In the wake of signals that established social contracts have become unstable—such as distrust in elites and political dissatisfaction—sustainability researchers are urgently demanding that a new social contract be developed. Sustainability has not been explicitly considered in the creation of social contracts, and it is now widely accepted that a) societal norms in advanced industrial democracies contribute to unsustainability, and b) a fundamental shift in the way people relate to each other, and to nature, isnecessary for a sustainable future.

Though there are variations in social contracts, there are a number of key common ideas thought to be fundamental in the structuring of civil society. This course will provide an introduction to structures comprising the social contract(s) of modern societies, within the context of philosophical thought on the social contract. Students will critically consider varying roles of the state, the relationship between humans, between humans and nature, and between citizens and political institutions. Questions of power, equality, the “goodlife” and more will be examined, with the goal of developing acritical perspective of what – from the perspective of different actors in the realm of sustainability politics – a social contractfor a sustainable society might look like.

After completing a ZuWi II course the students are aware of the social and environmental context of economic activities. They have a holistic perspective, seeing both the economy and society as embedded in biophysical systems. They understand the effects business has on these dimensions. Throughout the course, students learn to take into account the impact of their later actions on society and the natural environment, their social responsibility and their contribution to a long-termsustainable development. Students develop the ability to consider ethical, social and environmental issues implied in their decisions in both private and professional spheres. They acquire skills such as self-reflection, openness and sensitivity to diversity, and understanding of complexity. They learn to conduct team projects effectively, to listen attentively and to present their ideas in convincing ways. Having completed the course, they are able to process information, to understand ideas and problems, to develop solutions and to communicate them to both expert and non-expert audiences.

In this course, students will:

• Take a holistic and integrated approach to the analysis of modern social contracts;

• Consider the institutions, laws, and norms that create the context for a social contract;

• Analyse implications of social contracts for social equality and justice;

• Reflect on the perspectives of growth and resource use implicit in different social contracts.

Sessions taught by Michael DeFlorian, Dr. Daniel Haustknost, Dr. Felix Butzlaff, and Dr. Ingolfur Blühdorn.

• Introductory lectures by the teacher

• Analysis and presentation of selected texts

• Class discussions of important concepts

• Individual/group proposals of possible social contracts for sustainability

• Engagement in class discussion (10%)

• Assessment of reading responses (20%)

• Analysis and presentation of a specific topic or text (30%)

• Production of analytical social contract paper (3000 words) (40%)

Registrations are considered on a first come, first served basis.

Die Platzvergabe während der Anmeldefrist verfährt im „first-come, first-served Prinzip“.

Falls Sie eine gültige LV-Anmeldung haben, aber an dieser Lehrveranstaltung nicht teilnehmen können, melden Sie sich bitte während des Anmeldezeitraums über LPIS wieder ab, damit Ihr LV-Platz anderen Studierenden zur Verfügung steht.

Sollte es eine Warteliste für die Anmeldung zur Lehrveranstaltung geben, werden die Studierenden der Warteliste nach dem Ende der Anmeldefrist nach Studienfortschritt gereiht und auf noch verfügbare Plätze zugeteilt - vorausgesetzt, dass diese über noch keine gültige Anmeldung zum Planpunkt verfügen.

Dieses Vorgehen ist allerdings nicht als Platz-Garantie zu verstehen!