Ethical Challenges in a Global World

Course Description

Description
The course “Ethical challenges in the global world” tries to make the student reflect critically on the global world in which we live, and on the economic, political, cultural, religious and ecological consequences derived from the globalization process. All this aims to help the student to create an awareness of the ethical challenges which appear in this process (such as economic and social injustice, intercultural coexistence, violations of human rights and climate change), as well as to know the different analyses and positions surrounding these challenges, so that students will be able to bring together their own meaning and to advance convincing suitable arguments.

With all this knowledge we will approach the initial aim which students will be able to contribute to both from their respective professional fields and as citizens of the global world, to the construction of a much more just, democratic and fair society.

Contents
TOPIC 1. PRESENT WORLD GLOBALIZATION
Introduction: person, culture, society. Globalization concept and factors. Main globalization dimensions. Consequences of globalization processes: world disorder. Its critics: alter-globalization movements.

TOPIC 2. PLURALISM AND SECULARISATION IN THE PRESENT WORLD
Global migrations and their effects. Integration models. Multiculturalism and interculturality. The concept of citizenship. Secularism in modern societies.

TOPIC 3. THE CHALLENGE OF RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM AND/OR SECULAR FUNDAMENTALISM.
Traditions and identities in the global world (adaptation or rejection?). Multiple Identities. Clash of, or dialogue among civilizations and/or religions dialogue?

TOPIC 4. HUMAN RIGHTS AND PLURALITY OF VALUES
The origin of human rights. Different historical approaches. The problems of their foundation. Universal human rights? The challenge of relativism. Gender and human rights. Towards a transnational civic ethic.

TOPIC 5. GLOBALIZATION AND POLITICS
Nation-States in crisis. Plural democracy as universal political ideal? Crisis of democratic republicanism. The several forms of democracy. Towards a global democracy?

TOPIC 6. THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Global risk and ecological crisis (global warming and so on..). Poverty and environment. Sustainable development. Ecological movement. A new ecological consciousness? Eco-politics.

Methodology
- PRESENTATION of the main contents of the units of the different subjects, offering a general vision of each topic, a basic bibliography and recommended readings.
Presentations will be backed up with practical activities such as brainstorming, and the use of printed and audiovisual materials including videos.
- GUIDED READINGS of six basic texts, one for each topic. (Individual writing work outside the classroom related to the reading).
- PROBLEM OR CASE SOLUTIONS at the end of each of the program topics. (Groups work in the classroom)
- Face-to-face or online tutoring to support both individual and group work.

Assessment
A final written examination: (50% total grade).
Practical in-class activities - problems or case solutions: (20% total grade).
Individual Works on selected readings: (30% total grade).

The final grade will be global. A minimum grade is required in each of the evaluated sections (4 out of 10 in the final examination; participation in all classroom activities and handing in of the 6 programmed readings, which must be approved by the lecturer).