This module will introduce students to some of the major political philosophers in the Western tradition by examining their different views on such issues as the nature and basis of justice, its relation to equality and liberty, the justification of the state, and the basis of political obligation.
1. Liberty, Equality, and Utility
2. Utilitarian Justice and the Separateness of Persons
3. The Derivation of the Maximin Criterion
4. Rawls's Difference Principle
5. Nozick on Justice in Transfer
6. Justice in Acquisition
7. Justice in Rectification
8. The Minimal State
Assessment
Essay of about 2,000 words : 30%
Tutorial Participation : 10%
Final examination (2 hours) : 60%
The examination is closed book.
References
1. Liberty, Equality, and Utility
(i) Jeremy Bentham, “Of the Principle of Utility” (from Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, 1970). I-0160
(ii) R.M. Hare, “Justice and Equality” (from J. Arthur and W.H. Shaw (ed.) Justice and Economic Distribution, 1978). I-2151
(iii) H.L.A. Hart, “Between Utility and Rights” (from Alan Ryan (ed.) The Idea of Freedom, 1979). JC585, I-2021
(iv) Ronald Dworkin, “Reverse Discrimination” (from Ronald Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously, 1984). I-0374
(v) C.L. Ten, “Mill’s Defence of Liberty” (from K. Haakonssen (ed.) Traditions of Liberalism, 1988). I-3667
(vi) Philip Pettit, “Welfare Under Scrutiny” (from Philip Pettit, Judging Justice, 1980). HM216, I-3674
2. Utilitarian Justice and the Separateness of Persons
(i) H.L.A. Hart, “Between Utility and Rights” (from Alan Ryan (ed.) The Idea of Freedom, 1979). JC585, I-2021
(ii) Derek Parfit, “Later Selves and Moral Principles” (from Alan Montefiore (ed.) Philosophy and Personal Relations, 1973). I-1510
(iii) Philip Pettit, “Welfare Under Scrutiny” (from Philip Pettit, Judging Justice, 1980). HM216, I-3674
(iv) John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 1972, pp. 22-33 (sections 5 and 6). JC578
3. The Derivation of the Maximin Criterion
(i) John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 1972, pp. 11-33 (sections 3-6). JC578
(ii) Chandran Kukathas and Philip Pettit, Rawls, A Theory of Justice and Its Critics, 1990, pp. 36-47. JC578
(iii) John Rawls, “Some Reasons for the Maximin Criterion” (Concepts of Distributional Equity), The American Economic Review, 1974. I-2022
(iv) Bernard Williams, “Rawls and Pascal’s Wager”, Cambridge Review, 1975. I-2026
4. Rawls’s Difference Principle
(i) John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 1972, pp. 60-67, 78-80, 82-83, 100-108. JC578
(ii) Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, 1974, pp. 192-197, 228-231. JC571
(iii) George Sher, “Rawls’s Attack on Desert” (from George Sher, Desert, 1987). I-0864
(iv) Jonathan Wolff, Robert Nozick, 1991, pp. 118-123. JC571
5. Nozick on Justice in Transfer
(i) Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, 1974, pp. 150-164, 167-174. JC571
(ii) G.A. Cohen, “Robert Nozick and Wilt Chamberlain: How Patterns Preserve Liberty”, Erkenntnis, 1977. I-3933
(iii) Jonathan Wolff, Robert Nozick, 1991, pp. 77-100. JC571
6. Justice in Acquisition
(i) Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, 1974, pp. 174-182. JC571
(ii) David Lyons, “The New Indian Claims and Original Rights to Land”, Social Theory and Practice, 1977. I-3661
(iii) Jonathan Wolff, Robert Nozick, 1991, pp. 100-115. JC571
(iv) G.A. Cohen, “Nozick on Appropriation”, New Left Review, 1985. I-0812
7. Justice in Rectification
(i) Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, 1974, pp. 150-153, 230-231. JC571
(ii) Lawrence Davis, “Comments on Nozick’s Entitlement Theory”, The Journal of Philosophy, 1976. I-3988
(iii) David Lyons, “The New Indian Claims and Original Rights to Land”, Social Theory and Practice, 1977. I-3661
(iv) Jeremy Waldron, “Superseding Historic Injustice”, Ethics, 1992. I-1117
(v) Jonathan Wolff, Robert Nozick, 1991, pp. 115-116. JC571
8. The Minimal State
(i) Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, 1974, Part 1, especially pp. 10-28, 51-6, 108-15. JC571.
(ii) Jonathan Wolff, Robert Nozick, 1991, pp. 59-72. JC571.
All the readings are available in RBR with the relevant numbers next to them.
