Justice at Harvard: Fundamentals of political philosophy

Last updated on May 23, 2022 7:14 pm

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About this course

Taught by lauded Harvard professor Michael Sandel explores critical analysis of classical and contemporary theories of justice, including discussion of present-day applications. Topics include in this course on Justice at Harvard are: affirmative action, income distribution, same-sex marriage, the role of markets, debates about rights (human rights and property rights), arguments for and against equality, dilemmas of loyalty in public and private life. The course invites learners to subject their own views on these controversies to critical examination.

The principal readings for the course are texts by Aristotle, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and John Rawls. Other assigned readings include writings by contemporary philosophers, court cases, and articles about political controversies that raise philosophical questions.

What you will learn in Justice at Harvard?

• The fundamentals of political philosophy
• An understanding of social justice and criminal justice, and the roles they play in the modern justice system
• A deeper sense of the philosophy that underlies modern issues such as affirmative action, same-sex marriage, and equality
• The ability to better articulate and evaluate philosophical arguments and ask philosophical questions

Syllabus

Lecture 1: Justice at Harvard: Doing the Right Thing

• Lecture Video
• Reading 1: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 2: Justice at Harvard: The Lifeboat Case

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading 1: The Queen vs. Dudley and Stephens (1884)
• Reading 2: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 3: Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading 1: Principles of Morals and Legislation (1780) by Jeremy Bentham
• Reading 2: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 4: Utilitarianism: J.S. Mill

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading 1: Utilitarianism by J.S. Mill (1863)
• Reading 2: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 5: Libertarianism: Free Market Philosophy

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 6: Libertarianism: Do We Own Ourselves?

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 7: John Locke: Property Rights

• Lecture Video
• Reading: Second Treatise of Government by John Locke (1680)

Lecture 8: John Locke: Individual Rights and Majority Rule

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll

Lecture 9: Markets and Morals: Military Service

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll

Lecture 10: Markets and Morals: Surrogate Motherhood

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Global Perspectives Video
• Reading: In the Matter of Baby “M” (1988)

Lecture 11: Immanuel Kant: What is Freedom?

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading 1: Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant (1785)
• Reading 2: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 12: Immanuel Kant: The Supreme Principle of Morality

• Lecture Video
• Reading: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 13: Immanuel Kant: A Lesson in Lying

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 14: Justice at Harvard: The Morality of Consent

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading: A Theory of Justice by John Rawls (1971)

Lecture 15: John Rawls: The Case for Equality

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 16: Distributive Justice: Who Deserves What?

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Global Perspective Video
• Reading: excerpt from Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Lecture 17: Justice at Harvard: Arguing Affirmative Action

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading 1: Hopwood v. State (1996)
• Reading 2: Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)

Lecture 18: Aristotle: Justice and Virtue

• Lecture Video
• Reading: The Politics by Aristotle

Lecture 19: Aristotle: The Good Citizen

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading 1: Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
• Reading 2: PGA Tour v. Martin (2000)

Lecture 20: Aristotle: Freedom vs. Fit

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll

Lecture 21: Justice at Harvard: Justice, Community, and Membership

• Lecture Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll
• Reading: The Virtues, the Unity of of a Human Life and the Concept of a Tradition” Alasdair MacIntyre (1981)

Lecture 22: Justice at Harvard: Dilemmas of Loyalty

• Lecture Video
• Global Perspectives Video
• Moral Dilemma and Poll

Lecture 23: Justice at Harvard: Debating Same Sex-Marriage

• Lecture Video
• Reading: Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health (2003)

Lecture 24: Conclusion: Justice and the Good Life

• Lecture Video

Final Exam

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