Ethics and the economy

Each section of the course focuses on a detailed presentation of some of the main theories in contemporary economic ethics, to be applied to concrete cases. The idea of a universal and unconditional basic income provides a common thread throughout the sections: each ethical perspective is examined in light of this proposal. Among the other issues that might be tackled in class: - Do we have a moral obligation to give a share of our resources to NGOs in development aid? – Do businesses have a social and environmental responsibility? - Should inheritance tax be abolished? – Is a certain level of economic inequality justifiable?
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 follow (subject to change) :

•  Utilitarianism
• Meritocracy
• Marxism
•  Libertarianism
• Liberal egalitarianism

A final section (if time permits) may be devoted to an overview of alternative ethical perspectives such as feminism, multiculturalism, degrowth, etc.

The written exam may include questions about all the material (authors, theories, historical facts, case studies, etc.) seen in class, as well as on the required readings (if any). Questions may be open-ended or in the form of multiple-choice questions. For detailed information and sample questions, students are strongly advised to check the exam procedure posted on Moodle.