Philosophy 351 - Economic Justice

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

What is a just way of distributing the goods and resources of society? How do various ideals of justice interact with economic realities? Are there important distinctions to be made among the concepts of justice, fairness, equity, and equality? Some writers argue for an ideal of equal opportunity, while others prefer the notion of equality of outcomes. This course focuses on these questions as applied to the United States. It examines not merely issues of values, but also matters of historical/political fact: What is the current distribution of wealth in this country? What has it been in the past? How did we come to have the tax (and subsidy) system that we have? In short, we consider interrelated issues of fact and value, of ideals and the possible, of philosophy and economics and history. Authors studied include John Stuart Mill, Richard Musgrave, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, and Amartya Sen. Prerequisites: at least one related course in philosophy, economics, or a related area and permission of the instructor.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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