State of the art on a philosophical topic; State of the art on a philosophical topic: Theories of Equality and Decolonization, Seminar

Equality has long been one of the core values of liberal societies and has played a significant role in emancipatory social movements, be that the French Revolution and Enlightenment period, the fight for women’s suffrage, the abolition of slavery, or the decolonization movement. Yet, while most agree that equality is good and should be striven for, there is considerable disagreement what equality means or what its measure should be. Should we focus on political equality, equality of welfare, relational equality, equality of opportunity, or of recognition? How minimalist or maximalist should we be in setting a threshold of equality and why is equality important in the first place? Is it a recognition of our equal moral status, instrumental for realizing our life plans, or a safeguard against domination? These are all crucial debates that have characterized philosophical thinking about equality and have shaped how we judge the justness of institutions and policies.

While most of these theories and debates took the nation state and domestic institutions as their starting point, theories of global justice have applied these lines of reasoning to the international sphere and have analyzed trade relations, immigration laws, and international aid with a view on whether and how they might hinder or help equality between states and people(s) internationally. In recent years, the impact of colonialism on current structures of inequality has garnered more attention. In addition to the already established debates on equality and global justice, questions pertaining to the rectification of historic injustice and the impact of harmful prejudices have now also entered the discussion around what equality means. Moreover, while the focus traditionally has been on equality between individuals, the decolonial lens has also led to more discussions about what equality between groups, e.g. in the context of Indigenous rights, means and what it is good for.

In this course, we will get to know some of the main theories that argue for different dimensions of equality. After discussing and acquainting ourselves with the diverse approaches to what it means to ensure equality, we will then turn to decolonial approaches. Together, we will explore which role different theories of equality play in decolonial movements, theories, and demands, and, in turn, what decolonial thought can teach us about possible blind spots or new applications for more traditional theories of equality. The course will rely upon your active participation and reflection on the key questions and theories.