Michael Sandel
Gen Ed 1200 | Fall 2024 | Course Listing | Canvas Site
Tuesday, 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM
What is a just society, and how should we think our way through the ethical choices we confront in politics and in our everyday lives?
This course explores classical and contemporary theories of justice and applies them to some of the most contested civic questions of our time: debates about equality and inequality; meritocracy; affirmative action; free speech v. hate speech; the moral limits of markets; immigration; climate change; the role of religion in politics; the ethics of algorithms and AI.
Readings from philosophers such as Aristotle, Kant, John Stuart Mill, and John Rawls, and articles on contemporary controversies. The course invites and equips students to reflect critically on their moral and political convictions and to reason with others about hard ethical questions.