HNRS 20813 Philosophy and Science of Social Justice
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Honors College. Discussions of justice in the 21st century focus increasingly on issues like sexism, racism, transphobia, and ableism. But what are things like race, gender, and disability? Are they biological differences, or are they socially constructed? Is there such a thing as implicit prejudice? Can equal treatment sometimes be unjust? In this course we will examine discussions from the humanities and the sciences on topics such as structural and psychological oppression, microaggressions, implicit bias, and other topics. Students will examine how these theoretical perspectives can be informed by scientific methods, as well as how theories of social justice can be used to criticize and inform our scientific practices.