Undergraduate degree: Certificate in Philosophies and Ethics of Politics, Law, and Economics
Director: Diane Jeske, 274 English Philosophy Building, 319-335-0026
e-mail: diane-jeske@uiowa.edu
The College of Liberal Arts offers an interdisciplinary program that leads to a certificate in Philosophies and Ethics of Politics, Law, and Economics (PEOPLE).
The PEOPLE program is based on the assumption that societies institutionalize values; they guide conduct by regulating opportunities, prescribing behavior, and influencing beliefs and attitudes. The goal of the PEOPLE program is to help students both understand and evaluate these complex relationships by examining them from a variety of perspectives.
Although not designed exclusively for them, the PEOPLE program may be especially attractive to students who are planning to attend law school after graduation. Students who are considering a career in planning, politics, or public administration may also find the PEOPLE program highly useful. Undergraduates in economics, philosophy, political science, or sociology may discover that many PEOPLE requirements are met in the process of completing the requirements for their major or minor, so that pursuing the PEOPLE certificate as an additional goal is a manageable and useful project. However, a major or minor in one of these disciplines is not required to complete the program.
Certificate
Students who complete the PEOPLE program earn a certificate, and the notation "Certificate in the Philosophies and Ethics of Politics, Law, and Economics" appears on their transcripts.
Students must complete a 36 semester-hour course of study with a minimum grade-point average of 2.00 to earn the PEOPLE certificate. The final 18 semester hours used to complete the certificate must be taken at the University of Iowa.
The requirements for the PEOPLE program are changing. Students who begin the program before August 24, 1998, may complete the new or the old requirments. The new requirements are specified below. (The old requirements are listed in the 1996-1998 General Catalog; students who begin the program between August of 1997 and August 1998 may consult the 1997 Liberal Arts Bulletin.) Students who choose to complete the old requirements must complete it and graduate with a bachelor’s degree on or after August 24, 2002. Anyone who begins the program on or after August 24, 1998, must complete the new requirements. For more details, contact the director.
The certificate is awarded only upon completion of a bachelor's degree. Holders of Iowa baccalaureate degrees may return to complete the requirements for a certificate. Because of the program's multiple requirements, students are encouraged to begin the program as freshmen or sophomores; however, with careful planning, students who join the program as juniors can complete its requirements by their normal graduation date, especially if they already have taken several courses that satisfy PEOPLE requirements.
Students interested in enrolling in the PEOPLE program should contact the program director.
Program
The program consists of two parts, the Foundation, consisting of 6 courses (18 s.h.), and the Fields, also consisting of 6 courses (18 s.h.) The former is the common element in the program. The five fields (economics, law, philosophy, political science, and sociology) provide opportunities for specialization.
I. Foundation.
Students completing the PEOPLE program must satisfy all of the following six requirements (A through F).
A. 26:36 Principles of Reasoning
B. One of the following:
- 26:34 Philosophy and the Just Society
- 26:102 Introduction to Ethics
- Note: Requirements A and B are best satisfied as a freshman or sophomore.
C. One of the following:
- 26:132 Introduction to Political Philosophy
- 26:135 Philosophy of Law
D. One of the following:
- 30:30 Introduction to Political Thought and Political Action
- 30:50 Introduction to Political Behavior
- 30:70 Introduction to Political Communication
E. One of the following:
- 6E:01 Principles of Microeconomics
- 6E:02 Principles of Macroeconomics
F. One of the following:
- 26:149 Undergraduate Seminar in Philosophy (With the approval of the Director of the PEOPLE program)
- 33:151 Individuals and Institutions
- 33:153 Hard Cases: Science Policy and Values (33:153= 91:345)
- 33:155 Risk Technology and the Public (33:155= 91:343)
- 33:157 Democracy and the Rule of Law (33:157= 91:246)
- 144:144 Seminar: Reasons, Causes, and Values
II. Fields Students must select two of the following fields (A through E), completing three courses in each.
A. Economics: Three courses
- One of the following:
- 6E:104 Microeconomic Theory (assuming 6E:01 under I-E)
- 6E:105 Macroeconomics (assuming 6E:02 under I-E)
- Two of the following:
- 6E:150 Introduction to Economic History
- 6E:163 Comparative Economies
- 6E:172 (= 91:295) Law and Economics (Cannot be used to satisfy both the Economics field requirement and the Law field requirement.)
