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Decolonising Global Justice

Module description

Calls for “decolonisation” have gone mainstream—but what does decolonisation really mean? This course will examine the theoretical foundations of decolonisation, stepping back to consider how the writings that have emerged from decolonial movements pose a challenge not only to the existing world order but also to dominant ways of thinking about it. You will begin the course by tracing Western debates in global justice, from ideas of statism to the usefulness of human rights. You will then be introduced to critiques of these approaches, including those associated with international socialism, transnational feminism, anti-imperialism, and posthumanism. The second half of the course will focus on the concerns that animate decolonial approaches and the way they these concerns strain prominent theoretical frames for thinking about global justice. You will engage with texts occupied by issues often peripheral in the Western canon, such as revolution, non-violent resistance, reparations, and indigenous rights.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will help students understand contemporary calls for decolonisation in terms of the history and theoretical commitments of decolonial movements, from anti-imperialism and critical race theory to transnational feminism to indigenous rights. Students will have the opportunity to trace the evolution of debates in political theory about the nature and scope of social justice. They will develop an understanding of canonical approaches to global justice in political theory, starting with Rawls’ statist view defended in his Law of Peoples. They will explore various ways to critique those approaches through engagement with major texts and thinkers in decolonial political theory, including Maria Lugones, Charles Mills, Achille Mbembe, Frantz Fanon, and Glen Coulthard.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand and evaluate global justice debates in political theory
• 2. Develop a critical understanding of Western approaches to thinking about global justice

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Perform close readings and analysis of complex theoretical texts.
• 4. Articulate complex theoretical concepts and apply these to practical political problems.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Engage in conversations with others about complex political problems.
• 6. Understand and value diverse perspectives

Syllabus plan

The precise content of the course will vary from year to year, but the syllabus will cover the following theoretical approaches to global justice:

The scope of global justice, including:

• liberal statism,
• cosmopolitan egalitarianism,
• human rights and critiques of human rights,
• international socialism,
• environmental degradation;

Approaches to decolonisation, such as:

• revolution and non-violent resistance,
• transnational feminism,
• critiques of race and empire,
• indigenous rights,
• posthuman justice.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

An alternative version of the exam will be given for students to re-sit if required.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Arendt, Hannah. Origins of Totalitarianism.
• Coulthard, Glen. Red Skin, White Masks.
• Du Bois, WEB. The Souls of Black Folk.
• Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth.
• Haraway, Donna. Staying with the Trouble.
• Khader, Serene. Decolonising Universalism.
• Lu, Catherine. Justice and Reconciliation in World Politics.
• Mbembe, Achille. Necropolitics.
• Mills, Charles. Race and Global Justice.
• Rawls, John. The Law of Peoples.
• Táíwò, Olúf?mi. Reconsidering Reparations.

Key words search

Decolonisation, Global Justice, Political Theory, Race, Feminism, Human Rights