Many urgent questions in contemporary public debate incorporate international concerns. Say:
Are rich countries doing enough to alleviate global poverty?
Are our immigration policies too tight or too lax?
Does the global trading system unfairly advantage the developed world?
Who should pay the costs of mitigating global climate change?
To address these kinds of questions properly, we don’t just need to get the relevant empirical facts right. We also need to answer some fundamental ethical questions, about the nature and extent of our obligations to other people:
When making political decisions with significant implications for the lives of others, should we favor the interests of people in our state or nation over those of people living overseas?
Should we be concerned about the large gap in living standards between the developing and the developed world, or is inequality not a moral concern beyond the borders of the state?
What is the extent of our duties to assist those who are suffering or dying, if there are any such duties?
Is it appropriate to think about international relations in ethical terms at all?
This course provides an introduction to global political philosophy. It canvasses a range of different approaches to the above kinds of questions and applies them to a set of pressing controversies in global politics.
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Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, you will:
be familiar with a variety of theories of global justice;
understand the philosophical dimensions of many significant global problems; and
be able to critically assess moral responses to these problems.
As in any philosophy class, you will also have developed your general skills in:
Interpreting and evaluating arguments
Developing, justifying and defending your own views on complex philosophical questions
Expressing yourself clearly and persuasively in oral and written form.
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Prerequisite: Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors without prerequisite, and to first-years who have taken one course in philosophy.
Distribution: Religion, Ethics and Moral Philosophy
Professor: Helena de Bres
Contact: hdebres@wellesley.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/wellesley.edu/helenadebres/home
Class time: Tuesdays and Fridays, 12:45-2
Venue: Green Hall 428
Office hours: Tuesdays 2:15-3:15, Fridays 11:15-12:15, or by appointment.
You're welcome to drop by my office as often as you like during these times, either solo or in a small group with other students.
No need to have a specific question--we can chat about class material, philosophy, writing, or whatever else is on your mind.
If the set times don't work for you, email me and we can arrange an appointment at a different hour.
If we have to shift to zoom, we'll use this link.
Communication:
Outside of class, we'll be communicating via our Google Group, which has the following email address: phil-236-01-sp25@wellesley.edu
I'll make all announcements via the Group, and you can also use it to send messages to the class as a whole.
You'll submit your weekly reading responses (instructions here) via the Group too.
You'll submit your assignments to me, anonymized, over email.
Readings:
There is no text assigned for the course. All readings are PDFs linked to our class schedule, on this site.
You can find course policies and additional resources at those links right there.