Inclusion and Exclusion in a Changing World
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
Students will acquire in-depth knowledge and skills on current research topics in moral philosophy and in particular on the notions of inclusion and exclusion which characterize the contemporary world.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will acquire the ability to:
- critically analyze the arguments in moral philosophy;
- critically evaluate information sources and reliability of data;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions in moral philosophy;
- apply critical abilities in moral philosophy sciences;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical positions;
- adopt their own stance in a philosophical debate, and put forward arguments in support of it;
- effectively communicate the results of their research, including through multimedia techniques for presenting information, with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative, and organizational skills even in highly complex contexts and in managing group work;
- convey the acquired skills even in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own abilities and on the evaluations received;
- independently search for the philosophical sources of a debate or school of thought;
- independently explore in depth a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
- critically analyze the arguments in moral philosophy;
- critically evaluate information sources and reliability of data;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions in moral philosophy;
- apply critical abilities in moral philosophy sciences;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical positions;
- adopt their own stance in a philosophical debate, and put forward arguments in support of it;
- effectively communicate the results of their research, including through multimedia techniques for presenting information, with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative, and organizational skills even in highly complex contexts and in managing group work;
- convey the acquired skills even in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own abilities and on the evaluations received;
- independently search for the philosophical sources of a debate or school of thought;
- independently explore in depth a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
How should the liberal state respond to cultural diversity? To what extent should it treat new arrivals, as opposed to its old citizens, differently? What duties, and rights, follow from the acceptance, or denial, of migrants to state territory? Should newcomers be integrated and if so, how? Should there be any discrimination against immigrants? Why? Why not?
The course is organized in three modules corresponding to the three areas in its title: migration, diversity, and non-discrimination. The three modules, however, will not have equal representation. Most of the course will focus on migration (4 weeks) and its different aspects (refugees, labour migration, open orders, among others). It will then zoom in on diversity (2 weeks), through the discussion of multiculturalism and liberalism. Finally, non-discrimination (2 weeks) will be discussed toward the end of the course by connecting the topic to the topic of migration. In addition, the first week will be introductory and the last week will be a workshop.
The course is organized in three modules corresponding to the three areas in its title: migration, diversity, and non-discrimination. The three modules, however, will not have equal representation. Most of the course will focus on migration (4 weeks) and its different aspects (refugees, labour migration, open orders, among others). It will then zoom in on diversity (2 weeks), through the discussion of multiculturalism and liberalism. Finally, non-discrimination (2 weeks) will be discussed toward the end of the course by connecting the topic to the topic of migration. In addition, the first week will be introductory and the last week will be a workshop.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is taught in English (B2).
Teaching methods
The course will consist of seminar discussion. Each week two two-hour sessions will take place. Each seminar will be started either by the course leader or by the student who presents the material - they will introduce the reading and present its main points - followed by open discussion led by the course leader. For each week, there are assigned main readings that are compulsory and will form the topic of seminar discussion; and complamentary readings that are not compulsory and can be used to deepen one's knowledge of the topic (and, for example, to base their final essay submission on). In the last week of the course, students will first be introduced to the 'art' of philosophy essay writing. After this, they will give brief presentations toward preparing their written essays and to receive feedback. Each presentation will be max 20 minutes long followed by a max 5 min long comment by a fellow student. Their presentation should ideally be based on their draft plan for their essay submission, which they submit to the teachers and their commentators in advance.
Teaching Resources
The following are the compulsory readings:
· Barry, Brian (2001) "The Strategy of Privatization", in: Barry: Culture and Equality. Cambridge Mass.: Harward University Press, 19-62.
· Carens, Joseph, The Ethics of Immigration. Oxford University Press. 2013. Chapter 11: "The Case for Open Borders." pp. 225-254.
· De Schutter, Helder, Lea Ypi, "Mandatory Citizenship for Immigrants" British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 45, No. 2 (APRIL 2015), pp. 235-251. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123414000568
· Dummett, Michael "Immigration." Res Publica 10, 115-122 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:RESP.0000034635.33014.da
· Galston, William (1995) "Two Concepts of Liberalism", Ethics 105, 516-534. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2382140
· Gerver, Mollie, Miranda Simon, Patrick Lown & Dominik Duell (2024). "The immigration discrimination dilemma". Ethics & Global Politics, 17:2-3, 27-50 https://doi.org/10.1080/16544951.2024.2377848
· Gibney, Matthew, "Refugees and justice between states" European Journal of Political Theory, 2015, 14(4), 448-463. DOI: 10.1177/1474885115585325
· Kymlicka, Will (2019) "The rise and fall of multiculturalism? New debates on inclusion and accommodation in diverse societies", International Social Science Journal 68: 133-148, DOI: 10.1111/issj.12188
· Kymlicka, Will, Multicultural Odysseys: Navigating the New International Politics of Diversity. Oxford University Press. 2007. Chapter 3: "The Forms of Liberal Multiculturalism." 61-86 pp.
