GOVT 86.27 Ethics of the Family
The family is a social and political institution profoundly shaped by the law. This course examines the family as a site of justice subject to normative assessment, and asks how the state ought to regulate the family and how citizens ought to act within it. Questions include: Is there a right to procreate? Do parents have rights to determine their children’s moral and religious educations? Should marriage be legally recognized or incentivized? How should household labor be shared between partners? Is the gender wage gap unobjectionable if it results from women’s choices? Throughout, we consider the practical implications of these theoretical questions for both public policy and individual ethics.
Instructor
Rose