Course Description
Investigation of the fundamental institutions of liberal democracy, like the market economy, private property, and elections. The goal is not just to understand these institutions, but also to evaluate them from a moral perspective.
Athena Title
Moral Markets State
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 or POLS 1105H or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101S
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
- Sharpen analytical thinking and debating skills. - Understand the moral foundations of economic and political institutions. - Practice engaging with viewpoints different than one’s own. - Confront difficult moral questions about the way we organize our social life. - Come to understand one’s personal values better.
Topical Outline
I. Property a. Lockean Perspectives b. Economic Perspectives c. Communal Property II. Market a. The Justification of the Market b. Market Failures and Regulation c. The Political Theory of the Firm d. Radical Markets III. Topics in the Market a. Commodification b. Exploitation c. Positional Goods and Equality IV. Democracy a. Economic Power and Political Power b. The Will of the People c. The Ethics of Voting d. Epistocracy
Syllabus