Das Seminar beginnt zunächst als ONLINE-Version. Falls im Laufe des Semesters Präsenzveranstaltungen möglich werden, könnten einzelne Termine in Präsenz stattfinden, bei denen keine Anwesenheitspflicht besteht. Die Inhalte dieser Veranstaltungen werden zusätzlich digital zugänglich gemacht.  

Diese Veranstaltung mit 4 SWS besteht aus zwei Seminarteilen und deckt das gesamte Wahlpflichtmodul M-AEKM-W1 (bzw. W4) ab.

Es wird vorwiegend in englischer Sprache gesprochen.

Seminarteil 1: Political Ethics for Applied Ethics

The seminar-style course offers a survey of political ethics approaches relevant for students in the Applied Ethics and Conflict Management MA program. Classical- and Modern-period theoretical approaches are outlined before addressing contemporary positions of realism, contractarianism, communitarianism, cosmopolitanism, deliberative democracy, Hegel-influenced traditions, Hannah Arendt, and emancipatory traditions. Authors considered in that last category include Foucault, Butler, and Appiah. The seminar then considers recent justice theories by Sen, Philpott, Barbieri, among others working in reconciliation fields. The seminar concludes with a day-long PON (Harvard Method) role-playing exercise dealing with political ethics. Students are expected to read the mostly English-language texts before class. Student attendance and participation in discussions are required and considered in student grade assessment. Course is offered in English language. Assessment is based upon written assignments including 1-Page Papers and preparation of a policy brief for the oral exam (July 19). Submissions may be in English or German.

Seminarteil 2: Political Ethics Case-Studies Clinic

Seminar assumes simultaneous participation in ”Political Ethics for Applied Ethics MA Program”. This ”clinic” deals with the political-ethics issues using a case-study method. The first two seminars introduce the case-method for ethics, with readings from Jonsen & Toulmin’s ”Abuse of Casuitstry: History of Moral Reasoning”. The seminar deepens themes covered in the more systematic accompanying seminar. Ethical issues treated include political transparency, just use of force, media, race, identity politics, inequality, democracy, market protectionism, and others. This course is designed to be flexible and experimental - and current events may be addressed, analysed, and evaluated in real time. The objective of the course is to prepare ethicists to recognize, analyse, and form arguments regarding contemporary political-ethics issues. Students are required to choose ethical ”cases” and analyse them with the approach corresponding to the theory seminar. Course is offered in English language; discussion, presentations, and written assignments may be submitted in English or German.