PSCI 232(S) Modern Political Thought (Same as Philosophy 232)
Many of the principles indispensable to contemporary liberal democracies evolved from European intellectual and political thought between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. This course examines how early thinkers grappled with questions of political obligation (To whom do we owe obedience? When is it just to disobey political authority?), human nature, personal and state security, individual liberty, and rights. We will pay special attention to the moral and political principles defended by modern thinkers and the theories of government they supported. Students will be encouraged to reflect critically on the concepts and principles developed by modern political thinkers, and to relate them to some of our contemporary political ideals and assumptions. We will also consider whether the visions offered up by modern political thinkers may serve as viable paradigms for democratic politics today, or whether they obfuscate relations of power and inequality. The main readings for this course will draw upon writings by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Benjamin Constant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Mary Wollstonecraft, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, and John Stuart Mill. Requirements: class participation, weekly 1- to 2-page short papers, two 6- to 8-page essays, and a final exam. No prerequisites. Political Theory Subfield