(in Polish) Losses and Benefits of Globalized World

elective seminars
general courses

Student should have basic knowledge about main ethical theories and an ability of analytical thinking. At least intermediate knowledge of English is required.

Globalization is an obscure process which is still controversial and debatable. During our seminar referring to discussions concerning the meaning of the process we will try to uncover basis philosophical pre-assumptions and consequences of globalization, analyzing what kind of harms and benefits it creates. In workshop style we will explore the phenomenon of globalization in its main dimensions: social, political, economic, cultural. The main way to analyze harms and benefits of global processes and changes will be a confrontation of their defenders and critics, using theoretical texts and case studies in which these options have been expressed. Thanks to the method there will be a possibility to indentify categories and notions, which are used to describe the process of globalization. At least the intermediate knowledge of English is required.

Globalization is an obscure process which is still controversial and debatable. During our seminar referring to discussions concerning the meaning of the process we will try to uncover basis philosophical pre-assumptions and consequences of globalization, analyzing what kind of harms and benefits it creates. In workshop style we will explore the phenomenon of globalization in its main dimensions: social, political, economic, cultural. The main way to analyze harms and benefits of global processes and changes will be a confrontation of their defenders and critics, using theoretical texts and case studies in which these options have been expressed. Thanks to the method there will be a possibility to indentify categories and notions, which are used to describe the process of globalization. It will be also helpful to draw main feature of globalization in a philosophical language as well as its dynamic in a sphere of politics, economy and culture on the local and supranational level.

Thus, in contemporary discussion about globalization we can find two tendencies: sceptical and optimistic. Sceptics claims that global politics, market, culture etc. are not so different today from mechanisms of working in these areas in the past. In opposition optimists claim that dissimilarity of the multidimensional globalization process from the past can be seen everywhere and on every level (individual, societal, political, technological etc.). According to them states have lost its power and validity, perception of space have been change and boundaries among communities have been blurred. Becasue of these two conflicting approaches complex phenomenon of globalization with its side effects need to be analyzed from different perspectives - economy, social and political science, technology, axiology, culture - and philosophical synthesized. Within the framework estabished by above menitoned tendencies we will attempt to answer the followning questions: whether today we are dealing with the idea of a new men, new society and new world politics? If yes, how these ideas are differ from old conceptions? What is relation between identity, power and globalization? How globalisation is connected with harms, environment, international production and consumption, conflicts or the role of the state?

Main topics:

- transformation of modern identity (new forms of interaction and power perception);

- changes in conception of family and society;

- new role of the state and power in globalized world (borders, citizenship, etc.)

- good and bad sides of global interconnectedness (transparency, secret politics, post-truth, clash of values, etc.)

- what kind of justice in globalized world is possible?;

- how globalization is connected with hunger, global warming, technological revolution etc.

Selection of Literature: Beck U., Risk Society; Huntington S., Clash of Civilisation; Singer, One Word; Stiglitz J., Making Globalisation Work; Fukuyama, The Last Man; Etkins, Zehfuss, Global Politics. A New Introduction; Ravenhill, Global Political Economy; Amstutz M., International Ethics. Concepts, Theories and Cases in Global Politic; Nye J., Soft Power;

After the end of the seminar student:

- can recognize the main philosophical and political positions in discourse concerning global justice and global ethics.

- can explain differ doctrines and identified key problem in global politics concerning globalisation.

- have a knowledge about main philosophical background of political doctrines.

- can critically analyze discussed at the class texts and arguments of classmates

- can rightly identify and interpret problems and dilemmas which are discuss during the class meetings

- can construct advanced normative arguments and property formulate his/her answer to critic

- has more open attitude to different theoretical options from the field of political philosophy and international relations

- has achieved critical distant to particular ethical and political problems discussed during the class

- has shaped his/her attitude to international issues

The criteria of assessment:

- activity (discussion in class, participation etc.) - 35%

- preparing workshops – 45%

- creating report from text and discussion – 20%