Theories and Policies of Justice

The goal

Objective of the course are twofold. The first group of objectives are related to analytical tools necessary to students to follow and evaluate ongoing debate on various aspects of prominent theories of justice. Student would be introduced to the major variations among theories of justice with focus on political and social dimension of justice. The second group of objectives are concerned with articulation and analysis of public policies from the point of view of justice. The major areas of public policies would be covered in relation to topics like poverty, health, education, work, punishment, human rights and international solidarity.

The outcome

At the end of the course students would be provided with knowledge and skills they need to be able to a) analyse and evaluate various claims for just treatment in different social and political contexts. b) recognise institutional and social obstacles and limitation for realization of justice related demands. c) use conceptual frameworks and concepts for critical scrutiny of public policies from the point of view of fair distribution and equal treatment. d) write analytical texts on the specific social and institutional practices and to evaluate them from the perspective justifiable justice demands.

Contents of lectures

Theoretical part of the course includes following topics:
1. Problem of justice;
2. Power and justice,
3. Theories and approaches;
4. Social justice and social policy;
5. Equality of resources, market and redistribution;
6. Alleviation of poverty and social (and global) justice;
7. Education and fair equality of opportunity,
8. Politics of affirmative action;
9. Justice, capabilities and desert on the workplace;
10. Environmental justice;
11. Political justice and democracy;
12. Global solidarity and international institutions
13. Reading week
14. Reading week
15. Exam

Contents of exercises

Practical part of the course includes discussion on readings, designing research proposal, presentation and writing of analytical paper

1. Đorđe Pavićević: Pravda i politika, Fabrika knjiga, Beograd, 2011

   (Original)

2. Amartya K. Sen: The idea of justice Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009

3. Iris Marion Jang, Pravednost i politika razlike, Zaklada Jesenski i Turk, Zagreb, 2007

   (Original)

4. Social justice and public policy: Seeking fairness in diverse societies, Edited by Gary Craig, Tania Burchardt and David Gordon, The Policy Press, University of Bristol, 2008

   (Original)

5. Jonathan Wolff: Ethics and Public Policy A Philosophical Inquiry, Routledge, 2011

   (Original)

6. Samuel Fleischacker . A Short History of Distributive Justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004

   (Original)

7. Iris Marion Young: Responsibility for justice, Oxford University Press, 2011

   (Original)

lectures, debates, presentations