73345 - Theory Of Justice And Policies For Development

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows in a critical manner the history of the main theories of justice and has an in-depth picture of the most important options of the contemporary debate. In relation to this debate, the student acquires the knowledge of the fundamental elements of justice (and of related rights) which are considered essential parts of the policies of economic development and, at the same time, he can assess the effects that the implementation of instances of justice may have on those policies.

Course contents

The course will take place online.

In the event of a significant improvement in health conditions (significant lack of infections, identification of effective therapies, vaccination) the "mixed" modality (classroom and remote lessons) will be adopted. The new method will be announced in class and on my unibo website.

The course (divided into two modules: Prof. Artosi and Bongiovanni,) is devoted to the analysis of the main theories of justice with privileged reference to the relationship between justice and power and the role of law. The lessons will address these issues (justice, power, law) in the two modules of the course: the first module (prof. Artosi) will analyze them in relation to the main philosophical foundations (historical and contemporary), while the second (prof. Bongiovanni) will examine it in relation to the contemporary liberal debate.

The course (divided into two modules: Prof. Artosi and Bongiovanni) is devoted to the study of the main theories of justice, the analysis of the most important positions of the contemporary debate on the relationship between development, justice and rights, the critical examination of inequalities and of power in contemporary neoliberalism.

In particular, it will be analyzed the following aspects:

1) Justice and development in the contemporary liberal debate: theories and critical aspects

- Liberalism (Rawls, Dworkin, Nozick, Pogge, Risse): principles of justice, inequality, global justice
- A. Sen and M. Nussbaum: comparative justice, reduction and meaning of inequality, the requirements of human flourishing
- Inequality and the crisis of the welfare state

- M. Foucault: liberalism and neoliberalism in the birth of biopolitics

2) Justice, development and power: the control society and neoliberalism

- power and justice: Trasimaco

- power and normalization: M. Foucault

- the society of control: G, Deleuze

- inequality and neoliberalism

Readings/Bibliography

The course will take place online.

In the event of a significant improvement in health conditions (significant lack of infections, identification of effective therapies, vaccination) the "mixed" modality (classroom and remote lessons) will be adopted. The new method will be announced in class and on my unibo website.

The course (divided into two modules: Prof. Artosi and Bongiovanni,) is devoted to the analysis of the main theories of justice with privileged reference to the relationship between justice and power and the role of law. The lessons will address these issues (justice, power, law) in the two modules of the course: the first module (prof. Artosi) will analyze them in relation to the main philosophical foundations (historical and contemporary), while the second (prof. Bongiovanni) will examine it in relation to the contemporary liberal debate.

Attending students

The exam will consist on the option (1) the texts indicated during the lessons or, alternatively, option (2) choosing two texts from those listed below or agreed with the professor;

Non attending students

Three text from the following lists:

A. Banerjee, E. Duflo, L'economia dei poveri, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2012

F. Barca, P. Luongo, Un futuro più giusto. Rabbia, conflitto e giustizia sociale, Il Mulino, Bologna 2020

S. Benhabib, I diritti degli altri, Milano, R. Cortina, 2006

R. Dworkin, Giustizia per i ricci. Milano, Feltrinelli, 2013

C. Fabre, Justice in a Changing World, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2007

M. Fischer, Realismo capitalista, Edizioni Nero, 2018

M. Foucault, Nascita della biopolitica, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2005

R. Nozick, Anarchia, Stato, Utopia, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 2008

M. Nussbaum, Le nuove frontiere della giustizia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007

T. Pogge, Povertà mondiale e diritti umani, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010

J. Rawls, Una teoria della giustizia, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1982 o edizioni successive (parte I e, a scelta, parte II o III)

J. Rawls, Liberalismo politico, Milano, Edizioni di Comunità, 1994 o edizioni successive (parte I e, a scelta, parte II o III)

J. Rawls, Il diritto dei popoli, Torino, Edizioni di Comunità, 2001

M. Risse, On Global Justice, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2012

M. Sandel, Giustizia il nostro bene comune. Milano, Feltrinelli, 2015.

A. Sen, Lo sviluppo è libertà, Milano, Mondadori, 2001.

A. Sen, L’idea di giustizia, Milano, Mondadori, 2010

A. Sen, La diseguaglianza, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010

P. Van Parijs, Y. Vanderborght, Il reddito di base, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017

S. Zuboff, Il capitalismo della sorveglianza, Luiss UP, Roma, 2019

Teaching methods

The course will consist of lectures covering course contents combined with the discussion of selected texts and seminar activities.

This is a second-semester course.

All the information relative to the course, along with any notice, will be available online at https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/giorgio.bongiovanni

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral test aimed at testing the knowledge of the student about the topics covered by the exam program. Attending students also have the opportunity to prepare a written report on the course subjects agreed with the teacher: in this case, the oral examination will consist of a critical discussion of the elaborate.

The exam will be designed to assess not only the actual knowledge by the student of the key points of the story and issues related to the idea of justice (and its relationship with development), but also to consider the ability of argumentation and understanding of the issues discussed. The examination therefore, tend to test the degree of familiarity of the student with the basic concepts and conceptions of justice and the problems that, in relation to the issues of economic development, they raise.

The final grade is determined by a comprehensive assessment of the answers to several questions. In particular, the criteria according to which the final judgment will be graded are the following:

the achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics discussed in class, combined with their critical use and a full mastery of expression and specific language will be assessed with a mark of excellence. Lack of concision and the usage of language and terminology which are not always appropriate will lead to a fair evaluation; knowledge gaps and inappropriate language - although in a context of acceptable knowledge - will not go beyond the grade threshold “sufficient”. Knowledge gaps, inappropriate language, and lack of any overall view of the basic issues discussed in textbooks and during the course that will lead to an insufficient assessment.

Teaching tools

These include handouts summarizing the main course topics, the discussion of selected texts, seminar activities, and tests to assess student performance. Supplemental course material (slides, bibliographies, arguments of discussion), will be available at https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/giorgio.bongiovanni

Office hours

See the website of Giorgio Bongiovanni

See the website of Alberto Artosi