YSU and UCLouvain in Belgium continue their cooperation with a collaborative course titled "Ethics and Public Policy," held as part of the Erasmus+ Teaching Mobility Program. The speakers were Professor Fausto Corvino, a researcher at UCLouvain, and Levon Babajanyan, Associate Professor at the Chair of Social Philosophy, Ethics and Aesthetics at the YSU Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology.
The five-day collaborative course focused on the ethical issues surrounding public policy development. During the course, Professor Corvino introduced two key methods of ethical analysis: the applied and the constructive. He explained that while the applied method is more commonly used by ethicists, the constructive method is often preferable for addressing practical problems.
According to the applied method, the choice of ethical approach depends on the context and specific nuances of the problem. Different ethical theories may be selected, existing norms of regulations, public opinion, societal traditions, political expediency, and more can be taken into account. This makes the discussion of the issue more multi-dimensional and practically oriented.
The presentation of the introductory-methodological part was followed by discussions of practical-applied issues. The second lecture of the course focused on the ethics of public policy development aimed at overcoming poverty. Ethicists and philosophers should provide theories, methods, and approaches for the moral normalization of economic rules. By applying these ethical frameworks, public policy developers can create fairer policies.
The third lecture of the series focused on the ethics of criminal justice. After presenting the three main theories on the ethics of punishment, the lecturers guided the students in discussing these theoretical approaches in the context of criminal justice in Armenia. This discussion helped students understand how ethical theories can be applied to analyze specific situational problems and propose practical solutions.
The fourth lesson focused on the ethical dilemmas of the so-called "dirty hands" policy. Central to the discussion was Michael Walzer's article Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands, which explores the moral challenges faced by political decision-makers, particularly in emergency situations where all possible choices are ethically problematic. The students engaged with these dilemmas, discussing the article's moral challenges through examples from Armenian politics.
The fifth lecture focused on the ethics of tax policy. The lecturers highlighted that the ethical debate surrounding this issue centers on whether tax systems should prioritize moral principles such as income equality, the promotion of productivity, or the satisfaction of basic needs.
Levon Babajanyan emphasized that discussing each of these areas of public policy is particularly important, given that some students may become public policymakers in the future. He stressed that it is crucial for them to be familiar with the framing of ethical issues in public policy, as well as the application of ethical methodologies and approaches to problem-solving in their future careers.
Professor Corvino, for his part, shared that this was his first visit to Armenia. He mentioned that the "Ethics and Public Policy" course at YSU provided him with the opportunity to not only get acquainted with YSU students and professors but also with Armenian life more broadly, including its society, culture, and political challenges. He expressed hope that, within the framework of the cooperation between UCLouvain and YSU, there would be further opportunities to visit Armenia and organize similar events at YSU.
Professor Corvino, in his turn, said that he is visiting Armenia for the first time. The professor mentioned that the "Ethics and Public Policy" course held at YSU gave him the opportunity not only to get acquainted with YSU students and professors, but also with the societal, cultural, and political challenges facing Armenia. He expressed hope that in the framework of the cooperation between UCLouvain and YSU, there will be an opportunity to visit Armenia and organize similar events at YSU.
