Markets, Morality, and Capitalism Robert Hughes Fall 2019 Syllabus
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LGST 226: Markets, Morality, and Capitalism Robert Hughes all 2!"# Syllabus Instructor email: [email protected] Instructor office hours: JMHH 668, Tuesdays !": # or $y appointment %lass meetings: T& ': #!(:)#, JMHH *6) (note the room change) Markets are a central feature of most modern societies, $ut there are many ways a market economy can $e structured. .hould markets $e allowed to determine who will $e rich and who will $e poor? 0re there some goods that should not $e allocated 1ia markets? This course will examine ways in which markets promote or hinder 1arious social 1alues. 3ur aim will $e to determine what sort of market system we should want. The first half of the course will concern the 1alues of economic equality and economic li$erty. Many people are trou$led $y the large economic inequalities we see today. There are principled reasons to think that some forms of economic inequality are morally o$jectionable. 0t the same time, many people 1alue economic li$erty, and there are good reasons to think that markets and pri1ate property contri$ute to economic li$erty. 0re economic equality and economic li$erty fundamentally in conflict, or can a market economy protect economic li$erty while limiting economic ine4uality/ 6e will examine how different conceptions of li$erty and e4uality lead to different answers to this 4uestion. The second half of the course will concern ways in which specific market conditions or markets for particular goods can raise distincti1e moral pro$lems. 0re there market conditions in which an offer can $e coerci1e? 0re there market conditions in which there can $e transactions that are exploitati1e despite $eing $eneficial and mutually consensual? 0re there market conditions that make exploitation impossi$le? Is it o$jectionable to have markets for the sale of human organs, human infants, sex, or primary education/ 6hat moral limits are there, and what legal limits should there $e, on the use of money to influence politics? Readings &eadings for the course will $e availa$le 1ia the course website +1ia 7i$rary %ourse &eserves). Though digital 1ersions of these three $ooks are availa$le, you may wish to use hard copies: 8.0. Cohen, Why Not Socialism? Jason 9rennan, Why Not Capitalism? Jean!Jac4ues &ousseau, Basic Political Writings These $ooks will $e availa$le for purchase in the campus $ookstore. %opies will also $e availa$le on reserve at 7ippincott 7i$rary. 6e will $e reading all of the short $ooks $y Cohen and 9rennan in the first two weeks of class. The &ousseau work we are studying is his Discourse on the Origin of Inequality. If you have a different translation of this work, you are welcome to use it instead. $ssignments and grading '): ;uestions on the &eading '): %lass participation #: *irst paper +'8##!("## words, due (pm *riday, 3cto$er (), "#: .econd paper +("##! ### words, due (pm Thursday, <ecem$er '=, *or the first paper, I will offer several possi$le topics from which you may choose. >ou will develop your own topic for the second paper. I will gi1e you guidance a$out how to do this. 9oth paper assignments will address normati1e 4uestions, 4uestions a$out what actions, institutions, or social practices are good or $ad, right or wrong, just or unjust, desirable or undesirable. Papers should not focus on descri$ing the economic world as it is or has $een. 0 paper for this course might explain an argument we discussed, offer an o$jection to the argument, and attempt to resolve the pro$lem. 3r a paper might critically evaluate a dispute $etween two authors we have studied. 3r a paper might apply one of the normati1e theories we have discussed to a contemporary social 4uestion. 8rades for paper assignments will $e on an a$solute scale. I will not use a curve. The main criteria for the evaluation of papers will $e the clarity of the writing and organi@ation, the accuracy and charity of the presentation of others' 1iews and arguments, and the effecti1eness of critical discussion. ( To help guide you through the readings, I will ask you to write up answers to a 4uestions on each of the reading assignments. .ometimes I will ask you to write $rief +'! sentence) answers to several 4uestions. .ometimes I may instead ask for a full paragraph answer to a single 4uestion. 0nswers to 4uestions on the reading are due on Can1as $efore every class except for the first session, which has no reading assignment, and two sessions in 3cto$er that coincide with religious holidays. 0nswers to 4uestions on the reading will $e graded .BC. >ou may skip any fi1e sets without penalty (though you should still do the reading on days that you skip the ;& assignment,. I will not gi1e written feed$ack on these assignments, $ut you are welcome and encouraged to discuss your answers to 4uestions on the reading with me in office hours. 