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700.644.01
Justice Theory and Health

Location
East Baltimore
Term
4th Term
Department
Berman Institute (Bioethics)
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2019 - 2020
Instruction Method
TBD
Class Time(s)
classes will meet in Deering Hall
Wednesday, 3:30 - 6:20pm
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
Yes
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Ruth Faden
Contact Email
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite

none

Description
Why do you think health matters? Are all inequalities in health equally important? Are you interested in learning more about the philosophical literature on justice and human rights? Engage with moral and political thought about what structural justice and human rights entail and why they matter to public health.
Examines why many of us are attracted to public health and the desire to make the world not only a better place, but also a more just one. Addresses that question from the standpoint of human rights and justice theory. Introduces the distinctive role of justice and structural justice in moral thought, theoretical foundations for human rights, the relationship between human rights and justice, and the related concepts of fairness, power and disadvantage
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Evaluate why health matters morally according to alternative theories of justice
  2. Identify the philosophical foundations of the human right to health
  3. Explain what is distinctive about justice theories in general, and structural theories in particular
  4. Identify the relationship between justice, fairness, power and disadvantage and its implications for public health
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
  • 49% Discussion
  • 51% Final Paper
Enrollment Restriction
Priority enrollment given to MBE students.
Jointly Offered With