Public policy and governance are informed by a variety of philosophical approaches. A practitioner of public policy needs to be able to engage critically with a variety of perspectives that shape institutional designs and decisions. This course helps you connect public policy advocacy with fundamental ethical and moral ideas. What do ​‘value’ and ​‘ethics’ mean in the context of public affairs? What is utilitarianism and ​‘instrumental reasoning’? How do justice and rights-based frameworks constrain inform and constrain public policy? How has public reason been used in India to tackle issues arising out of religion, identity and oppression? This course will enable you to understand the major philosophical theories that undergird or inform public debates.