PhD-course (3 ECTS) under the Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination (Danish National Research Foundation).
How should we understand disability and what are the responsibilities of a just society toward its disabled members? This course seeks to explore these questions from a philosophical perspective by delving into current debates in political, social, and moral philosophy and bioethics. The course will traverse topics ranging from the social construction of disability, the connection between disability and well-being, the ethics of discrimination on the basis of disability and its distinctive features, feminist perspectives on disability, epistemic injustice in relation to disability experience, and the disability challenge vis-à-vis theories of justice.
Teachers: Miklós István Zala (CEPDISC, Aarhus University) & Adi Goldiner (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
1st session: Disability Models and Definitions
Mandatory readings:
Recommended reading:
2nd session
No reading required
3rd session: Disability Models and Definitions II
Mandatory readings:
Recommended reading:
Total mandatory pages for day 1: 155
1st session: What is discrimination? What makes it wrong?
Mandatory reading:
Recommended reading:
2nd session
No reading required
3rd session: Disability, Health Care Rationing, and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mandatory readings:
Recommended reading:
Total mandatory pages for day 2: 156
1st session: Disability, Well-being, and Social Justice
Mandatory readings:
Recommended reading:
2nd session: Disability and Sexuality
Mandatory readings:
3rd session: Disability and Epistemic Injustice
Mandatory readings:
Total mandatory pages for day 3: 182
By participating in this course students acquire the following abilities:
Contact: Miklós István Zala
ECTS: 3
Period: 25-27 August 2025
Level: PhD-Course
Form: Presentations by scholars and discussions
Syllabus: 493 pages
Exam: 1500 words essay
Language: English
Department: Political Science, Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination
Faculty: BSS
Location: Aarhus University, Room TBA, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
A reflection paper (of at least 1500 words) providing a detailed overview of what the participant has learned over the 3-day course (whether it is about a particular topic or broad insight), identifying which arguments or debates they have found most significant for their research moving forward, and describing new questions or areas of inquiry that have arisen from their study (to be handed in to Miklós István Zala – mikloszala@ps.au.dk – at the latest 14 days after the conclusion of the course. Will be assessed and commented on by one of the teachers of the course).
Participation fee is 995 DKK and covers:
We will distribute a link to pay the registration fee by email.
Please notice the system only accepts payment by card (visa, master etc.) unless you are employed by a Danish institution and can provide an EAN number for an invoice.
Participants will have to make their own arrangements regarding travel and accommodation.