John Rawls (1921-2002), a highly influential Harvard philosopher, updated the traditional doctrine of social contract in his A Theory of Justice (1971) and paved the way for further political thought in the contexts of liberal democratic societies as well as internationally. The lectures on Rawls, Rights, and Responsibilities provide perspectives inspired both by Rawls's inheritance and the socio-political challenges of the early 21st century. Professor Rex Martin from the University of Kansas, a distinguished author on Rawls and contemporary political ethics, opens up with a presentation entitled Rawls's Idea of Human Rights Revisited. Subsequent lectures by Juha Sihvola and Heikki Patomäki from the Helsinki Collegium forAdvanced Studies as well as Kristina Rolin and Jukka Mäkinen (joint lecture) from the Helsinki School of Economics discuss themes ranging from respect and religion to property rights and business ethics. Ville Päivänsalo (Dept. of Systematic Theology) and Kari Saastamoinen (Renvall Institute) continue on responsibilities and the theme of the lectures in general.
The lectures are co-organized by the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (contacts: maria.soukkio(at)helsinki.fi) and the Department of Systematic Theology, University of Helsinki (contacts: ville.paivansalo(at)helsinki.fi).
LECTURE SERIES: RAWLS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Venue: University of Helsinki main building, lecture hall 10, Fabianinkatu 33. Mondays at 16.15-18.00
7 April
Rex Martin: Rawls' Idea of Human Rights Revisited
14 April
Juha Sihvola: Rawls and Nussbaum on Religion and Respect
Heikki Patomäki: Private Property Rights in Rawls' Theory of Justice: Was Rawls a Socialist?
21 April
Jukka Mäkinen and Kristina Rolin: Political Philosophy and Business Ethics
28 April
Ville Päivänsalo: Fair Responsibilities for All?
Kari Saastamoinen: (tba)
The lecture series is open for all.
(The students of systematic theology can earn 2-3 study points by writing an essay based on the lectures and two books (or substantial parts of the books). One of the books should be written by Rawls and the other by Martha Nussbaum or any of the lecturers of the course. The essay can be written in English or Finnish. Please contact Ville Päivänsalo for further guidelines as well as for the information on Seminar on Rawls at the Helsinki Collegium, seminar room 136, 2 April-14 May, Wed. 10-12 (no session on 30 April, the eve of the 1 May).)
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SEMINAR ON RAWLS
Venue: Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, Seminar room 136, Fabianinkatu 24, 1st floor. Wednesdays at 10.15-12.00
2 April
Rex Martin*: Political Toleration within the Society of Peoples
9 April
Rex Martin: Non-Ideal Theory: War and Burdened Societies; Overall Conclusion
16 April
Rex Martin: Rawls on Human Rights: Pro & Con
23 April
Rex Martin: Rawls on International Distributive Justice: Pro & Con
(No session on 30 April, the eve of the 1 May.)
7 May
Jukka Mäkinen and M-L Knuuttila: Aristotelian Roots of Rawls's Method of Reflective Equilibrium
14 May
Ville Päivänsalo: Rawls and the Dilemma of Appropriate Circumstances for Considered Judgments
Closing Discussion
The seminar is organized by the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies and it is open. Contacts for recommended advance reading and further questions: maria.soukkio(AT)helsinki.fi, ville.paivansalo(AT)helsinki.fi
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Samalla filosofian tutkijakoulun kurssi:
RAWLS, RIGHTS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Visiting prof. Rex Martin
Ajankohta: 7.4.-28.4.2008
Lisätietoja sekä ilmoittautumiset:
Tuula Pietilä, tuula.pietila(a)helsinki.fi
Muista tutkijakoulun kursseista katso tietoja kurssisivulta: http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/mattiet/filosofia/tutkijakoulu/kurssit.php
[*Rex Martin, professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, is the author of, for example, A System of Rights (1993, Oxford Univ. Press) and, with D. Reidy, the editor of Rawls's Law of Peoples: A Realistic Utopia? (2006, Blackwell). Martin is visiting Fellow at the Collegium in April and May.]