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Discourse, Justice and Power
GOVT398 SP

The vision of a rational society -- one governed by principles its members freely and fully accept -- has been one of the most powerful ideals of our culture. Adherents of this ideal believe that one of the principal tasks of philosophy is to facilitate the discovery of the principles that would make such a society possible by providing critical reflection on the language and concepts that are central to our moral and political lives. In recent years, however, this vision has come to be sharply contested. Critics have argued that discourse, far from yielding justice, is yet another form of domination. This course will examine this debate, studying theorists such as Rawls, Habermas, Gauthier, Foucault, Benhabib, Rorty and MacKinnon.

MAJOR READINGS

J. Rawls, THEORY OF JUSTICE J. Hafermas, REASON & RATIONALIZATION OF SOCIETY D. Gauthier, MORALS BY AGREEMENT M. Foucault, DISCIPLINE & PUNISH S. Benhabib, CRITIQUE, NORM & SOLIDARITY C. MacKinnon, FEMINISM UNMODIFIED

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Several short papers, term paper and possibly a take home final.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

This course is a new course and books listed above may be changed. Please check with the instructor for more complete information. Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE

Last Updated on MAR-24-2000

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