PLT2120

Justice, Rights and Difference (6 points)

(ARTS)

Leader: Paul Muldoon

Offered:
Clayton Second semester 2003 (Day)
South Africa Second semester 2003 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2004 (Day)

Synopsis: This unit 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%

Contact Hours: 2 hours (1 hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial) per week

Prerequisites: A first-year sequence in Politics or permission