6e will always discuss the 4uestions on the reading in class. 8rades for participation will $e $ased on $oth the frequency and the 4uality of acti1e participation, with an emphasis on 4uality. %omments in class do not have to $e true or deep to $e helpful (though if you are in possession of deep truths, I hope you will share). 0ny effort to help the class think through the material is potentially 1alua$le, including mistakes, tentati1e suggestions, devil's ad1ocacy, and re4uests for clarification. That said, it will pro$ably not help your participation grade to $ullshit, i.e., to speak with the aim of sounding good without caring whether you are saying something true. It also will not help your grade either to $e hyper-aggressi1e or to pretend to have read the dayAs readings when you havenAt. To ensure that all students get opportunities to speak, I will not always call on the first students to raise their hands. &egular attendance is required. 0 large num$er of unexcused absences (more than three) may result in a failing grade for the course. Papers should $e su$mitted to Can1as and automatically chec-ed with Turnitin. 7ate papers will $e penali@ed 'B of a letter grade per day late, including weekend days. 0nswers to 4uestions on the reading must $e su$mitted on time to recei1e credit. $%ademi% integrity Information on academic integrity will $e available on the course website. .tudents are expected to know and comply with Cni1ersity regulations regarding academic integrity. If you use or discuss someone else’s ideas—including ideas you get from discussing the course with classmates, friends, or family—you must cite the source. If you use someone else’s words, you must clearly identify the 4uotation as a 4uotation, and you must cite the source. >ou are always welcome to speak with me about when it is necessary to cite a source. If you must make a last!minute decision about citation, it is $etter to cite too much rather than too little. <ual su$missions are not allowed in this course. Fo part of any assignment for this course may consist of work that you +or others) have su$mitted for assignments in other courses, at the Cni1ersity of Pennsylvania or elsewhere. Though you are welcome and encouraged to discuss the readings with other students in the course, you should write up answers to the G;uestions on the &eadingH assignments on your own. Classroom poli%ies 0 recent study indicates that students perform $etter on conceptual 4uestions if they take notes longhand, rather than typing. Partly for this reason, I will ask you to refrain from using electronic devices in class, including laptops, and you should silence devices $efore class $egins. If you have a disability that re4uires you to take notes on a computer, or if you have really $ad handwriting, come talk to me. 6hen there are large $locks of text you need in your notes, I will pro1ide copies. 6e will sometimes have small group discussions in class. .o that you can have these discussions with different people, I may ask you to 1ary where you sit. To help me keep participation records and to help us all to learn each others’ names, I will ask you display name cards. 0udio or 1ideo recording of class sessions is prohi$ited. " a%ulty lun%hes I will arrange group lunches with students through the .tudent!*aculty Meals Program. I in1ite and encourage you to sign up on Can1as. These lunches are 1oluntary, and there is no charge to students. Tentative s%hedule o' readings The dates listed are the dates reading assignments are due. *or some reading assignments, you will not have to read the whole of the article that is posted online. Please look at the daily G;uestions on the &eadingH assignment on Can1as (even if you are not writing up answers that day, for page num$ers and ad1ice a$out where to focus. I may adjust the reading list in later units in response to the interests students express earlier in the term. Unit 1: Two economic utopias 0ugust (=: The ideal of economic equality 8. 0. %ohen, Why Not Socialism? %hapters I-III .eptem$er : 6hat distinguishes capitalism from market socialism/ 8. 0. %ohen, Why Not Socialism? %hapters IV!I John &oemer, G0 *uture for .ocialismH Jason 9rennan, Why Not Capitalism? pp. !"6 .eptem$er ): The ideal of economic li$erty Jason 9rennan, Why Not Capitalism? pp. "J!== Unit 2: Mar%ets and equality .eptem$er '#: 0 classic challenge to economic inequality Jean!Jac4ues &ousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Introduction and Part I .eptem$er '(: 0 classic challenge to economic inequality Jean!Jac4ues &ousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Part II ) .eptem$er 'J: Justifying limited inequality: &awls’s proposal John &awls, ' !heory of (ustice, KK'! , ''!' .eptem$er '=: The original position and the two principles John &awls, ' !heory of (ustice, §§ ", (#, ("!(6 .eptem$er (": Lconomic equality and democratic citi@enship Lli@a$eth 0nderson, G6hat is the Point of L4uality/H pp.