CSP 3 No Justice, No Peace: Thinking, Resisting and Writing for Justice

How do we know injustice when we see it? What does justice require? This class will examine these questions in three parts. First, we will critically engage three theories of justice provided by political philosophers: Iris Young, Philip Pettit and Charles W. Mills. Second, we will examine three cases of injustice that have been covered by the national media and addressed in popular culture: The Standing Rock Protest of the South Dakota Access Pipeline, the infamous North Carolina bathroom bill, and the O.J. Simpson trial. The aim of this part of the class will be to use these real world examples to engage further the theories of justice we read in the first part of class. And finally, in addition to the other formal essay assignments required for class, you will be asked to identify organizations in Los Angeles and in your respective hometowns that are doing work to restore justice on issues you care about and contribute some thinking that can tangibly contribute to the cause.