Citizenship, Patriotism, & Identity

Catalog description

This course introduces students to fundamental moral questions about nation states and individuals' membership in them. Do people owe more to their compatriots than to foreigners? Is it desirable—or at least permissible—for countries to have and promote a national identity? What different forms can patriotism take, and in which (if any) of these forms is it a virtue? Should we all be 'citizens of the world?' These questions will be explored primarily through readings in contemporary moral and political philosophy. Open only to students in the Focus Program.