CfA: PhD Summer Course "Disability, Discrimination, and Justice"

The Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination (CEPDISC) invites applications for a postgraduate summer school on the philosophy of disability to be held at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, on 25–27 August 2025.

Course Description

How should we understand disability, and what responsibilities do just societies have toward their disabled members? How should we conceptualize discrimination based on disability and what are the distinctive challenges facing disabled people in this regard? What lessons can we learn from debates on disability for theories of justice, bioethics and egalitarianism?

This PhD course explores these questions through the lens of contemporary literature in philosophy of disability and disability studies, intersecting with ongoing debates in political philosophy, social theory, moral philosophy, bioethics and the law. On the first day of the course, we will examine the most influential disability models and definitions. The second day will be devoted to the topic of disability discrimination, including practical issues regarding health care rationing, which came to the fore after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the third and final day, we will examine questions related to disability and broader debates about justice, such as the relationship between disability and well-being, disability and sexuality, and disability and epistemic injustice. Authors whose work we will read include, among others, Anita Silvers, Elizabeth Barnes, Jessica Begon, John Swain and Sally French, Guy Kahane and Julian Savulescu, Harlan Hahn, Sean Aas and David Wasserman, Susan Wendell, Tom Shakespeare, Jackie Leach Scully, Elizabeth Anderson, Jonathan Wolff, and Linda Barclay. 

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Understand and critique the major models and approaches to conceptualizing disability.
  • Analyze and discuss the concept of discrimination, particularly disability-based discrimination, and its ethical implications.
  • Apply philosophical theories to real-world issues concerning disability, justice, and social policy.

The course combines lectures, group discussions and case study analysis.

This course is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project HUMVAR, under Grant number 101107614, the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University and CEPDISC under Grant number DNRF 144.

Course Lecturers

  • Miklos Zala (Aarhus University / CEPDISC / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions)
  • Adi Goldiner (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Eligibility

The Summe School is open to PhD candidates in relevant fields, including Political Science, Philosophy, Public Policy, Psychology, and Law.

Course Requirements

  • Completion of readings prior to the course.
  • Active participation during all sessions.
  • Submission of a 1,500-word essay on a course-related topic, to be handed in within 14 days after the course's conclusion.

Essays will be assessed and commented on by one of the course instructors.

Participation Fee

995 DKK

This fee covers course materials and refreshments during breaks.

Application Process

Please sign up by emailing Miklos Istvan Zala by June 15, 2025.