Introduction to Political Philosophy

This course focuses on some of the most important texts in the field of political philosophy: Central issues concern the relationship between politics and philosophy, types of truth and forms of power, and generally, how a critical understanding of politics and the human condition is achieved. Specific works have included: Thucydides, History; Plato, Republic; Aristotle, Politics; Machiavelli, The Prince; Hobbes, Leviathan; Rousseau, Second Discourse;Shakespeare, Julius Caesar; Mill, On Liberty; Marx, Communist Manifesto, Capital; Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy;and essays by Weber, Arendt, and Havel. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Political Theory)/