Active learning ideas
Justice, rights, and equality are the central themes of social philosophy. Students compare different theories of distributive justice, how a society should share its wealth and resources, and analyze the nature of human rights. This topic is vital for understanding contemporary Canadian debates over social programs, taxation, and individual liberties.
Activity 01
Based on John Rawls, students must design a society's rules without knowing their own place in it (wealth, gender, ability). They then 'reveal' their identities and see if their rules were truly fair.
What is a just society?
Activity 02
Students debate whether certain rights (e.g., freedom of speech) should be applied globally or if cultures should have the right to limit them based on their own values.
Are human rights universal or culturally relative?
Activity 03
Groups are given data on wealth distribution in Canada. They must apply different theories of justice (e.g., Libertarianism vs. Egalitarianism) to argue for or against government intervention.
How should wealth and resources be distributed?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Justice just means 'following the rules.'
Justice is the philosophical standard we use to *evaluate* the rules. Active learning that asks students to 'fix' an unfair system helps them see justice as a proactive, critical concept.
Equality means everyone gets the exact same thing.
Philosophy distinguishes between 'equality of outcome' and 'equality of opportunity.' Peer discussions about 'Equity vs. Equality' using visual aids can help clarify these different goals of justice.
Methods used in this brief
The State and Political Authority
Students examine the justification for the existence of the state and the nature of political authority. They explore different forms of government and the concept of sovereignty.
8 methodologies
Social Contract Theories
Students investigate social contract theory through the works of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. They evaluate the implicit agreements between citizens and the state.
8 methodologies