This themed Philosophy &101 course will examine the ethics of activism, focusing on social and political activism and touching on a number of historical and contemporary movements along the way. We will begin with a brief survey of moral philosophy, focusing on questions such as: Is there a moral difference between causing and allowing harm? Are we responsible for the harms that we cause and allow collectively, as well as for the harms that we cause and allow individually? We will then consider some of the moral problems that come up in legal activism, including: abolition vs. regulation, holistic vs. single-issue activism, and symbolic vs. strategic activism. Finally, we will consider some of the moral problems that come up in illegal activism. For example, do we ever have a moral right, or duty, to engage in civil disobedience, property destruction, violence, or revolution?
By the end of this course, students will be able to...
1. Demonstrate command of important philosophical terminology, themes, and arguments related to the (im)moral and (il)legal aspects of social-political, and epistemic activism.
2. State and evaluate non-trivial theories and arguments related to the philosophy of activism, such as civil disobedience v. nonviolence.
3. Articulate the historical development of modern conceptions of “morally permissible” activism and the function of revisionist history.
4. Identify the influence of historically privileged groups, both overt and unconscious, on the effectiveness of different types of activism.
5. Evaluate how these historical and political influences have suppressed or denigrated marginalized communities.
STEP 2 Public Outreach
Communicate the following clearly, concisely, & creatively:
✓ Specific moral issue
✓ Overview of arguments on various sides of the issue
✓ Argue for a particular position on the issue
✓ Identify a specific action that others can take to help address the issue
