This course will study the basic models of democracy, its essential concepts, criticisms of democracy and its future possibilities. This will include debates over the tension between individuality and community, the importance of citizenship, the abuse of power by majorities, the quality of democratic discourse, whether democracy can be seeded in other countries and whether democracy is itself a naïve or dangerous form of government. 

But we will not only study democracy – we will try to practice it as well. As the semester proceeds, the class will begin to embody democratic principles and practices. Therefore, this course is designed not just to provide knowledge of certain basic political concepts, or to provide general critical thinking skills, but also to help you become better democratic citizens. 

This semester’s version of Environmental Ethics will focus on the ethical problems posed by the fact of climate change. The anthropogenic warming of the planet poses a threat to humans, non-human animals, and the broader ecosystem. It also raises issues of distributive justice, as the benefits and harms of climate change are not fairly allocated between races, classes, genders, and generations. We must also weigh the rightness of the various solutions that have been proposed.