Philosophy 290-4

This seminar will focus on questions of legitimacy and authority. These questions, which have always been central to political philosophy, have recently received renewed attention by philosophers (and non-philosophers) who ask what political morality requires of us when our political institutions, and the decisions they make, are unjust. Topics we will cover include: the relation between (in)justice and legitimacy, and the possibility of legitimate injustice; the nature and justification of political authority; and the permissibility of resisting (peacefully or violently) unjust political decisions. We will discuss classic work by Joseph Raz, Tommie Shelby, and others, as well as unpublished work in progress by Jonathan Quong, Avia Pasternak, David Owens, and the instructor.