CoursesDemocracy and Disagreement
PSCI 3991 - 302

Democracy and Disagreement

When and how can we justify using the power of the government to force our fellow citizens to follow rules with which they disagree?

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM

In attempting to answer this question, we will pay special attention to (1) the various different types and sources of political disagreement and (2) the role of deliberation and reason-giving in a democracy. Through reading and debating works of contemporary political theory and philosophy, this course should help you to reflect on some fundamental but easily neglected questions about your own civic attitudes and behavior. What beliefs underpin your political commitments, why do you hold those beliefs, and why do other people see things differently? What makes you so sure that you’re right and they’re wrong? How, if at all, should you try to change their minds? When, if ever, should you refrain from supporting legal prohibition of actions that you feel sure are morally wrong?

Students will be expected to contribute substantively and thoughtfully to class discussions [25% of grade], prepare and deliver one 10-min oral presentation [15%], and write at least three short (4-5 page) papers, [60%; three best papers each count for 20%].

Other Courses of Interest

PHIL 2540 201, 202

Philosophical Issues around Love and Sex

Instructor(s)

  • Sukaina Hirji

Semester

Fall 2023

This is a course on philosophical topics surrounding love and sex. We will touch on issues in all areas of philosophy including ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of language, and epistemology. You will develop the sorts of skills fundamental to philosophy: understanding and reconstructing arguments, evaluating arguments, and developing your own argumentative abilities. You will also acquire theoretical tools that might be useful for thinking about your own love and sex lives, and the lives of those around you.

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PHIL 2991 - 302

Science Communication in Democracy

Instructor(s)

  • Vanessa Schipani
  • Vanessa Schipani

Semester

Fall 2023

With a pandemic still lingering and the worst effects of climate change looming, we need science to play an authoritative role in policymaking. Yet by giving science authority, we threaten the stability of democracy, our best means to a just and equitable society.

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