PHIL163 Winter 2024 Political Philosophy (UC Riverside)

Theme: Equality and Inequality

Overview

Political philosophy is about the nature, value, and justification of the political, social, and economic policies and institutions that deeply affect our relations with one another in a society. Since it is a broad subject, our course will be organized around a theme that allows us to study particular questions in detail in the space of a quarter and also to address some of political philosophy’s most important questions.

The theme is Equality and Inequality. In contemporary political discourse and everyday philosophical discussion with one another, we tend to endorse a form of equality among persons, and we think that varieties of inequality generate injustice. We also tend to believe that some inequalities can be just, although we tend to differ over when and why those inequalities are just. Usually, this debate comes to a head over inequalities of income and wealth—economic equality, for short. Some think economic equality is basically what justice requires, recognizing perhaps that occasional deviations from equality are just or that we should aim for something close to equality. Others think economic inequality is usually just, so long as it does not override some core freedoms or rights equal persons ought all to have.

Our course explores the varieties and values of equality, and the varieties and possible justifications for inequality. We start with one way of exploring the debate over economic inequality just sketched, looking at one philosopher’s ideal form of socialism and another’s ideal form of capitalism. We then zoom out and explore competing views on the nature and importance (or lack thereof) of equality (luck egalitarianism, relational egalitarianism, justice as desert and sufficientarianism) and further topics and questions that works on these views raise. In doing so, economic equality and equality of opportunity will be of key importance.

Schedule with Readings

Week 1 (Jan 9, 11) T: Class introduction and discussion. R: G.A. Cohen, Why Not Socialism? pp. 1-24 (middle of page).

Week 2 (Jan 16, 18): T: Cohen, Why Not Socialism? pp. 24-52. R: Jason Brennan, Why Not Capitalism? pp. 1-61

Week 3 (Jan 23, 25): T: Brennan, Why Not Capitalism? pp. 62 (new section at bottom)-99. R: Wrap-up/general discussion of Cohen and Brennan, paper writing mini workshop.

Week 4 (Jan 30, Feb 1): T: Elizabeth Anderson, “What is the Point of Equality?”, pp. 287-315 only. You may skip pp. 293-295 up until “The Victims of Bad Option Luck.” (Optional: Carl Knight, “Luck Egalitarianism,” Section 1). Cohen/Brennan Position Paper due on Canvas Tuesday night Jan 30th. R: John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, sections 1-4. Justice as Fairness, sections 1-3, section 7 (sections 4-6 are optional).

Week 5 (Feb 6, Feb 8):  T: Rawls, A Theory of Justice, sections 11-13, 17. Justice as Fairness, Part III, excerpts. R: Anderson, “What is the Point of Equality?”, pp. 316-326 only.

Week 6 (Feb 13, Feb 15): T : Harry Frankfurt, “Equality as a Moral Ideal.” R: Justin Tosi: “Relational Sufficientarianism and Universal Basic Income.”

Week 7 (Feb 20, Feb 22): T: Gregory Mankiw, “Defending the One Percent.” Scanlon, Why Does Inequality Matter? Chapter 8, “Desert.” R: Class cancelled (personal reasons) Revision + Analysis Paper due Friday night Feb 23rd.

Week 8 (Feb 27, Feb 29): T: Joshua Cohen, “Good Jobs.” R: Tommie Shelby, “Race and Social Justice: Rawlsian Considerations”

Week 9 (Mar 5, 7): T: Charles Mills, “Retrieving Rawls for Racial Justice? A Critique of Tommie Shelby.” Tommie Shelby, “Racial Realities and Corrective Justice: A Reply to Charles Mills.” (Optional: Charles Mills, Black Rights, White Wrongs, pp. 150-60). R: Bernard Boxill, “A Lockean Argument for Black Reparations”

Week 10 (Mar 12, 14): T: Manuel Rodeiro, ““Mining Thacker Pass: Environmental Justice and the Demands of Green Energy.” R: Exam preparation class

Week 11/Exam Week. Final exam: Thursday, March 21, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m, in our usual classroom.