PLT2120

Justice, rights and difference

(ART)

Robyn Eckersley

6 points + 2 hours per week + Second semester + Clayton + Prerequisite: A first-year sequence in Politics or the permission of the head of school

Synopsis: This subject provides a critical examination of contemporary debates about ideas of justice, rights and the politics of difference. It critically explores Rawls's seminal theory of justice and then proceeds through a critical examination of the major critiques of, and alternative to, liberal justice by socialist, communitarian, feminist, and postmodern theorists. The theoretical arguments about justice and rights are analysed and applied in relation to a range of contemporary political problems concerning class, ethnicity/indigeneity, gender and multiculturalism.

Assessment: Essay (2500 words): 50% + Examination (2 hours): 50%