PHIL 170.001 – Social Ethics and Political Thought

Instructor: Brookes Brown. This course meets MWF 12:20 – 1:10 p.m. in CW 105.

Are you a good citizen? Does it matter? What- if anything- must you do to earn this title? This course aims to familiarize students with philosophical debates about the nature of citizenship and the responsibility of citizens. Question to be considered include- what is citizenship? Who counts as a citizen? Who should have the right to be or become a citizen? Can citizenship be revoked? What does citizenship mean in the face of a global economy and permeable national borders? Do citizens have special duties to their countries? How are citizens morally obligated to behave? Must citizens vote? Should they obey the law? Do they have a duty to buy locally? What can countries legitimately ask of their citizens? What can citizens ask of each other? Do citizens bear moral responsibility for the wrongs done by their country in the past?