Special Topics in Political Science (390-0-30)

Topic

Rights of the Nonhuman

Instructors

Hannah Glasson

Meeting Info

2001 Sheridan GPC GN210: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

Rights of the Nonhuman Western political thought has long defined the political community by drawing a line between human beings and everything else. Today that line is contested from two directions at once. Animal advocates argue that sentient creatures are owed justice, representation, and even citizenship, while software developers, ethicists, and lawmakers have begun to ask whether artificial systems could one day bear moral claims of their own. This course treats these debates as a single problem in political theory. We begin with classical and modern accounts of what sets humans apart, then turn to contemporary arguments over animal rights and animal citizenship, the politics of industrial slaughter and racialized species boundaries, and the movement to grant legal rights to rivers, forests, and ecosystems. The final weeks ask whether AI systems could hold rights, and how they are already altering the conduct of democratic government. Throughout, we will examine which capacity (reason, language, sentience, or the possession of interests) grounds political standing, and what follows for democracy if that capacity turns out to be held beyond our species.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to reconstruct the major arguments for and against extending rights to animals and to artificial systems, and to identify the assumptions about personhood, sentience, and agency on which each argument depends. Students will compare how canonical political theorists and contemporary political scientists define membership in the political community, and will evaluate concrete proposals for representing nonhuman interests in law, public policy, and democratic decision-making. They will analyze how disputes over animal and machine standing intersect with questions of race, labor, and state power, and will assess empirical claims about the effects of AI on democratic institutions. Finally, students will develop and defend their own position on the scope of political standing in a sustained written argument that engages the course readings critically and anticipates serious objections.

Teaching Method

Participation (30%): This is a discussion-based seminar, and your attendance and participation are of high importance. You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the readings that were assigned for that day, and should participate in individual and group class activities as well as discussions. Effective participation includes speaking, listening, and respectful engagement with diverse perspectives and ideas. Use of technology should be appropriate and should not distract from class participation. Up to two absences are permissible without deduction. In-Class Essay (20%): This will be a timed, 45-minute writing assignment that occurs during one of our regularly scheduled class sessions. I will provide more information on the prompts ahead of time so that you are able to prepare. However, the point of the in-class essay is for you to demonstrate that you have done the readings, understand the themes from the class, and can respond with your own original analysis. Presentation (25%): During the last week of class, you will deliver a 10-12 minute presentation on the topic that you plan to address in the final project. The presentation is an opportunity to receive feedback on the framing, arguments, or general approach that you are using in your final paper. It is also an opportunity for you to showcase the ideas that you are most excited about, and learn about what your classmates are working on. Be prepared to respond to questions from your peers. Final Paper (25%): Your final paper will be a representation of your independent, creative synthesis of the concepts and ideas that we studied in the course. You are encouraged to make thematic connections between various class readings, and to connect the class readings to current events and relevant topics. You should include substantial engagement with 1-3 sources that go beyond the syllabus (I will provide some options, or you can find your own). Your paper should be 8-10 pages double-spaced, and you should make sure that your paper doesn't simply summarize the themes from the class, but also includes analysis. Be sure to include an AI statement detailing how and in what capacity you used AI, if at all.

Class Attributes

SoC Additional Distro