Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Senior Lecturer
Dr Paul Formosa
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
39cp or admission to GDipArts
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
What is justice? This unit explores this important question by examining a number of leading contemporary philosophical theories of justice, including John Rawls's influential theory of justice, and assessing the capacity of these theories to respond to pressing social issues. To do this we look at issues of inequality and diversity in society by asking: what degree of inequality, if any, can be justified? We explore the different answers to this question proposed by liberals, libertarians, and Marxists. We shall also examine broader social questions around justice, such as: should we focus more on the well-being of communities and less on the rights of individuals? Is justice biased against women? Should minorities receive special protections and privileges? How can we justify punishing those who violate justice? What are the obligations of democratic citizenship? And what do we owe the poor in other countries?
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
All assessment is to be submitted on-line through iLearn.
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Participation | 15% | On-going |
Justice in the News | 5% | 18/03/2016 |
Quizzes | 15% | On-going |
Comparative Analysis | 25% | 29/04/2016 |
Essay Plan | 10% | 20/05/2016 |
Essay | 30% | 15/06/2016 |
Due: On-going
Weighting: 15%
Internal students must attend at least 7 tutorials to be eligible for the participation mark. If you do not attend at least 7 tutorials you will receive 0 marks for participation. External students must participate in at least 7 different weekly tutorial discussion forums within 14 days of the relevant lecture (i.e. you should contribute something to the discussion forum on Rawls within 14 days of the lecture on Rawls). If you meet the relevant minimum requirement, then your mark will be awarded on the basis of the quality of your participation in the tutorials/forums.
Due: 18/03/2016
Weighting: 5%
Find a news story which raises a justice issue that interests you. Analyse the article in 300 words. Note: an example response will be discussed in class.
Due: On-going
Weighting: 15%
There will be 10 weekly on-line quizzes worth a total of 15% (or a maximum of 1.5% for each of the 10 quizzes). Quizzes start in Week 3 (Rawls) and run until Week 12 (Global justice).
Due: 29/04/2016
Weighting: 25%
The aim of the comparative analysis (1500 words) is to consolidate your understanding of the theories and issues discussed in the first half of the unit. You are required to critically analyse in comparative terms the central points of difference between two of the theories we discuss.
Due: 20/05/2016
Weighting: 10%
The essay plan will help you to properly structure your essay and integrate relevant research.
Due: 15/06/2016
Weighting: 30%
The essay (1800 words) is designed to extend your understanding of a specific topic and to test your ability to engage with that topic in depth. Essay writing tests your ability to synthesise material from a range of readings and to express, analyse and structure key ideas and arguments clearly, logically and systematically. It also tests your ability to develop your own view, and to argue for that view in a cogent and sustained way. You will be expected to read and incorporate into your essay extra secondary sources beyond the required readings.
Required Readings
Textbook: Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. (2nd edition) Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2002.
Other Required readings: Other required readings are listed in the unit guide and available for download from eReserve. There is no printed unit reader.
You must read the required readings BEFORE the lecture and tutorial.
Additional readings: As well as the required reading, recommended additional readings for each topic are listed on iLearn. Kymlicka also provides suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter and offers useful comments about what each text contains. You do NOT need to read these each week.
Section 1: Equality and Inequality
Week 1 (Wednesday 2 March)
Lecture 1: Introduction: Equality and Diversity
No tutorial
No required reading
Justice in the News assessment handed out
Week 2 (Wednesday 9 March)
Lecture 2: Utilitarianism
Tutorial 1
Required Reading:
1. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch. 2
Week 3 (Wednesday 16 March)
Lecture 3: Rawls
Tutorial 2
Required Reading:
1. John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Harvard University Press, 1971), Ch. 1, Sections 1-6, Ch. 2, Sections 11-12, Ch. 3, Sections 24-26.
2. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch. 3, Sections 1-3 only.
Justice in the News assessment due Friday 18 March.
Week 4 (Wednesday March 23)
Lecture 4: Dworkin
Tutorial 3
Required Reading:
1. Ronald Dworkin, ‘What is Equality? Part 2: Equality of Resources’, Philosophy & Public Affairs, 10:4, 1981, 283-345, esp. Section I-IV & VII.
2. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch. 3, Sections 4-5.
Comparative Analysis assessment handed out
Week 5 (Thursday March 30)
Lecture 5: Nozick
Tutorial 4
Required Reading:
1. Robert Nozick, ‘Distributive Justice’ (selections), Ch. 7 of Anarchy, State and Utopia, (New York: Basic Books, 1974)
2. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch. 4
Week 6 (Wednesday 6 April)
Lecture 6: Analytical Marxism
Tutorial 5
Required Reading:
1. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch. 5
Holidays 11th April-25th April
Week 7 (Wednesday 27 April)
Lecture 7: Capabilities Approach, Communitarianism and Perfectionism
NO TUTORIAL THIS WEEK
Required reading:
1. Martha Nussbaum, Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000), Introduction, Section IV; Chapter. 1, Sections IV-VI).
2. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch 6.
Comparative Analysis assessment due: 29 April
Section 2: Diversity, Citizenship and Justice
Week 8 (Wednesday 4 May)
Lecture 8: Retributive Justice, Criminality and Punishment
Tutorial 6
Required Reading:
1. Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Section: The Rule of Law, section 38, pp. 206-213
2. Walen, Alec, "Retributive Justice", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2015 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2015/entries/justice-retributive/>.
Essay and essay plan assessments handed out
Week 9 (Wednesday 11 May)
Lecture 9: Feminism
Tutorial 7
Required Reading:
1. Susan Moller Okin, ‘Justice as Fairness: For Whom?’ Ch. 5 of Justice, Gender and the Family, (New York: Basic Books, 1989)
2. Eva Feder Kittay, ‘Human Dependency and Rawlsian Equality’, in Diana Meyers (ed.) Feminists Rethink the Self (Boulder: Westview Press, 1997)
Week 10 (Thursday 14 May)
Lecture 10: Citizenship
Tutorial 8
Required reading:
1. Joshua Cohen, ‘Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy’ in James Bohman & William Rehg (eds) Deliberative Democracy: Essays on Reason and Politics, (MIT Press, 1997)
2. Anne Phillips, ‘Dealing with Difference: A Politics of Ideas or a Politics of Presence?’ in Goodin & Pettit (eds) Contemporary Political Philosophy
Essay Plan assessment due Friday 20 May
Week 11 (Wednesday 25 May)
Lecture 11: Multiculturalism
Tutorial 9
Required reading
1. Kymlicka, CPP, Ch. 8
Week 12 (Wednesday June 1)
Lecture 12: Global Justice
Tutorial 10
Required Reading:
1. Brian Barry, ‘Humanity and Justice in Global Perspective’ in Goodin and Pettit (eds.), Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology
2. John Rawls, The Law of Peoples (Harvard, 1999), Part III, Sections 15 & 16.
3. Thomas Pogge, ‘Moral Universalism and Global Economic Justice, Ch.4. of Pogge World Poverty and Human Rights, (Oxford: Blackwell, 2002)
Week 13
No lecture
No tutorial
Final essay due Wednesday June 15
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
New Assessment Policy in effect from Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html. For more information visit http://students.mq.edu.au/events/2016/07/19/new_assessment_policy_in_place_from_session_2/
Assessment Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Extensions and Penalties
All work must be submitted on time unless an extension has been granted. Requests for extensions must be made in writing BEFORE the due date and will only be considered on serious grounds. Extensions will not be given unless good reasons and appropriate evidence (e.g., medical certificates, counsellor letters) are presented at the earliest opportunity. Please note that work due concurrently in other units is NOT an exceptional circumstance and does not constitute a legitimate reason for an extension. If the assessment is submitted after the due date and an extension has not been granted then the assessment will have 5% deducted from the grade for each day the assessment is late. For example, if work was graded as 70/100 and was handed in 2 days late, the work would receive a mark of 60/100. Weekends, but not public holidays, count in the calculation of late penalties.
To obtain an extension of less than 3 days, you should email the unit convenor. To obtain an extension of 3 days or more, you must submit a special consideration application.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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