Tom Campbell, Justice, Palgrave 2001

John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Oxford University Press 1972

This is a guided reading subject offered to students as part of the Honours program in Philosophy. To see details of the structure of an honours degree in philosophy go to the Philosophy Major page.

Social Justice is an exercise in applied philosophy. We begin by looking at some major theories of what "justice" means and try to develop some ideas about what "social justice" is. We look at traditional and modern theories such as liberalism, libertarianism, complex equality, and the so-called "third way doctrine". We then proceed to discussion of some key themes in social justice, such as class, gender inequality, poverty, international justice and the distribution of scarce resources.

Bioethics is the study of moral and ethical challenges arising from the development of new medical procedures and advances in biotechnology. It is properly regarded as an inter-disciplinary field, and draws upon techniques in philosophy, law, sociology and other disciplines. At CSU we study bioethics in order to better understand the challenges facing practitioners working in fields such as genetic counselling, medicine, nursing, medical imaging, and bio-medical research.

In this subject philosophical theories of ethics are applied to issues of practical concern and controversy, such as multiculturalism, sex and love, gender, environmental issues, and the taking of human life.

Students are introduced to a range of theories of ethics and central moral notions, including autonomy, justice, utility and sympathy.  This theory is deployed in the interpretation and analysis of professional life.  Students are introduced to the notion of a moral dilemma, and, more generally, the way in which theoretical notions can inform concrete ethical decision-making.

The development of political ideas from Plato to Marx with emphasis on their cultural backgrounds and on their contribution to the modern political world.