Universität Wien
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180147 SE Ethics, Welfare and Justice: Between Libertarianism and Egalitarianism (2024S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

To allow for optimum use of the limited seminar places, students who do not attend the first seminar session without notification of the lecturer will automatically be de-registered to make space for students on the waiting list.

  • Wednesday 06.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 13.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 20.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 10.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 17.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 24.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 08.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 15.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 22.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 29.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 05.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 12.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 19.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock
  • Wednesday 26.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal. 2H NIG 2.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Aims
It is the overall aim of this course to endow students with basic concepts of justice – egalitarian, liberal and libertarian – and their evolvement and to provide them with the ability to critically analyze and evaluate normative and moral assumptions in economic theories.

Contents
The seminar explores philosophical presuppositions of economics as they relate to foundational questions of ethics, welfare and justice. It poses the question of welfare (Hausman), of well-being and of how people can live a “good life” (Nussbaum, Sen) – as individuals and as society – and considers the interrelation of welfare and justice. Hence, this course reconstructs egalitarian and liberal models of welfare and justice (Rawls, Sen/Nussbaum) and their libertarian counterparts (Buchanan, Pareto) by taking their points of departure from classical approaches (Smith, Marx, Mill). It examines the normative assumptions and core principles of these approaches and analyses their effects on economic concepts. More specifically, we consider the following topics: individual advantage vs collective welfare, profit vs exploitation, welfare as aggregation of individual utility, welfare as market-optimum, welfare as equality/difference of resources and welfare as capabilities. Altogether, while starting with historical texts, the seminar reflects on the evolution of crucial contemporary concepts of ethics, welfare and justice in a systematic way. Its objective is to raise awareness of the key role moral principles play in economic models and welfare policy.

Methods
Oral: discussion of assigned core text, working groups, (short) presentations.
Written: questions on the basic literature, development of the question of the seminar paper, seminar paper.

Assessment and permitted materials

- 15 % oral contributions to the discussion,
- 5 % written questions on the basic literature (2 questions on each text),
- 5 % written outline of the SE thesis question (350 characters plus 3 references),
- 15 % presentation of the seminar paper (10 minutes) and handout,
- 60 % written seminar paper (17,500 characters/person, including spaces) (groups of two) –
AI-generated work will NOT be accepted – subject to review.
Workload: 5 ECTS

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

- maximum two absences,
- 15 % oral contributions to the discussion,
- 5 % written questions on the basic literature (2 questions on each text),
- 5 % written outline of the SE thesis question (350 characters plus 3 references),
- 15 % presentation of the seminar paper (10 minutes) and handout,
- - 60 % written seminar paper (17,500 characters/person, including spaces) (groups of two) –
AI-generated work will NOT be accepted – subject to review.
Workload: 5 ECTS

Examination topics

- maximum two absences,
- 15 % oral contributions to the discussion,
- 5 % written questions on the basic literature (2 questions on each text),
- 5 % written outline of the SE thesis question (350 characters plus 3 references),
- 15 % presentation of the seminar paper (10 minutes) and handout,
- 60 % written seminar paper (20,000 characters/person, including spaces)

Reading list

Buchanan, James M. (1962): The Relevance of Pareto Optimality, in: Journal of Conflict Resolution 6/4 (1962), 341-354.
Hausman, Daniel/McPherson, Michael (2006): Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy and Public Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1-42 (Introduction).
Marx, Karl (1962/1867): Das Kapital (MEW 23), Berlin: Dietz-Verlag, 161-213 (Kap. 4: Die Verwandlung von Geld in Kapital; Kap. 5: Arbeitsprozeß und Verwertungsprozeß).
Mill, John Stuart (2009/1871): Utilitarianism, Auckland: The Floating Press, 75-115 (Chap. 5: On the Connexion Between Justice and Utility).
Pareto, Vilfredo (2014/1919): Manual of Political Economy. A Critical and Variorum Edition, ed. A. Montesano, A. Zanni, L. Bruni, New York: Oxford University Press, 173-191 (Chap VI: Economic Equilibrium).
Nelson, Julie A. (1993): The Study of Choice or the Study of Provisioning? Gender and the Definition of Economics, in: Ferber, Marianne A./Nelson, Julie A. (eds.): Beyond Economic Man. Feminist Theory and Economics, Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 23-36.
Nussbaum, Martha (2000): Creating Capabilities. The Human Development Approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 70-110 (Cap. 1.IV-1.VIII).
Rawls, John (1994/1985): Justice as Fairness: Political not Metaphysical, in: Philosophy and Public Affairs 14/3. (Summer 1985), 223-251.
Sen, Amartya (1980/1996): Equality of What?, in: Alan P. Hamlin (ed.): Ethics and Economics, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 257-280.
Smith, Adam (1759): Theory of Moral Sentiments, 60-63,148-150 (Part I, Sec. 1, Chap. 1: Of Sympathy; Part III, Chap. I: Of the Principle of Self–approbation and of Self–disapprobation).
Smith, Adam (1981/1776): An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol. 1, ed. R. H. Campbell/A. S. Skinner (vol. II of the Glasgow Edition of the Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith), Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 70-72 (Book I, Chap. II: Of the Principle Which Gives Occasion to the Division of Labour).

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Tu 25.06.2024 15:26