Corruption

Catalog description

Concerns about corruption are everywhere, but the way corruption is perceived and interpreted changes from context to context. We tend to use the adjective "corrupt" for private individuals, public officials, and state institutions alike. Phenomena ranging from bribery and nepotism to poor governance and human rights violations are also sometimes bundled under the same umbrella. But what do we mean when we talk about "corruption"? Can we define it in a way that explains its wide and diverse usage? How do we detect it and can we agree on when or how to combat it? This course seeks to provide frameworks for answering these questions. In the first part, students will examine earlier philosophical contributions to the debate about corruption, put them into historical context, and understand how the concept and its applications have changed over time. The second part of the class will turn to contemporary controversies, focusing more specifically on corruption in public institutions and on existing "recipes" for eliminating it.