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Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 18 hours
  • Course by Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
  • Offered by

About

What is the purpose of government? Why should we have a State? What kind of State should we have? Even within a political community, there may be sharp disagreements about the role and purpose of government. Some want an active, involved government, seeing legal and political institutions as the means to solve our most pressing problems, and to help bring about peace, equality, justice, happiness, and to protect individual liberty. Others want a more minimal government, motivated, perhaps, by some of the disastrous political experiments of the 20th Century, and the thought that political power is often just a step away from tyranny. In many cases, these disagreements arise out of deep philosophical disagreements. All political and legal institutions are built on foundational ideas. In this course, we will explore those ideas, taking the political institutions and political systems around us not as fixed and unquestionable, but as things to evaluate and, if necessary, to change. We will consider the ideas and arguments of some of the world’s most celebrated philosophers, including historical thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, Mary Wollstonecraft, and John Stuart Mill; and more contemporary theorists such as Elizabeth Anderson, Isaiah Berlin, Thomas Christiano, Frantz Fanon, Amy Gutmann, Friedrich Hayek, Robert Nozick, Martha Nussbaum, Julius Nyerere, Ayn Rand, John Rawls, Peter Singer, and Kok-Chor Tan. The aim of the course is not to convince you of the correctness of any particular view or political position, but to provide you with a deeper and more philosophically-informed basis for your own views, and, perhaps, to help you better understand the views of those with whom you disagree.

Modules

Introduction to the Course

    • 1 Videos
    • 4 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Introduction to Part 1

4 Readings

  • Syllabus
  • Networks
  • Grading
  • Argumentative Reflections

Introduction

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Introduction

3 Videos

  • Lecture 1.1: Political Institutions & Starting Positions
  • Lecture 1.2: Peace & Problem Solving
  • Lecture 1.3: Choice Points in Designing a State

Introduction to Happiness & Utility

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 2.0: Introduction to Happiness & Utility

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 1: Happiness & Hobbes

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Lecture 2.1.0: Happiness, Thomas Hobbes & the State of Nature
  • Lecture 2.1.1: Happiness, Thomas Hobbes & Escaping the State of Nature

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2: Happiness & the State

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 2.2: Happiness, Welfare & the Scope of the State

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3: Happiness & the Harm Principle

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Lecture 2.3.0: Happiness, John Stuart Mill & the Harm Principle
  • Lecture 2.3.1: Happiness & the Harm Principle

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 4: The Role of the State in Promoting Hapiness

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 2.4: A More Constructive Role for the State in Promoting Happiness

Lesson 5: Promoting Happiness I

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 2.5: Promoting Happiness: Collective Action Problems, Public Goods, and Free Riding

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 6: Promoting Happiness II

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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3 Videos

  • Lecture 2.6.0: Promoting Happiness: The Epistemic Power of the State
  • Lecture 2.6.1: Promoting Happiness: The Epistemic Power of Deliberation
  • Lecture 2.6.2: Promoting Happiness: The Epistemic Power of Large Numbers

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 7: Promoting Happiness III

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 2.7: Promoting Happiness: Law & Development

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Happiness and Welfare

Peer Review

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • First Argumentative Reflection Assignment

Introduction to Justice

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 3.0: Introduction

Lesson 1: Distributive Justice

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Lecture 3.1.0: Distributive Justice & Utilitarianism
  • Lecture 3.1.1: Distributive Justice: Problems with Utilitarianism

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2: Capabilities

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Lecture 3.2.0: Justice: The Capabilities Approach
  • Lecture 3.2.1: Justice: The Ten Central Human Capabilities

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3: Entitlement Theory

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 3.3: Justice: Nozick's Entitlement Theory

Lesson 4: Rawls & Justice

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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3 Videos

  • Lecture 3.4.0: Justice: Rawls's Theory of Justice
  • Lecture 3.4.1: Justice: Rawls & The Original Position
  • Lecture 3.4.2: Justice: Rawls & The Two Principles of Justice

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Justice

Peer Review

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Second Argumentative Reflection Assignment

Introduction to Equality

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 4.0: Equality: An Introduction

Lesson 1: Equality as a Constraint

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Lecture 4.1.0: Equality as a Constraint: Legal & Political Equality
  • Lecture 4.1.1: Equality as a Constraint: Re-Examining Political Equality

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2: Equality as an Objective

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 4.2: Equality as an Objective: Introduction to Egalitarianism

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3: Material and Political Equality

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 4.3: Equality: Connections Between Material & Political Equality

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Equality

Introduction to Freedom & Autonomy

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 5.0: Freedom & Autonomy: An Introduction

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 1: Positive & Negative Freedom

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Lecture 5.1.0: Freedom & Autonomy: Positive & Negative Freedom
  • Lecture 5.1.1: Positive & Negative Freedom & The Role of the State

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2: Individual & Community Freedom

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 5.2: Freedom & Autonomy: Individual & Community Freedom

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Freedom

Peer Review

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Third Argumentative Reflection Assignment

Concluding Part I, Introducing Part II

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Concluding Part I, Introducing Part II

Bonus Materials: Roundtable Discussions with Professor Guerrero and the Teaching Assistants

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • Roundtable Discussion: Question 1
  • Roundtable Discussion: Question 2
  • Roundtable Discussion: Question 3
  • Roundtable Discussion: Question 4

Bonus Materials: Reflections on Revolutionary Ideas

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Reflections on Revolutionary Ideas: A Question & Answer Session with Prof. Guerrero

Auto Summary

Discover the foundational ideas behind political and legal institutions in "Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom." Led by renowned philosophers, this 1080-minute course delves into the role and purpose of government, exploring the perspectives of historical and contemporary thinkers. Ideal for those seeking a philosophically-informed understanding of political systems, it offers flexible subscription options on Coursera. Perfect for beginners passionate about health, fitness, and societal impact.

Alexander Guerrero
Instructor

Alexander Guerrero