Journal Topics for the Core Seminar on Ethics and Global Studies
General Note on Journals
Please note that your completed journal must be at least 30 pages in length and must demonstrate your competence in both social science and philosophy. The later topics require longer responses than the earlier topics. Your goal is to show us that you have developed a consistent view on global justice that you can apply to specific topics such as the war in Iraq, the environment, and the global economy. Please note that consistency doesn't mean that you can't change your viewpoint; it means that you need to discuss such a change. Keep all the journals that we return to you with comments. You will need to resubmit them as part of your completed journal at the end.
Topics
After reading the initial articles in The Globalization Reader, explain which article or articles comes closest to your current views and why.
After readings the selections from Hobbes' Leviathan, consider why Hobbes has no moral problem with aggressive warfare. If you don't agree with his views, show where his arguments go wrong. If you do agree with his views, present one or two objections and show how they can be answered.
What is your initial reaction to Isbister's claims about the moral responsibility of Westerners for Third World poverty? Explain your thinking.
In Chapter 5 of the Second Treatise on Government, Locke
offers one view on how land may be justly claimed. Do you agree with
Locke? Do you have an alternative view? You may want to consider the
European acquisition of colonies. You may also want to consider whether
you believe that the U.S. has a just claim to all the territory that it claims.
After reading Isbister's account of how different theories explain the
distribution of wealth in the world today, where do you stand? Do you
agree with modernization theory, dependency theory, or traditional Marxist
theory? Why?
Hobbes and Locke take very different positions on whether revolution can ever be
morally justified? Where do you stand? Why? Do you think that
revolution could ever be morally justified on the grounds of massive inequalities
in the distribution of wealth? Why or why not? In answering this
question, consider the inequalities between the first and third worlds.
In the 1844 Manuscripts Marx presents the theory of alienation. this
theory explains his condemnation of capitalism. Write about whether you
agree or disagree. Be sure to present arguments.
Discuss your reaction to Fanon's The Wretch of the Earth.
Do you think that nationalization of vital sectors of the economy was/is an
appropriate response to correct the problems of colonization?
What is your reaction to Khalidi's characterization of why the U. S. is at
war in Iraq? (Notice that this doesn't ask you whether or not you support
the war; it asks you to discuss the reasons that the U.S. government embarked on
this war.)
In the conflict between Kantian ethics and utilitarian ethics, where do you
stand? Do you think that there are some absolute duties that we must
fulfill and some universal human rights that should never be violated?
What are they?
Try to develop your own position on the circumstances, if any, under
which war is morally justified. You may adopt your own version of just war
theory, or you may use any other theory such as utilitarianism or Marxism to
develop your position. You should also consider the perspective of
pacifism.
Apply your theory about the circumstances under which war is just to the war in
Iraq. To do this, you must clearly demonstrate knowledge of the relevant
history and current events. We encourage you to read a variety of
contemporary opinion and analysis on the web to help you think this through.
You may consider the justice of the initial invasion/pre-emptive strike, the
occupation/liberation, and the current U.S. policy. You should also
consider the proposed attack on Iran discussed in the article by Norman
Podhoretz.
Apply the moral theory with which you agree to the discussion of environmental degradation offered by Foster in The Vulnerable Planet, by the film An Inconvenient Truth, and by the articles in The Globalization Reader. Examine the moral implications for global, national, and individual actions.
Discuss the five primary policy decisions you would support if you accept
Foster's analysis. If you don't accept his analysis, explain why, and put
forward five policy directions that you would advocate based on your own
analysis.
Do you agree with Nozick, Rawls, Schweickart, or some other view about how the
economy should be structured? Why? (Don't forget philosophy in your
answer.) Discuss the implications of your view on this for global capitalism
today. In doing this, you should respond to The Shock Doctrine.
Write an evaluation of your group project and summarize your own contributions to the project. ************This is absolutely required.
Add your final reflections on the seminar.
Attach your even reactions and proofs of attendance.
Also attach your first two exams. (Putting all this in a folder would be nice.)
Hand it in!
Author: Holly Graff,
Oakton Community College
Updated: December 6, 2007