PSCI 230 American Political Thought (Not offered 1997-98)

"I admit that I saw in America more than America," Alexis de Tocqueville says, "it was the shape of democracy itself which I sought, its inclinations, character, prejudices, and passions..." For Tocqueville, America has a significance not only for itself but for the fate of liberalism and democracy more generally. In this course we too turn to the political thought of America not only because it is ours but also to grasp its larger importance for the meaning and fate of liberal democracy. American political thought comes less from philosophers than from those engaged in the business and struggles of politics. For that reason we will consider a variety of thinkers who were active in the great contests of their time, such as Jefferson, Madison, Webster, Calhoun, Lincoln, Anthony, Douglass, DuBois, Wilson, and Roosevelt. We will assess whether it is reasonable to speak of an American political tradition, and if so, whether that tradition itself is reasonable-or whether America is in need of a fundamental correction from a source not present in the political thought of its past.Requirements: two papers and a final exam. No prerequisites.

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