PHIL 273.001 – Philosophical Perspectives on Justice
Instructor: Amy Berg. This course meets MW 3:35 – 4:50 p.m. in DE 307.
The late 20th century was a good time for justice. Philosophers across the political spectrum focused on answering questions about what justice is and how we can achieve it. The groundbreaking theories of, among others, John Rawls and Robert Nozick are essential for understanding recent political philosophy. But these theories of justice are also notable for what they leave out. In Justice, Gender, and the Family, Susan Moller Okin critiques some of the most influential theories of justice for ignoring issues of gender justice. In this course, we will cover several significant theories of justice. After we discuss each theory, we will consider the merits of, and problems with, Okin’s critique of that theory. At the end of the course, we will discuss other issues related to gender and justice, including global justice and multiculturalism.