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Crosslistings: GOVT 336 |
What are the prospects for liberal democracy in the twenty-first century? What challenges do globalization and nationalism pose for it? Democracy is often said to be rule by "the people." But who is this "people"? Must the people be a single nation, and if so, is the nation's existence threatened by large-scale, culturally diverse immigration? Or is transnational democracy possible? Indeed, does globalization require democracy to be transnational (e.g. the E.U.)? Can "the people" truly rule if economic decisions must answer to the imperatives of a global economy? We will explore the normative implications, especially for democratic theory, of the twin empirical processes of globalization and nationalism that have been said to characterize recent decades. We will approach these topics via three literatures: empirical theory, political philosophy, and the history of political thought. Readings will cover how 18th- and 19th-century philosophers thought about the relationship between nation, politics, and empire (e.g., Diderot, French Revolutionaries, Kant, Herder, Fichte, J.S. Mill), as well as contemporary theories of nationalism and globalization.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-18-2003
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459