The course introduces students to
some of the basic theories of political
philosophy through classic and contemporary
texts. The course explores the questions
of the justification of political authority,
the nature and limits of individual
liberty and freedom, and the nature
of the just society. We read texts
by Plato, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke,
Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill and John
Rawls, among others. We also explore
a variety of concrete problems raised
by the complex social and political
realities in this country and world-wide,
including the extent to which the social
and political order can create, manipulate,
perpetuate and accommodate individual
and group identifiers grounded in notions
of race, gender and sexuality. Students
are introduced to the current debates
on such important issues as racism,
sexism, harassment, discrimination
and preferential treatment and they
are encouraged to develop their own
positions on the issues.
