Plurality: Philosophy and Politics from Plato to Arendt

Western philosophy insists that by thinking alone we can better learn to live together. Yet starting with Plato's description of the philosopher who must be forced back to society after ascending to the realm of ideas, this tradition often finds itself caught between individual reflection as a means of overcoming common prejudices and the need to find meaning in a common world. In this course we will explore questions of justice, liberty, and authority in Ancient Greek and Enlightenment texts before turning to the early 20th century forms of existentialism that, in their intense focus on individual experience, provide Hannah Arendt with surprising resources for conceptualizing humans as fundamentally plural beings who are both equal and distinct. (This course counts as elective credit towards the Political Science major) (Political Theory)