Global justice is concerned with the just distribution of benefits and burdens on a global scale, in part as a reaction to an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. The purpose of this course is to provide a general introduction to the central concerns of global justice, discussing some of the ways in which philosophers have tried to address them. In the first part of the course, we consider the theoretical landscape of relational or non-relational, statist or cosmopolitan, approaches to global justice, dealing with questions such as: Do we need to stand in some special relation with others to be concerned about their unjust circumstances? Do we have special obligations only towards our fellow citizens, or do duties of justice extend beyond national borders? Is the pursuit of a more just world a matter of institutional practice or do we incur obligations of global justice as individuals? What would it take to implement global egalitarian principles? In the second part of the course, we explore some of the pressing specific global issues philosophers have been debating, in particular: the foundation and implementation of human rights, the conditions for the justification of wars, how to deal with the legacy of colonialism and historical injustices, the responsibilities in responding to the climate crisis, the regulation of immigration, and the treatment of children.
The course will be taught in a weekly block of two 60-minute sessions, alternating lecturing with class discussions and activities, critically engaging with the main arguments and ideas in the assigned readings.
Overview of the Weekly Program:
Week 1: Introduction: Why Global Justice?
Week 2: Relational vs Non-Relational Approaches to Grounding Global Justice
Week 3: Justice Beyond Borders?
Week 4: Economic Inequalities and Global Egalitarianism
Week 5: Personal Responsibilities to Collective Problems?
Week 6: Midterm
Week 7: On the Universalizability of Human Rights
Week 8: Just Wars and Humanitarian Intervention
Week 9: Colonialism and Reparations
Week 10: Climate Justice
Week 11: The Ethics of Migration
Week 12: What We Owe to Children
- Instructor: Giorgia Brucato