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POLITICAL SCIENCE (L32)  (Dept. Info)Arts & Sciences  (Policies)
L32 Pol Sci 1041First Year Seminar: Introduction to Political Theory I3.0 Units
Description:Why is democracy a good form of government? What if a benevolent dictator arose who wrote and enforced laws that were just and equitable? What if she honored the sanctity of human life and its flourishing, guaranteed a full range of liberties to her citizens-including political ones, like the right of free speech and organization (but not including the right to rule)? Given the problems of most living democracies, why wouldn't this be a better regime than a democratic one? And are people really capable of governing themselves anyway; why should we trust them so? In short, what's so special about "democracy" and its corresponding idol, "public opinion" that people bow to them as hallowed virtues of a good society? In this class we will provide a framework in which these and other central questions of political theory have been and can be addressed. This course is designed to introduce students to the main theoretical issues of western political theory, including but not limited to the following concepts: justice, legitimacy, equality, democracy, liberty, sovereignity and the role of history in the political and social world. In short, the questions are meant to explore the underlying assumptions and themes of contemporary politics and political science research today. The course is designed around the careful reading of primary text materials and engagement with contemproary problems of politics available on the front pages of any daily newspaper. Although designed as a two semester class, students may enroll in either one or both. In this first semester we will lay out the fundamental themes of political theory in Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics asking, among other things, what justice is and what place democracy has among other forms of government. Passing briefly on Augustine and Aquinas'struggle with religion and civil society, we will emerge in modernity with Machiavelli's Prince and question whether the "good" and the "political" are or
Attributes:
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:C Fees:
Course Type:HomeSame As:N/AFrequency:Annually / History
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Q=ME Q (Medical School)

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