INGLESE

Il corso intende affrontare questioni di giustizia globale dal punto di vista della filosofia politica normativa. Nella prima parte del corso si distinguerà tra il paradigma di giustizia applicato ai contesti domestici e ai contesti globali, confrontando le posizioni dei teorici nazionalisti, dei cosmopoliti e degli istituzionalisti. Successivamente, il corso approfondirà la teoria dei diritti umani, studiando differenti teorie fondative e le pratiche di implementazione di tale teoria fondamentale per la salvaguardia della pace a livello globale.

- Seyla Benhabib, The Rights of Others, Cambridge University Press, 2004;
- John Rawls, The Law of People, Harvard University Press, 1993;
- Charles R. Beitz, The Idea of Human Rights, Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Ulteriore materiale didattico sarà fornito nel corso delle lezioni dalla docente in formato elettronico.

L’insegnamento si propone di introdurre gli studenti ai concetti di base e alle principali prospettive teoriche del dibattito contemporaneo concernente il tema della giustizia globale e dell'immigrazione, dal punto di vista filosofico-normativo. Ci si aspetta che gli studenti, oltre ad aver acquisito una conoscenza dei testi e degli argomenti principali di giustizia globale, imparino a discutere in classe in modo critico e a elaborare in modo originale un argomento sulle tematiche trattate.
Conoscenza e capacità di comprensione: lo studente dovrà dimostrare di conoscere e saper comprendere gli argomenti indicati nel programma; dovrà inoltre dimostrare la capacità di comprendere gli aspetti teorici e concettuali dei temi affrontati, con specifica attenzione all’analisi normativa delle questioni etiche e sociali.
Conoscenza e capacità di comprensione applicate: lo studente dovrà dimostrare di avere capacità critica nella comprensione dei principali argomenti del programma; dovrà inoltre dimostrare di saper applicare la conoscenza di teorie e concetti a casi concreti e contesti specifici, giustificando e sostenendo in maniera consapevole le proprie argomentazioni.
Autonomia di giudizio: lo studente dovrà essere in grado di formulare propri giudizi autonomi sulla base delle interpretazioni delle conoscenze e competenze acquisite. Dovrà inoltre dimostrare di saper raccogliere in maniera autonoma ulteriori informazioni per rafforzare le tesi sostenute nell’articolo redatto per l’esame.
Abilità comunicative: lo studente dovrà dimostrare di saper comunicare in maniera efficace le proprie conoscenze, nonché di saper discutere gli argomenti del programma con coerenza argomentativa e linguaggio specialistico appropriato.
Capacità di apprendere: lo studente dovrà dimostrare di aver sviluppato la capacità di apprendimento necessaria per aggiornare costantemente le proprie competenze, approfondendo in maniera autonoma lo studio della materia.

Non è richiesto un background filosofico antecedente al corso. Durante le lezioni i concetti chiave saranno introdotti e spiegati con il supporto di slides, in modo che tutti possano seguire con facilità.

Il corso si articola in lezioni frontali e interattive che possono prevedere l’utilizzo di supporti informatici. La partecipazione in classe è caldamente consigliata e le letture sono da svolgersi di settimana in settimana, in modo da poter intervenire e contribuire alla discussione seminariale durante gli incontri.

La valutazione si svolge sia in forma scritta che orale e si articola nel modo seguente:
1) Durante il corso saranno individuati alcuni temi fondamentali e gli studenti dovranno selezionare un argomento su cui svolgere una breve relazione scritta (fra le 4.000 e le 5.000 parole), che consegnerà almeno una settimana prima dell’esame finale orale. Le istruzioni su come stendere la relazione saranno rese note all’inizio del modulo e gli argomenti da trattare concordati tra gli studenti e la docente.
2) L’esame finale sarà orale e consisterà in una discussione della relazione scritta e un'ulteriore verifica delle conoscenze acquisite. L’esame orale potrà essere sostenuto solo da chi avrà consegnato in tempo la relazione scritta. L’obiettivo del corso sarà considerato raggiunto se agli esami gli studenti si dimostreranno in possesso di nozioni, termini e informazioni essenziali sugli argomenti trattati, e capaci di condurre una discussione aperta e critica.

Si evidenzia che la frequenza delle lezioni non è obbligatoria ma è vivamente consigliata. Vi è il tentativo di sviluppare le lezioni frontali il più possibile in forma seminariale, di conseguenza la frequenza può risultare specialmente utile agli studenti, garantendo loro l'opportunità di confrontarsi con i propri colleghi e testare lo sviluppo di rielaborazioni personali a partire dal materiale didattico affrontato durante le lezioni.

Lecture 1 – Introduction and basic normative concepts
 Introductory slides
Lecture 2 – Membership and Citizenship
 Micheal Walzer, “Membership”, section from Spheres of Justice, Basic Books, 1983, pp. 31-63.
 “Citizenship” entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Lecture 3 – Universal Citizenship, Democratization and Social Interactions
 Seyla Benhabib, The Rights of Others, Cambridge University Press, 2004, Introduction and Ch. 3 and 5.