- 6E:178 (= 16A:144) American Economic History
- 6E:179 History of Economic Thought
- 6E:187 Introduction to Mathematical Economics
B. Philosophy: Three courses
- One of the following:
- 26:104 Introduction to Philosophy of Science
- 26:133 Philosophy of History
- 26:196 Philosophy of the Human Sciences
- Two of the following:
- 26:102 Introduction to Ethics (only if not taken to satisfy I-B).
- 26:132 Introduction to Political Philosophy (only if not taken to satisfy I-C).
- 26:135 Philosophy of Law (only if not taken to satisfy I-C).
- 26:180 Analytic Ethics
- 26:182 History of Ethics
- 26:185 Political Philosophy
C. Political Science: Three courses
- One of the following:
- 30:116 American Constitutional Law and Politics
- 30:117 The Politics of Civil Rights and Liberties
- 30:118 Law and Social Change
- One of the following:
- 30:133 Postmodern Political Theories
- 30:135 Introduction to Positive Political Theory
- 30:136 Game Theory of Political Scientists
- 30:138 Current Political Theory
- One of the following:
- 30:152 The Legislative Process
- 30:153 The Judicial Process
- 30:156 Politics of Ethnic and Cultural Conflict
- 30:170 The Politics of International Economics
- 30:174 Women and the Law
D. Law: Three courses
- One of the following:
- 26:135 Philosophy of Law (if not taken to satisfy either I-C or II-B-2)
- 144:143 Jurisprudence (144:201= 91:288)
- 144:205 Legal Reasoning (144:205= 91:317) The director of PEOPLE may approve a College of Law course with comparable subject matter as a substitute.
- Two of the following:
- 6E:172 Law and Economics (6E:172 = 91:295) (Only if not used to satisfy the Economics field requirement.)
- 16A:110 Law in American History-I (16A:110 = 91:293)
- 30:116 American Constitutional Law and Politics (only if not used for II-C-1)
- 30:117 The Politics of Civil Rights and Liberties (only if not used for II-C-1)
- 30:118 Law and Social Change (only if not used for II-C-1)
- 144.140 Native American Law-I (91:319=144:211)
- 144:141 Law, Litigation and Science (144:141=91:298)
- 144:142 Comparative Law (144:142=91:224)
- 91:193 Human Rights in the World Community: Problems of Law and Policy (91:193=30:177=47:193)
- 91:195 Introduction to Public International Law (91:195=30:173=47:195)
- 91:335 Race, Racism, and American Law (91:335=129:141)
- Note: Credits earned in PEOPLE courses taught by College of Law faculty members normally will not count towards a law degree.
E. Sociology: Three courses
- One of the following:
- 34:01 Introduction to Sociology
- 34:09 Sociological Theory
- Two of the following:
- 34:140 Criminology
- 34:141 Juvenile Delinquency
- 34:143 Women, Crime, and Deviance
- 34:149 Sociology of Criminal Law and Punishment
- 34:150 Political Sociology
- 34:166 Social Inequality
COURSES
144:140 Native American Law-I 3 s.h.
The specialized body of law allocating power and authority in Indian country; sovereignty arrangements, jurisdiction, federal Indian policy, tribal self-government. Consent of instructor required. Same as 91:319, 149:170.
144:141 Law, Litigation, and Science 3 s.h.
Basic concepts, skills for evaluating influences and effects of scientific evidence, advocating or attacking such evidence, and understanding the law that governs use of scientific information in courts, legislatures, regulatory agencies. Same as 91:298)
144:142 Comparative Law 2-3 s.h.
Comparative study of the world’s main legal systems; emphasis on origins, development, characteristic features of civil law tradition, which includes most modern legal systems.
144:143 Jurisprudence 2-3 s.h.
Selected legal philosophies with emphasis on legal positivism and natural law; nature of jurisprudence, relationship between law and morality, authority, normativity, institutional nature of law, political obligation. Same as 91:288.
144:144 Seminar: Reasons, Causes, and Values 3 s.h.
Topics that cross boundaries between philosophy, political science, law, economics.
Those interested in joining the PEOPLE program should contact Professor Diane Jeske at the address, phone number, or e-mail address given above.
If you cannot reach her by these means, contact the Department of Philosophy, University of Iowa, 269 EPB, 319-335-0020, e-mail: philosophy-dept@uiowa.edu.
