Economic, Political and Social Ethics

Teacher(s)

Ponthiere Gregory;

Language

English

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

Inevitably perhaps within economic and social debate, there is constant confusion between empirical comments, theoretical statements and value judgments. The course tries to teach students how to clarify this debate by distinguishing the various types of question, by clarifying the criteria which, for each type, should enable them to decide between competing positions, and examines how the value judgments which underlie the debate can themselves be the subject of a rigorous discussion.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	This course gives students a synthetic and critical outline of the principal contemporary approaches to economic and social ethics. In this way, and through the effective use of analytical tools with which they are provided, the course aims to help students to take a critical and informed position towards the ethical issues which arise in the broad field covered by the economic, social and political sciences.

Content

What would a fair society look like? To answer that question, this course provides an introduction to the tools and concepts of economic, social and political ethics. It provides students with a synthetic and critical overview of the main contemporary theories of social justice. The course thus aims to help students to situate themselves critically and informally with regard to ethical issues in the broad field of economic, social and political science.

Teaching methods

This course is organized in two parts. Part I will provide a panorama of the main contemporary theories of justice (utilitarianism, libertarianism, marxism, liberal egalitarianism, communautarianism, feminism). Part II will consist of applying those general theories to concrete social issues (for instance, health insurance policies, migration policies, minimum wage, etc.). During the course, multiple choice questionnaires will be provided, to encourage the active practice, by students, of normative reasoning.
ALL PIECES OF INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE PRACTICAL ORGANIZATION OF THIS COURSE (MODE OF TEACHING DEPENDING ON THE PREVAILING COLOUR CODE) ARE AVAILABLE ON MOODLE. 

Evaluation methods

The final examen takes the form of a series of multiple choice questionnaires (in English).
The second session exam takes the same form as the first session exam: a multiple choice questionnaire (in English).

Online resources

Slides of the course available on Moodle.
MCQ of the course available on Moodle.
Solutions of MCQ available on Moodle. 

Bibliography

Arnsperger, C. & Van Parijs, P. (2000) Ethique économique et sociale, La Découverte, Paris.
Kymlicka, W. (1990). Contemporary Political Philosophy. An Introduction. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Miller, D. (1976). Social Justice, Oxford University Press. 
Sandel, M. (2007). Justice. Flammarion, Paris.
Sen, A. (2009). L'idée de justice. Flammarion, Paris.
Van Parijs, P. (1991). Qu'est-ce qu'une société juste? Le Seuil, Paris.

Teaching materials

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

Faculty or entity

ESPO