Philosophical Studies – Philosophising the Future of Law and Society
| Instructor | KAKU Shun | Credit | 2 |
| Session | 1 / 2 | ||
| skaku@waseda.jp | |||
| Introduction | We are living in a changing world. The speed and degree of change seem unprecedented. Globalisation has diminished difference between cultures and societies on a global scale, and people now share many legal, political and economic ideas and systems universally. The rapid development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analysis and bioengineering may pose threats previously unknown to humanity. Despite that, ideas and systems that have hitherto shaped contemporary society seem unchanging. Nationalism still prevails in domestic and global politics and the global legal order is structured on the state system. However, it is debatable whether our society can thrive with these ideas and systems in light of the rapid and profound change witnessed today. Perhaps society needs to be reorganised if it is to adapt to a new situation while not losing respect for fundamental moral values such as liberty and equality. Before making any hasty judgements, however, we must be clear about the nature of the challenge bearing historical experiences in mind and carefully examine what is at stake from the moral point of view. | ||
Course information
| COURSE DESCRIPTION & GOALS | In this course, we will identify what would be the greatest challenges for humanity as a whole in the next few decades, assess their impact on society by putting them into historical context, and discuss possible solutions from a moral point of view. Our focus will be how fundamental moral ideas such as liberty and equality may be affected and whether appropriate responses can be made within the existing legal-political structure either on domestic or global. Throughout this course, basic moral and legal-political ideas are explored and characteristics of the contemporary legal-political structure are introduced. The goal of the course is to conceive a better future with more precise knowledge of the nature of the challenges and a more profound understanding of society and morality. |
| PREREQUISITE | Although there are no formal requirements for previous knowledge or understanding of philosophical thinking, serious interest in the topics and intellectual endurance are welcomed. |
| COURSE REQUIREMENTS | After a few introductory lecture sessions, we read several chapters selected from Harari’s book. For each session (90 minutes), an introduction of an assigned chapter with brief observation is made by one, or more, depending on the size of the class, students. Following a commentator’s response, the class start discussion with occasional supplementary lectures by the teacher. The textbook is written in plain English, with most chapters in ten to twenty pages each. The last few sessions are allotted to individual or group presentations. |
| GRADING POLICY | Your grade for the course will be based on one paper with approximately 1000 words. Your positive contribution to the class is also considered. |
| TEXTS & REFERENCES | Textbook: Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Jonathan Cape, 2018). |
| INSTRUCTOR’S PROFILE | KAKU Shun is Associate Professor of Legal Philosophy at Waseda University. He teaches and studies the theory of law and justice within and beyond state boundaries. He has published articles in major Japanese law journals and several book chapters, in particular, “Is There Law in International Society?”, Takikawa Hirohide (ed.), Legal Philosophers Ask You (Houritsu Bunka Sha, 2016, in Japanese) and “Liberty in the Global Economic Order”, Horitsu Jiho, vol.91, no.10 (2019, in Japanese). He also gave lectures at major academic conferences, including “What is the Point of Legal Pluralism?—An Approach from International Law”, presented at Annual Congress of Japan Association of Legal Philosophy at the University of Tokyo (Nov 2018, in Japanese), and “Is Constitutional Democracy Compatible with the Common Pursuit of Global Justice? The Changing Structure of Global Governance and the Domestic Legal System”, The International Law Association British Branch Spring Conference 2015, at Essex University (May 2015). Prof Kaku is a member of the Executive Committee of Japan Association of Legal Philosophy. |
Weekly schedule
| WEEK (Period) | WEEKLY TOPIC & CONTENTS | COURSE MATERIAL & ASSIGMENT | NOTES |
| 1 | Introductory lectures and presentations/discussions | Part I of the textbook | |
| 2 | Presentations/discussions | Part II of the textbook |
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