Integrated exercises of economic and social ethics

Teacher(s)

Ponthiere Gregory;

Language

French

Main themes

The course will be based extensively on the brief presentation and the discussion deepened of individual and collective works of the students, as much that possible in preparation or in extension of the activities of the Chair Hoover in economic and social ethics and occasionally with the involvement of the Hoover Fellowses and the other hosts of the Chair. Several sessions will also be reserved to a setting in explicit relation of the various matters include in the program of final exam. The assessment will be based on the set of the benefits of the students.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Strictly reserved to the students of the certificate in ethics economic and social and only teaching feature to this program, this course aims to provide to the students a place of synthesis where the various components of their formation will be integrated at a time and an opportunity to acquire by the practice, and with the profit of a detailed feedback, the expertise that this formation aims to instill to them.

Content

In this course, we study each year a different horizontal theme which puts together the various components of a degree in ethics. This year, the theme is "labor and social justice", with a particular attention to the phenomenon of "bullshit jobs" examined by David Graeber in his essay Bullshit Job (2018). In his essay, Graeber develops a multidimensional criticism of the functioning of the labor market in contemporary capitalism, by highlighting the existence of jobs that are socially useless, and which cause problems of depression, loss of self-respect, and envy and jalousy in the political sphere. This course propose to take Graeber's essay as a starting point to revisit, in the light of contemporary theories of justice, the ethical foundations of labor markets in modern societies.

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Two parts.
In part 1, reading of Bullshit Jobs, while paying attention to the main theses defended by Graeber, to the presence of value judgements in Graeber's arguments, and to the role of those value judgements in those arguments. During part 1, there will be introductionary lectures covering the main contemporary approaches to social justice, and providing some key elements to be able to reexamine Graeber's arguments in the light of those theories.
In part 2, students write, in small groups, a reflexive and argumentative essay on one aspect of labor and social justice. That essay will benefit from a feedback, and then will give rise to the second essay, which will be evaluated, both at the level of the writing of the essay, and during a defence in front of the entire class.
ALL PIECES OF INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE PRACTICAL ORGANIZATION OF THIS COURSE ARE AVAILABLE ON MOODLE (IN PARTICULAR THE MODE OF TEACHING RELATIVE TO THE PREVAILING COLOUR CODE).

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Evaluation will be based on the second essay. Precise information on the size of essay and other requirements will be given during the first lecture. Evaluation criteria are (1) accuracy and rigour; (2) originality; (3) problematization and structure; (4) taking feedback on first essay into account. Those elements will be evaluated both at the level of the essay itself, and during a defence in the classroom. 

Other information

So much as no post of helper is allocated (is partially this) him, this course of exercises will fully be assured by his/her/its academic holder and the size of the audience will be limited to twenty students.

Online resources

Slides available on Moodle

Bibliography

Arnsperger, C., Van Parijs, P. (2000). Ethique économique et sociale. La Découverte, Paris.
Graeber, D. (2018). Bullshit Jobs. Les Liens qui Libèrent, Paris.
Kymlicka, W. (1990). Contemporary Political Philosophy. An Introduction. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Méda, D. (2010). Le Travail. Une Valeur en Voie de Disparition ? Flammarion, Paris.

Teaching materials

• Slides du cours (fournis par l'enseignant) disponibles à l'avance sur Moodle

Faculty or entity

ESPO