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Prisoner’s Dilemma and Distributive Justice (Duke)
Introduction to Philosophy, Politics and Economics (UNC)
Professor Anomaly, [email protected]
Classroom at Duke (1st half): Gray 228; Classroom at UNC (2nd half): Caldwell 105
Class meets M,W 4:30-5:50. Office at UNC: Caldwell 214-A, Office at Duke: Gross Hall 201
Office Hours: Mon and Wed 3:30-4:30, or by appointment
Course description
This interdisciplinary course provides an overview of some core conceptual tools used to analyze
issues at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE). It also serves as the
Gateway course for the PPE certificate program at Duke and the PPE minor at UNC. Topics
covered include the moral status of markets, distributive justice, liberty and paternalism, and the
use of economic models to understand the behavior of voters and policymakers.
Required books
Jonathan Anomaly (et al). Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Oxford University Press.
Daniel Hausman and Michael MacPherson, Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy, and Public Policy.
Cambridge University Press.
All other readings will be available on Sakai. Starred readings are from the PPE anthology.
Grading criteria
Three non-cumulative essay exams, each worth 30% of your final grade, and one quiz worth 10%.
The essay exams will be taken at home, and will each involve about 5 pages of writing.
Participation can also help your grade, especially in borderline cases.
Attendance policy
Attendance is expected. Any more than three unexcused absences will lower your grade.
Plagiarism policy
All students must abide by the Duke or UNC honor code.
http://integrity.duke.edu http://honor.unc.edu
Reading Schedule
1. Game Theory
Don Ross, Game Theory entry from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (p. 1-50, 73-79)
Hausman and MacPherson, (chapter 14)
*Thomas Schelling, “Dynamic Models of Segregation”
*Gerry Mackie, “Ending Foot Binding and Infibulation”
*Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
2. Property
*David Hume, Of Justice and Property
*John Locke, Of Property
*David Schmidtz, The Institution of Property
Planet Money podcast: How Private Property Transformed China (click here or subscribe on iTunes)
3. Market Advantages: specialization and exchange
*Adam Smith, Of the Division of Labor
*Friedrich Hayek, The Use of Knowledge in Society
*Leonard Read, I, Pencil
4. Market Failure: externalities and public goods
*Tyler Cowen, Public Goods
*David Friedman, Market Failures
*Jonathan Anomaly, Public Goods and Government Action
5. Distributive Justice
Utilitarianism
*J. S. Mill, Utilitarianism
Hausman and MacPherson (chapters 7 and 8)
Contractualism
*John Rawls, A Theory of Justice
Hausman and MacPherson (chapter 12)
Libertarianism
*Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State and Utopia
Hausman and MacPherson (chapter 10)
6. Public choice theory
Economic principles and political processes
*James Buchanan, Politics without Romance
*Anthony Downs, An Economic Theory of Democracy
Rationality, ignorance and rational ignorance
Bryan Caplan, The Myth of the Rational Voter (excerpt)
*Michael Huemer, Why People are Irrational about Politics
The ethics of voting
*Geoff Brennan and Loren Lomasky, Is There a Duty to Vote?
*Jason Brennan, Polluting the Polls: When Citizens Should Not Vote
7. Liberty and Paternalism
*J. S. Mill, On Liberty
*Gerald Dworkin, Paternalism
8. Markets in Everything
Sex
*Martha Nussbaum, Taking Money for Bodily Services
Drugs
*Michael Huemer, America’s Unjust Drug War
*Peter DeMarneffe, Against the Legalization of Drugs
Body Parts
*Arthur Caplan, Organ Transplantation
*Gerald Dworkin, Of Markets and Morals: The Case for Organ Sales