Philosophy of Science

This course is designed to study and compare political-philosophical theories on social justice and learn to apply it to concrete and urgent social problems of our time. We reflect on why social justice is an important topic for students of Humanistic studies and why we need social theory to root our critique of society. Social justice is approached through the tripartite model of redistribution, recognition and representation. Two Critical Theorists, Nancy Fraser and Axel Honneth serve as our main inspiration. Simultaneously, we critically assess Critical Theory as a tradition: from what perspective have our main authors been writing? Which voices and perspectives stand central and which ones are left out? As such, the main framework is assessed critically and enriched by postcolonial perspectives on social justice. After building a firm theoretical basis, social justice is used as a lens to apply to four contemporary social problems. Examples of such contemporary issues are:

1. Climate change: which beings on earth are entitled to recognition and protection of their fundamental rights? Do conceptions of social justice allow for going beyond the human realm? What can we learn about social justice when shifting our attention to ecosystems, nature and non-human beings
2. Migration: how can we understand the injustices faced by people on the move, and in particular of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors? What are the limitations of our theories and how can we build a revised approach of social justice that acknowledges the vulnerability but also the autonomy and agency of children and people on the move?
3. Precarity: (how) can we justify the emergence of a growing class of people facing chronic insecurity and uncertainty? And how can this ‘precariat’ organise itself in their struggle for social justice?
4. Colonial legacies: How can we understand claims for justice in a globalizing world? How can we understand the persistence of eurocentrism and colonial legacies in modern discourses and practices, in particular in relation to cultural heritage?
5. Students learn to apply the theoretical framework of social justice to the various topics, and to critically assess the limitations of our theories. The course also actively invites students to share and link personal/professional experiences to the academic subject matter of the week. The course thereby attempts to collectively create a ‘brave space’ (cf. safe space) that is fundamental for social justice learning activities.

After participating in Pursuing Social Justice the student is able to:

1. Reproduce, analyze and compare different theories of social justice  (learning outcome 1a).
2. Apply theories of social justice to contemporary social problems (learning outcomes 2a, 2b).
3. Formulate an informed view on contemporary debates on social justice and social problems that is based on academic knowledge and personal reflection (learning outcomes 3a).
4. Communicate one’s acquired insights on social justice on an academic level, both in oral and written form (learning outcomes 4a). 

Academic education

This course provides a contribution to political-philosophical and sociological academic training. Students learn about theories of social justice and associated concepts of redistribution, recognition and representation. The course discusses the historical (and spatial) embedding of these concepts and the academic discussion regarding the relationship between the different concepts. In addition, they learn to apply the lens of social justice to various contemporary social problems, creating space to critically evaluate the theory itself. The written assignments (and formative feedback) enable students to develop their academic writing skills.

Professional education

The course gives students a lens and a language to recognise various injustices in their (future) professional practices and organisations. Students are invited to apply and think about the three concepts of maldistribution/redistribution, (mis)recognition and (mis)representation in relation to their internship.

World-view

The course requires students to reflect on their own (personal or professional) experiences regarding the theme of social justice. What is their position in the world, how can they reflect on their social position in a world that is under pressure in various ways and what is their role in combating social injustice and promoting social justice?

Format

There is a mixed format with lectures, guest lectures and tutorials. The participation of students includes individual tasks, group work, peer review and self-study.

Brief explanation of cohesion with other courses

This course builds on Hum1-60 where critical reflection on policy and organisations stand central. The course provides a firm basis of social justice thinking that will continue to be developed throughout the 2nd and 3rd year of the Master, for example, Transitional Justice and Human Rights and Humanistic practices in a Globalizing world.

Relation with humanistic chaplaincy

The course provides students with a firm basis of social justice-seeing and thinking, which is a fundamental part of any chaplaincy practice. It enables future chaplains to understand their work within the context of larger (social, economic, political) structures, power differences and inequalities. By asking students to share their own personal and professional experiences on a weekly basis, they practice identifying social justice issues in everyday life (e.g. inequality, discrimination, misrecognition, inadequate representation of certain groups and types of knowledge, etc.).