Tutor information
Doug Bamford
Doug Bamford teaches courses in philosophy and political economy at OUDCE. His main interest is in political philosophy and its application to public policy. He received his PhD in Political Philosophy at the University of Warwick in 2013. He is author of Rethinking Taxation (Searching Finance, 2014) and several papers (including articles in the Journal of Applied Philosophy and Moral Philosophy and Politics). He blogs at Doug Bamford's Tax Appeal.
Courses
Political philosophy contains some of the greatest writings in the Western intellectual tradition. This online course introduces you to the central questions concerning the state, by means of classical and contemporary texts.
Humanity is having an ever-increasing impact on the ecosystems of the earth. Do we as individuals or societies have a duty to do anything to limit our impact? This short course considers some of the key philosophical and policy debates.
Capitalism has come under criticism since its emergence in the 17th century. But is capitalism immoral? Or is it the best available economic system? Should capitalism be more constrained or less? Should markets be limited or should everything be for sale?
Taxation affects us all, and people often complain about it, but how can the system be improved? This introductory course for the lay person gives you the tools to analyse and assess potential tax system reforms.
What is the value of life? How should we think about life and death? We tend to think of killing as wrong (Thou shalt not kill!) but what about euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment and war? Join this course to discuss.
Should there be limits on speech? Or should speech be completely and absolutely free and unfettered? Should hate speech be outlawed? Should some people be no-platformed? Consider the arguments at this day school - join us in Oxford or watch online.
Explore the ethical and economic issues arising from an unequal world with borders. Should we focus more on the poorest in the world and less on our fellow citizens? What are the implications for various policies such as trade, aid, tax and immigration?
Explore the ethical and economic issues arising from an unequal world with borders. Should we focus more on the poorest in the world and less on our fellow citizens? What are the implications for our policy on trade, aid, tax and immigration?
Political philosophy contains some of the greatest writings in the Western intellectual tradition. This online course introduces you to the central questions concerning the state, by means of classical and contemporary texts.
All of us are affected by government policies, and governments place particular emphasis on economic policies. This course will equip you to evaluate the economic arguments made about public policy choices.
Political philosophy contains some of the greatest writings in the Western intellectual tradition. This online course introduces you to the central questions concerning the state, by means of classical and contemporary texts.
Many people assume that a just society should aim at equality between all citizens. But how does this fit with other important values? In this course we consider rival visions of an equal society.