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What are the relationships between, peace, war, and justice ? This block course will meet only six times of two periods each during the semester, not every week. It will introduce students to international ethics, based on current wars as well as historical examples, such as Jan Palach's January 1969 suicide in Prague which shook the Czechoslovak nation. That student of Charles University burned himself on Vaclavske namesti protesting the Soviet occupation of August 1968. What was his moral message ?
Stephan Lux, another Czechoslovak, shot himself at a regular League of Nations meeting in Geneva in the Summer of 1936. Dying, Lux left a farewell letter addressed to Anthony Eden, then British Foreign Secretary, pleading for integrating Italy in a front countering Nazi Germany. His act came only a few days after Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia had pleaded to the League the very opposite, denouncing the brutal occupation of his country by Benito Mussolini's fascist Italy, asking the League to punish it. Who was right ? The central ethical themes which shall be developed are : — Moral theories — Just War — Just Peace — Pacifism and non-violence — Human Rights, 'thin' and 'thick' morality, justice, and universal norms — Truth and morality (ambiguity & ambivalence of moral norms and values, personal vs. nation-state morality, facts vs. 'fake news') Poslední úprava: Krulichová Zuzana, M.A. (03.02.2025)
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Teaching goals Students will become familiar with concepts and theories helping them to develop their own thoughts about the realities, impediments, and challenges of international morality. They will be encouraged to think deeper about their personal moral ideals and critically evaluate philosophers' moral reasoning. Poslední úprava: Krulichová Zuzana, M.A. (03.02.2025)
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Poslední úprava: Krulichová Zuzana, M.A. (03.02.2025)
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Student work evaluation Class attendance and participation: attendance is mandatory, with one unexcused absence tolerated. Questions, criticisms, and class discussions will be encouraged. Evaluation: 25% of final grade (25 points maximum). Final exam (75 points maximum): given on Thursday 15 May 2025, depending on students’ wishes and on logistical imperatives (to be discussed in April). The form of the exam is a 15 minute individual oral exam with 15 minutes of individual preparation just before, this while another student has her/his exam. Students will be allowed to consult their course documents: ourse slides, required readings, personal notes, including on their personal computers; however the exam is strictly individual and no outside help can be used. Grades: 100 points maximum. A: 100-91 points; B: 90-81 points; C: 80-71 points; D: 70-61 points; E: 60-51 points; F: 50-0 points. Poslední úprava: Krulichová Zuzana, M.A. (03.02.2025)
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Required readings Pierre Allan & Alexis Keller (2012), "Is a Just Peace Possible Without Thin and Thick Recognition ?", in Thomas Lindemann & Erik Ringmar (eds.), Struggle for Recognition in International Politics, Boulder, Col.: Paradigm Publishers, pp.71-84. Stephen T. Asma (2013), Against Fairness, Chicago: Chicago University Press, (Chapter 1 “Even Jesus Had a Favorite”, pp. 1-20/notes 171-3; Chapter 5 “The Circle of Favors: Global Perspectives”, pp. 99-114/notes 187-90; Chapter 7 “Because You're Mine, I Walk the Line”, pp. 151-170/notes 193-6). Michael W. Doyle (2006), "One World, Many Peoples: International Justice in John Rawls's The Law Of Peoples," Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 4/No. 1, pp. 109-120. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1938), "If I were a Czech", in Harijan, October 15. Thomas Hobbes (1651), Leviathan, New York: Norton, 1997 (chapter 13: "Of the Natural Condition of Mankind, as concerning their Felicity, and Misery", pp. 68-72.) Immanuel Kant (1795), On Perpetual Peace, extracts (pp. 11-24 & 29-33.) Hans Küng (1997), A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics, London: SCM Press, (Chapter 4: "A Global Ethic as a Foundation for Global Society", pp. 91-113.) Robert W. McElroy (1992), Morality and American Foreign Policy: The Role of Ethics in International Affairs, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (Chapter 1: "The Debate on Morality and International Relations", pp. 3-29.) John Rawls (1999), The Law of Peoples, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, (Chapter 9.3 "Kazanistan: A Decent Hierarchical People", pp. 75-8.) Michael Walzer (1994), Thick and Thin: Moral Argument at Home and Abroad, Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, (Chapter 1: "Moral Minimalism", pp. 1-19; Chapter 4: "Justice and Tribalism: Minimal Morality In International Politics", pp. 63-83.) Michael Walzer (2022), "Our Ukraine", Dissent Magazine, March 2nd, 2022. Max Weber (1919), "Politics as a Vocation", in The Vocation Lectures, Indianapolis: IN: Hackett Publishing Co., pp. 22-end. (NB: one or two supplementary readings may be given out during the semester) Poslední úprava: Allan Pierre, prof. (23.01.2025)
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Block course open to advanced Bachelor’s and Master's students (JTB212 worth 6 ECTS) of the Summer 2025 semester room B330 Jinonice Faculty of Social Sciences (FSV), U Krize 8, Prague 5 Poslední úprava: Krulichová Zuzana, M.A. (03.02.2025)
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