Course Description
Basic questions in political philosophy, e.g., purposes of government, forms of government, relationships of government and the individual, and the limits of political authority.
Athena Title
ISSUES POL PHILO H
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 and permission of Honors
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course introduces students to the leading issues in political philosophy, including questions of justice, fairness, liberty, democracy, political legitimacy, rights, and equality. Students will be exposed to the leading arguments and conceptions related to these topics and the need to balance these different dimensions of analysis in the evaluation of government, society, and policy. They will learn to follow arguments logically and substantively. As a result, students will enhance their ability to provide a critical evaluation of leading ethical and philosophical positions and their solutions to policy issues. They will also learn to develop arguments of their own. Students may be evaluated based on examinations, research papers, class discussion, presentations, and/or homework.
Topical Outline
Possible Topics: The nature of democracy Equality versus Rights The meaning of political legitimacy What is justice? Market and government Liberalism and Conservatism Libertarianism and Anarchism Socialism The duties of citizens