· Lim, Désirée (2024). "Bordering and status-harms." Ethics & Global Politics, 17:2-3, 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/16544951.2024.2367770
· Lim, Desiree, "Low-Skilled Migrants and the Historical Reproduction of Immigration Injustice" Ethical Theory and Moral Practice volume 24, pages 1229-1244 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-021-10240-1
· Lister, Matthew, "Who are Refugees?" Law and Philosophy, Vol. 32, No. 5 (September 2013), pp. 645-671. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24572417
· Miller, David, Strangers in our Midst. Harvard University Press. 2016. Chapter 8: Integrating Immigrants. 130-151.
· Miller, David, Strangers in our Midst. Harvard University Press. 2016. Chapter 4: "Closed borders" pp. 38-56.
· Nuti, Alasia, "Temporary Labor Migration within the EU as Structural Injustice" Ethics and International Affairs 32 (2):203-225 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1017/S089267941800031X
· Barry, Brian (2001) "The Strategy of Privatization", in: Barry: Culture and Equality. Cambridge Mass.: Harward University Press, 19-62.
· Carens, Joseph, The Ethics of Immigration. Oxford University Press. 2013. Chapter 11: "The Case for Open Borders." pp. 225-254.
· De Schutter, Helder, Lea Ypi, "Mandatory Citizenship for Immigrants" British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 45, No. 2 (APRIL 2015), pp. 235-251. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123414000568
· Dummett, Michael "Immigration." Res Publica 10, 115-122 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:RESP.0000034635.33014.da
· Galston, William (1995) "Two Concepts of Liberalism", Ethics 105, 516-534. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2382140
· Gerver, Mollie, Miranda Simon, Patrick Lown & Dominik Duell (2024). "The immigration discrimination dilemma". Ethics & Global Politics, 17:2-3, 27-50 https://doi.org/10.1080/16544951.2024.2377848
· Gibney, Matthew, "Refugees and justice between states" European Journal of Political Theory, 2015, 14(4), 448-463. DOI: 10.1177/1474885115585325
· Kymlicka, Will (2019) "The rise and fall of multiculturalism? New debates on inclusion and accommodation in diverse societies", International Social Science Journal 68: 133-148, DOI: 10.1111/issj.12188
· Kymlicka, Will, Multicultural Odysseys: Navigating the New International Politics of Diversity. Oxford University Press. 2007. Chapter 3: "The Forms of Liberal Multiculturalism." 61-86 pp.
· Lim, Désirée (2024). "Bordering and status-harms." Ethics & Global Politics, 17:2-3, 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/16544951.2024.2367770
· Lim, Desiree, "Low-Skilled Migrants and the Historical Reproduction of Immigration Injustice" Ethical Theory and Moral Practice volume 24, pages 1229-1244 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-021-10240-1
· Lister, Matthew, "Who are Refugees?" Law and Philosophy, Vol. 32, No. 5 (September 2013), pp. 645-671. URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24572417
· Miller, David, Strangers in our Midst. Harvard University Press. 2016. Chapter 8: Integrating Immigrants. 130-151.
· Miller, David, Strangers in our Midst. Harvard University Press. 2016. Chapter 4: "Closed borders" pp. 38-56.
· Nuti, Alasia, "Temporary Labor Migration within the EU as Structural Injustice" Ethics and International Affairs 32 (2):203-225 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1017/S089267941800031X
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students attending at least 70% of the sessions will be assessed on the basis of:
· a short essay of max 5000 words.
· a minimum one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay, which will be discussed in class in the last week of the course;
· a presentation on a topic of their choice in the last week of the course based on the outline submitted;
· note that attending students must sign up for an oral exam date in order to receive a grade, but they will not actually come to the exam (in other words, the sign-up is purely a formality).
Non-attending students (i.e. students who have attended less than 70% of the sessions) will be assessed on the basis of:
· an essay of max 5000 words.
· a one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay;
· an oral examination in which their essay will be discussed with them.
Due Dates:
For the essay: one week before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
For outlines: one month before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
· a short essay of max 5000 words.
· a minimum one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay, which will be discussed in class in the last week of the course;
· a presentation on a topic of their choice in the last week of the course based on the outline submitted;
· note that attending students must sign up for an oral exam date in order to receive a grade, but they will not actually come to the exam (in other words, the sign-up is purely a formality).
Non-attending students (i.e. students who have attended less than 70% of the sessions) will be assessed on the basis of:
· an essay of max 5000 words.
· a one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay;
· an oral examination in which their essay will be discussed with them.
Due Dates:
For the essay: one week before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
For outlines: one month before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
Professor(s)