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This module explores the ethical dimensions of politics. It investigates the moral responsibilities of politicians, public servants and citizens; it examines various philosophical methods through which one might morally assess the behaviour these actors exhibit and the policies they enact; and it evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.Ìý
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Combining theory and practice, the module analyses abstract philosophical debates and concrete case studies. It will provide students with an overview of the main forms of normative evaluation of public policy and develop their ability to critically apply them to the analysis of a number of cases, addressing such issues as the use of violence and official secrecy, the morality of lying, the dangers of hypocrisy, the necessity of compromise, the rights and wrongs of whistle blowing, the nature of corruption, the permissibility of protest, the limits to free speech, the duty to vote, and the moral limits of the market. Students will reflect on such questions as whether the ends justify the means, whether a good character is necessary or sufficient for taking ethically good political decisions, the relevance of context to the moral criteria we apply and conclusions we draw, and the nature of public practical reasons.Ìý
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By the end of the course, students should have attained: (1) A clear grasp of certain key concepts and theories in applied moral and political theory; (2) knowledge of some of the main theoretical debates surrounding the moral appraisal of public policy making, and (3) an ability to construct theoretically-informed and empirically-backed normative arguments to the analysis of specific case studies.Ìý