After completion the student:
• is able to relate public policy to discussions in political philosophy, especially with regard to legitimacy and democracy, institutions and individual liberty.
• is able to identify moral issues that policymakers may face in drafting and executing public policy, especially with regard, public safety, the use of evidence and the creation of public goods.
• can analyse these moral issues combining theoretical knowledge and practical contexts.
• is sensitive to dynamics in administrative contexts of governance and is able to make ethical analysis beneficial to these contexts.
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In this course, you will examine different topics involving ethical issues in the context of policymaking in democratic societies. We will analyze the relation between legitimacy, individual liberties and public goods and we will examine questions such as the following:
• What are legitimate grounds for public policy?
• What is the role of citizens’ autonomy? How is autonomy related to the de facto capacity of citizens to rule their own behaviour?
• Where do the rights of individuals end and the rights of society as a whole begin?
• What is the role of scientific and strategic thinking in policy making?
Each of these issues may be examined by using different theoretical frameworks (e.g. Utilitarian, Rights-based, Virtue, Justice) sometimes resulting in different outcomes. You will see which frameworks policymakers, officials, and lawmakers tend to apply to different types of issues and circumstances.
You will learn to assess whether these frameworks are appropriate for all types of issues policymakers may face by making a group analysis on one particular topic.
Topics may include evidence based policy, climate change, nudging, biotechnology and big data.
Career orientation Students will get acquainted with policy oriented careers in practical philosophy.
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