PPE 200 - Justice Seminar

Credits: (3)
In the Justice Seminar, we will survey and apply philosophical perspectives on justice and its relation (or lack thereof) with the idea of the common good. We will begin with consideration of ancient conceptions of justice (Plato and Aristotle). The course will then move to utilitarian and deontological approaches to justice, and finally to prominent contemporary views on justice, such as libertarianism, liberal egalitarian, and natural law theories. The course will conclude with a discussion of the implications of the various theories discussed. Students will critically assess the various theories and the ways in which they are used in to support various positions on contemporary social and political controversies. This final component - the assessment of the theories and how they are used to support various positions on contemporary issues - is an integrating force in the PPE major sequence. (Spring)