Public ethics; procedural (who decides? How?) and substantive criteria (which principles, standards or rules should be relevant in deciding?) for the justification of public choices in democratic states.
Getting acquainted with the different approaches to the justification of the choices that affect public life and its domains: environmental policies, welfare policies, immigration policies, positive action and ways to fight discrimination, etc. Being able to analyze a) the different criteria which guide public policies; b) the possible procedures for making legitimate choices in democratic decision contexts (who shall decide, and how?). Both elements are essential to what in contemporary philosophical literature goes under the name of "public reason".
Combination of traditional lectures and classroom discussion of selected essays.
Democracy, truth, authority.
Two of the following texts:
N. Urbinati, Democrazia sfigurata, Milano, Egea, 2014.
A. Besussi, Disputandum est. La passione per la verità nel discorso pubblico, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2012.
D. Estlund, Democratic Authority, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2009.
H. Landemore, Democratic Reason, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2013.
Ricevimento: Tuesdays, 11-13 (14-15 from mid-February to the end of April) On appointment, for students who are preparing their dissertation and anybody else who is unable to come on regular office hours.
VALERIA OTTONELLI (President)
MIRELLA PASINI
CARLO PENCO
DANIELE ROLANDO
(approx. from Feb. 22 to April 27)
PUBLIC ETHICS
Oral and written exam.
Final written essay, for those who have attended the course. Alternatively, the student can choose an oral exam on two of the texts listed in the bibliography of the course.
http://www.scienzeumanistiche.unige.it/?page_id=832&contenuto=corso&id=68
