liberation, pp. 28 - 57.
* Topic V: Women’s Rights
Week 9: Leila Ahmed, “The Veil Debate-Again,” in Feminist Theory Reader: Local and
Global Perspectives, pp. 556-575.
Week 10: Marnia Lazreg, “Letter Five: Why Women Should Not Wear the Veil,” in Questioning the Veil: Open Letters to Muslim Women, pp. 97-131.
* Topic VI: Revolution
Week 11: Immanuel Kant, “On the common saying: That may be correct in theory, but it is of no use in practice” in Practical Philosophy, pp. 273 - 310.
Week 12: Henry David Thoreau, “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”
Annotation
This course proposes to apply philosophical thinking and ethical theories to some of the most pressing problems confronting contemporary society: Against the background of growing populism and ever more interconnected global communities, how should we navigate the dynamics between nationalism and globalism? What moral claims do migrants have, and what are states’ rights and obligations in relation thereto? What challenges persist in women’s rights movements across the globe, and how can we meet them? What do we owe the environment and non-human animals? Can political revolutions and civil disobedience be justified? This course will present perspectives from all sides of such questions in a fair and balanced manner, encouraging students to encounter new ideas, question preconceptions, and engage carefully and critically with sensitive and important matters.