PHIL228
Social and Political Philosophy
Course Description
This course aims to offer students a broad survey of the central questions, issues, and problems explored in social and political philosophy. This course will introduce students to the philosophical foundations of liberty, justice, law, and democracy. Students will be challenged to examine a variety of historically important ideas and theories concerning the nature and significance of the individual, the community, the state, liberty, rights, equality, social and economic justice.
The goal of this course is to invite students to critically explore a range of historically significant political and social philosophical questions, such as: (i) What is liberty? (ii) What are rights? (iii) What is justice? (iv) What is law? (v) Are there limits to the sovereignty of the state over the liberty of the individual? (vi) What is the relation between the individual and the community? (vii) What is the connection, if any, between morality, justice, law, and democracy? Fundamentally, this course strives to challenge students to think critically about a variety of theoretical concepts and ideas that underpin the Western democratic tradition.
Additionally, by developing an in-depth understanding of social and political theory, students will foster a clearer and more nuanced understanding and appreciation of various contemporary issues and problems that concern the foundational prescriptive/normative question asked by social and political philosophers: How should human persons live with one another? This exploration will challenge students to apply social and political philosophy to the following: multiculturalism and tolerance, immigration, racism, and economic disparity.
Students will be invited to philosophically explore the above questions, issues, and problems by examining the social and political thought of a wide range of classic and contemporary thinkers, including but not limited to the following: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Mill, Marx, King, Rawls, Nozick, and Taylor.
Given the interdisciplinary nature of social and political philosophy, this course will prove to be of intellectual and academic interest to a variety of students across the College campus. What is more, this course will provide an essential scholarly foundation for students studying Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, History, and Philosophy.
The goal of this course is to invite students to critically explore a range of historically significant political and social philosophical questions, such as: (i) What is liberty? (ii) What are rights? (iii) What is justice? (iv) What is law? (v) Are there limits to the sovereignty of the state over the liberty of the individual? (vi) What is the relation between the individual and the community? (vii) What is the connection, if any, between morality, justice, law, and democracy? Fundamentally, this course strives to challenge students to think critically about a variety of theoretical concepts and ideas that underpin the Western democratic tradition.
Additionally, by developing an in-depth understanding of social and political theory, students will foster a clearer and more nuanced understanding and appreciation of various contemporary issues and problems that concern the foundational prescriptive/normative question asked by social and political philosophers: How should human persons live with one another? This exploration will challenge students to apply social and political philosophy to the following: multiculturalism and tolerance, immigration, racism, and economic disparity.
Students will be invited to philosophically explore the above questions, issues, and problems by examining the social and political thought of a wide range of classic and contemporary thinkers, including but not limited to the following: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Mill, Marx, King, Rawls, Nozick, and Taylor.
Given the interdisciplinary nature of social and political philosophy, this course will prove to be of intellectual and academic interest to a variety of students across the College campus. What is more, this course will provide an essential scholarly foundation for students studying Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, History, and Philosophy.
Min
3