Ethics and politics 2100-MON-ETPO-OG

The aim of the lecture is to familiarize students with the fundamental values, ideals, and ethical norms of democratic societies. The lecture explains the ethical and legal aspects of the axiological foundations of democracy, addressing the functioning of such societies and states and the threats they face.

Lecture Topics:
1. Values – an instruction manual (what are values, their source, and their social, moral, and civic functions)
2. Private, professional, and civic morality (the heterogeneity of morality, the diversity of norms and values depending on the spheres in which they apply)
3. Human dignity (dignity as the foundation of the constitution, human rights, respect for others, cultural sources, concepts of dignity, political and ethical functions; how does human dignity differ from personal dignity and honor)
4. What is the rule of law and why is it needed? (why is the separation of powers necessary, why must the powers be balanced, the separation of powers as a form of open public discussion of key decisions for society, the effects of violating the separation and balance of powers)
5. Do human rights limit our sovereignty? Human rights and national law (key human rights documents, generations of rights, rights and freedoms; national law and international law)
6. Political virtues and the problem of dirty hands in politics (truthfulness, honesty, responsibility, personal culture, effectiveness)
7. The first duty of society: justice (equality before the law, the right to an effective remedy and access to an impartial court, the presumption of innocence and the right to defense, proportionality of penalties, the prohibition of being tried or punished twice for the same act)
8. Equality, emancipation, multiculturalism (equality as a horizontal value of democracy, emancipation and equality, multicultural society; antinomies between the postulate of hospitality, love of neighbor, human rights and civil rights)
9. Politics and gender (patriarchalism and egalitarianism, feminist axiologies, feminist visions of politics)
10. Private property and social solidarity (what is property, why is it important, is property sacred, what is the purpose of the economy; aid and Charity, social security and social assistance, health and environmental protection.
11. Politics and the natural environment. Can animals have citizenship? (Should ecosystems be the subject of political concern? To what extent? The politics of the Anthropocene and how to overcome them?)
12. The ethics of public life in a democratic society, or in defense of politeness, tolerance, and political correctness (the fundamental yet underappreciated "minor virtues" of public life, whether they are moral or merely social in nature, respect for others, tolerance, peace, self-discipline, restraint, and responsibility)