Lecture 4 – Multicultural Societies: Group Difference and Solidarity
 Iris Marion Young, “Polity and Group Difference. A critique of the ideal of universal citizenship”, pp. 219-238.
 Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka, “The Political Sources of Solidarity in Diverse Societies”, pp. 1-34.

Lecture 5 – Global Justice: Introduction
 “Global Justice” entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
 John Rawls, The Law of People, Harvard University Press, 1993, Introduction and Ch. 1.

Lecture 6 – Priorities of Global Justice
 Thomas Pogge, “Priorities of Global Justice”, Metaphilosophy, 32 (1/2), 2001, pp. 6-24.
 Abizadeh A (2008), “Democratic theory and border coercion: No right to unilaterally control your own borders”, Political Theory 36(1): 37–65.
 Miriam Ronzoni, “The Global Order: A Case of Background Injustice? A Practice-Dependent Account”, Philosophy & Public Affairs, 37(3), 2009, pp. 229-256.

Lecture 7 – Nationalism and the Right to Exclude
 David Miller, “Immigrants, Nations, and Citizenship”, The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 16, Number 4, 2008, 371-390.
 Wellman, “In Defense of the Right to Exclude”, section from Debating the Ethics of Immigration, Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 1-55.

Lecture 8 – Global Justice and Human Rights Theory
 “Human Rights” entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
 Charles Beitz, “Human Rights as a Common Concern”, American Political Science Review Vol. 95, No. 2, 2001, pp. 269-282.

Lecture 9 – The Moral Grounds of Human Rights
 Joshua Cohen, “Minimalism about Human Rights,” Journal of Political Philosophy 12, 2004, pp. 27-50
 James Griffin, “First Steps in an Account of Human Rights,” European Journal of Philosophy 9, no. 3, 2001: 306-327.
 John Tasioulas, “The Moral reality of human rights”, In: Freedom from poverty as a human right: who owes what to the very poor?, 2007, pp. 75-101.
Lecture 10 - Naturalistic Theories and Agreement Theories of Human Rights
 Charles R. Beitz, The Idea of Human Rights, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Ch. 3-4

Lecture 11 - Practical Conception of Human Rights and the Political Domain
 Andrea Sangiovanni, “Justice and the Priority of Politics to Morality”, The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 16, Number 2, 2008, pp. 137–164.
 Laura Valentini, “In What Sense are Human Rights Political? A Preliminary Exploration”, Political Studies, 60(1), 2012, pp. 180-194.

Lecture 12 – Conclusions and Final Debate
 Onora O’Neill, “The Dark Side of Human Rights”, International Affairs, Vol. 81, No. 2, 2005, pp. 427-439.

English

The course is divided into 12 monothematic sessions (3 hours each) in which the class will investigate different “hot” topics in contemporary normative political theory literature, with a particular focus on different theories of global justice and human rights theory. This course will try to foster a critical understanding of some of the central debates on democratic legitimacy and citizenry, global distributive justice, the structural dimensions of some forms of political injustice, and the normative role played by the notion of human rights in the globalized world.
The first sections (1-4) focus on introducing basics definitions and key distinctions about the question of democratic citizenship, membership and inclusion in our deeply pluralistic world. These meetings will try to foster a critical understanding of some of the central debates concerning the value of equal respect and toleration in value-pluralistic contexts, and the theoretical difficulties involved in the attempt to reach public agreement over collective conduct in contexts of deep disagreement.
Sections 5-7 will focus on theories of global justice vis-à-vis domestic accounts of distributive justice. Specifically, we will debate institutional, cosmopolitan and nationalist accounts, assessing how these three paradigms differently deal with the notion of borders, the ideal of state’s self-determination and the attempt to mitigate extreme asymmetry of powers and wealth among states in the global order.
Sections 8-12 aim to provide students with a basic introduction to the main traditions and some of the major debates in the theory and international practice of human rights. First, we discuss human rights as an international doctrine. Then, we explore the relevant philosophical foundations and examine their consequences for the scope, content and normativity of human rights.

Selected readings from the following books and further articles that will be provided directly from the teacher to the students:
- Seyla Benhabib, The Rights of Others, Cambridge University Press, 2004;
- John Rawls, The Law of People, Harvard University Press, 1993;
- Charles R. Beitz, The Idea of Human Rights, Oxford University Press, 2009.

