Selected works of such writers as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas, concluding with the rejection of classical thought by Machiavelli.
Athena Title
Political Phil to Machiavelli
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in POLS 4010E
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be introduced to some of the most important political and ethical theories and texts produced in the western world prior to the 17th century.
Students will examine the relationship between political ideas and theories and the historical contexts in which they are articulated and developed.
Students will explore the ways in which ideas articulated by previous figures and in prior historical periods can inform and enrich contemporary discussions.
Topical Outline
Unit 1: Classical Athens, Democracy, and the Problems of Persuasion
Unit 2: Socrates, Plato, and Athenian Democracy
Unit 3: Aristotle’s Political Thought
Unit 4: Cicero and Roman Political Thought
Unit 5: Augustine’s Political Thought
Unit 6: Machiavelli and Modernity
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
