Face-to-face , first term, 30 hours of theory.

First term
Thursday from 13:30 to 15:30 at 119 Marais 2100

French. Importance notice : another class, entitled “Ethics and the Economy” (ESPO1360) is given in English.

The main aim of the course is to give a general overview of the core problems in contemporary economic ethics (see below for further details). The course will clarify what ethics is and why it is relevant for reflections on economic issues. The main theories in economic ethics will be studied through key authors (such as John Rawls, Robert Nozick, or Peter Singer) and applied to concrete cases of public policies and individual economic behaviour.

For the Bachelor in Business Engineering :

For the Bachelor in Economics and Management :

None

Each section of the course focuses on a detailed presentation of the main theories in contemporary economic ethics, to be applied to concrete cases. Among the issues that will be tackled in class: - Is it fair to tax the most productive workers in order to transfer money to the least productive? - Have we a moral obligation to give a share of our resources to NGOs in development aid? - Is an unconditional basic income a promising way to reform our welfare state?
These questions might be dealt with within a single theory, but will often require a dialogue between various theories.

The main sections of the course will be as follows:
- General introduction
- Utilitarianism
- Meritocracy
- Marxism
- Libertarianism
- Liberal-egalitarianism
- Global justice
- Corporate social responsibility

Lecture with Powerpoint presentation. The active participation of students is most welcome. A course syllabus is made available at the start of the second term. While it contains an outline and brief summaries of the topics covered, much of the theoretical discussion and case study examples will not be included. Attendance at course is therefore strongly recommended.

Furthermore, students are required to read a book (or several articles) in comparative politics. Each year, a new list of readings is selected by the lecturer, and is part of the material to be studied for the exam.

The written exam is divided into two parts.
The first part is “closed book”. It includes two questions on the course material (4 points each) and a question of reflection on the basis of a brief article or opinion piece (7 points).
The second part is “open book” and focuses on the required readings. The question (5 points) can be about on one or several papers in the list of required readings. During this second part, students are allowed to take their texts.

Students are required to read a book (or several articles) in comparative politics. Each year, a new list of readings is selected by the lecturer, and is part of the material to be studied for the exam. References for further reading are included in the syllabus, for information only.

Face-to-face , first term, 30 hours of theory.