Winter 2003

This information effective for Winter 2003. Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

Economics

[ECON-107]

107. Economic Justice

Note: This syllabus from Winter 2002

Instructor: John Isbister
301 Social Sciences 1
E-mail: isbister@ucsc.edu

Course Description:

Economics 107, Economic Justice (winter 2003) is an upper division economics course. It is intended for economics majors and for others who have an interest in economic justice and ethics. Students should have taken Economics 1. Students who have a background in moral philosophy, or who have a related interest, but who have not taken Economics 1, may talk with the instructor about whether the course might be appropriate for them.

Prerequisite: Economics 1 or equivalent

The required readings, all of them available at the Bay Tree Bookstore, are:

Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom
John Isbister, Capitalism and Justice
Peter Singer, Practical Ethics
A Reader for Economics 107. Reader items are marked below with an asterisk.

Sections:

1. Ed Roehr
2. Zack Emery

Requirements:

• Attend the lectures. Short assignments will be given, once or twice a week, to be turned in in class. Students who miss three (without prior permission) will fail the class.
  
• Attend and participate in the section meetings, once a week. Attendance will be taken.
  
• Do the reading before the lecture at which it is discussed.
  
• Write four 4-page papers, on assigned topics, during the quarter. Turn them in on time.
  
• Write a term paper of 8–10 pages on a topic of your choice, related to economic justice.

  A 1–2 page outline is due February 11, and the final version is due March 8.

Option:

Two debates will be held in class, for which we need eight (8) volunteers. Students who participate in a debate may be excused from one of the 4-page papers.

Writing:

Economics 107 carries W general education credit. Consequently, quite a lot of writing is assigned, and you will be evaluated on the quality of your writing and its improvement.

Academic Freedom:

The topics addressed in the course are, and are intended to be, controversial. We will seldom if ever have unanimous agreement on anything. Everyone in the class—whether student, teaching assistant or instructor—has academic freedom. You will not be penalized for saying what you think, or for trying out ideas about which you are unsure. You will be assessed not on the correctness of your ideas, but on the quality of the arguments you construct in support of your ideas.

Topics

Friday, 1/4: Introductory Class

Monday, 1/7 to Monday, 1/14: Justice

Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 1
Practical Ethics, Chapters 1, 10
*John Rawls, "Distributive Justice"
*Robert Nozick, from Anarchy, State and Utopia

Wednesday, 1/16 to Friday, 1/18: Capitalism

Capitalism and Freedom, Chapters 1, 2
Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 2
Wednesday, 1/23: first 4-page paper due: "What can be done to make the
capitalist system more fair?"

Wednesday, 1/23 to Friday, 1/25: Income Distribution

Capitalism and Justice, Chapters 3, 4
Capitalism and Freedom, Chapter 10

Monday, 1/28 to Wednesday, 1/30: Wealth and Inheritance

*D. H. Haslett, "Is Inheritance Justified?"
Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 5
Friday 2/2: Student Debate: "The American tax system is too regressive, and should be replaced by a more progressive system."
Friday 2/2: second 4-page paper due" "Propose and defend a program of tax reform to make the American tax system more fair."

Monday, 2/4 to Wednesday 2/6: Welfare

Capitalism and Freedom, Chapters 11, 12
Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 6

Friday, 2/8 to Friday, 2/15: Affirmative Action

Capitalism and Freedom, Chapter 7
Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 7
*Steele, from The Content of our Character
*Kekes, "The Injustice of Affirmative Action"
*Valls, "The Libertarian Case for Affirmative Action"
Monday, 2/11: 1-2 page term paper proposal due
Wednesday, 2/20: third 4-page paper due: "Propose and defend a just program for dealing with poverty and/or racism in the United States."

Wednesday, 2/20 to Friday, 2/22: Globalization

Capitalism and Justice, Chapters 8, 9
*Donnelly, "Twentieth Century Realism"

Monday, 2/25 to Friday, 3/1: Foreign Aid

Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 10
Practical Ethics, Chapter 8
*Van Wyck, "World Hunger and the Extent of our Positive Duties"
*Hardin, "Living on a Lifeboat"
Monday, 3/4: fourth 4-page paper due: "What if any are the economic duties of rich countries toward poor countries?"

Monday, 3/4 to Monday, 3/11: Environment

Capitalism and Justice, Chapter 12
Practical Ethics, Chapter 3
*Baxter, from People or Penguins
*Calicott, "The Search for an Environmental Ethic"
Friday, 3/8: 8-10 page term paper due

Wednesday, 3/13: Student debate: "Human conduct should be judged primarily in terms of its effects on the natural ecology."