This class is, first and foremost, about teaching the skills of rigorous analysis, closereading, and argument. I care that you can pick apart any argument, find the assumptions, attack them, defend them, and attack them again. The purpose of the class is not memorization; it is learning to think on your feet, think critically, and think flexibly. Furthermore, this class is about teaching mental flexibility for arguments. Some of the arguments you will see in this class you may agree with, and some you may disagree with – sometimes passionately so.
Knowledge and understanding: students must prove familiarity and ability to understand the topics indicated in the program; showing to have grasped the theoretical and conceptual aspects of the contemporary debate over global justice and human rights theory, with a specific focus on the normative-applied analysis.
Applied Knowledge and understanding skills: students must demonstrate a critical ability to understand the main topics of the program and be able to employ theoretical tools in analyzing specific case studies.
Fostering personal thinking: students must be able to formulate their own independent judgments, based on the knowledge acquired in class. They should also demonstrate the ability to autonomously collect further information related to the program topics.
Communication skills: students must show the ability to communicate their acquired knowledge effectively, as well as being able to discuss the topics of the program with consistent argumentative and appropriate language.
Learning skills: students must prove to have developed the necessary learning skills in order to autonomously address the study of the subject and be able to make theoretical connections among different topics addressed during classes.

Preliminary background knowledge in philosophy is not required.

The course’s 36-hours are developed interactively: students will be expected to do all the reading assignments and come to class prepared to discuss them. We will typically focus on two articles or chapters per session, and classes will be organized around discussion, so your preparation will be important. Trying to establish a seminar approach rather than having frontal lectures is envisaged for students’ sake: the interactive approach should provide students with the possibility of discussing philosophical themes in a nonconfrontational environment and to foster their ability to think autonomously and “outside-the-box”.

Learning assessment procedures and criteria:
Examinations will be both written (first part) and oral (second part).
1. The written part will consist of a short paper (4,000–5,000 words) on one or more topics selected from a list proposed by the teacher (instructions on how to write the paper will be provided at the beginning of the course).
2. The oral examination will consist of a discussion of the main topics of the short paper as well as some questions concerning other topics of the course. It will not be possible to undergo the oral examination if the short paper is not submitted in time (a week in advance of the oral exam).
In both the written and oral examinations students should prove able to master the concepts, terms and other information provided during the course, and to discuss subjects clearly, concisely and rigorously. They should also show an ability to apply knowledge and debate problems openly and critically.

Course attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. Further didactic material will be provided during the lessons to the students.

Lecture 1 – Introduction and basic normative concepts
 Introductory slides
Lecture 2 – Membership and Citizenship
 Micheal Walzer, “Membership”, section from Spheres of Justice, Basic Books, 1983, pp. 31-63.
 “Citizenship” entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Lecture 3 – Universal Citizenship, Democratization and Social Interactions
 Seyla Benhabib, The Rights of Others, Cambridge University Press, 2004, Introduction and Ch. 3 and 5.

Lecture 4 – Multicultural Societies: Group Difference and Solidarity
 Iris Marion Young, “Polity and Group Difference. A critique of the ideal of universal citizenship”, pp. 219-238.
 Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka, “The Political Sources of Solidarity in Diverse Societies”, pp. 1-34.

Lecture 5 – Global Justice: Introduction
 “Global Justice” entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
 John Rawls, The Law of People, Harvard University Press, 1993, Introduction and Ch. 1.

Lecture 6 – Priorities of Global Justice
 Thomas Pogge, “Priorities of Global Justice”, Metaphilosophy, 32 (1/2), 2001, pp. 6-24.
 Abizadeh A (2008), “Democratic theory and border coercion: No right to unilaterally control your own borders”, Political Theory 36(1): 37–65.
 Miriam Ronzoni, “The Global Order: A Case of Background Injustice? A Practice-Dependent Account”, Philosophy & Public Affairs, 37(3), 2009, pp. 229-256.

Lecture 7 – Nationalism and the Right to Exclude
 David Miller, “Immigrants, Nations, and Citizenship”, The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 16, Number 4, 2008, 371-390.
 Wellman, “In Defense of the Right to Exclude”, section from Debating the Ethics of Immigration, Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 1-55.

Lecture 8 – Global Justice and Human Rights Theory
 “Human Rights” entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
 Charles Beitz, “Human Rights as a Common Concern”, American Political Science Review Vol. 95, No. 2, 2001, pp. 269-282.

Lecture 9 – The Moral Grounds of Human Rights
 Joshua Cohen, “Minimalism about Human Rights,” Journal of Political Philosophy 12, 2004, pp. 27-50
 James Griffin, “First Steps in an Account of Human Rights,” European Journal of Philosophy 9, no. 3, 2001: 306-327.
 John Tasioulas, “The Moral reality of human rights”, In: Freedom from poverty as a human right: who owes what to the very poor?, 2007, pp. 75-101.
Lecture 10 - Naturalistic Theories and Agreement Theories of Human Rights
 Charles R. Beitz, The Idea of Human Rights, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Ch. 3-4

Lecture 11 - Practical Conception of Human Rights and the Political Domain
 Andrea Sangiovanni, “Justice and the Priority of Politics to Morality”, The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 16, Number 2, 2008, pp. 137–164.
 Laura Valentini, “In What Sense are Human Rights Political? A Preliminary Exploration”, Political Studies, 60(1), 2012, pp. 180-194.

Lecture 12 – Conclusions and Final Debate
 Onora O’Neill, “The Dark Side of Human Rights”, International Affairs, Vol. 81, No. 2, 2005, pp. 427-439.