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This course is a critical historical introduction to some of the central questions in political philosophy. We will begin the course by examining various arguments for the legitimacy of the state. While most of the reading will be based on the classical texts in political philosophy, we will seek to determine how the historical arguments fare today. Central to all of the arguments we will study are the concepts of equality, freedom, and justice. We will see that how these concepts are interpreted varies considerably among political philosophers. Different interpretations of equality, freedom, and justice lead to different arguments about the appropriate role of state authority. Although the bulk of the course will be devoted to analyzing classical and contemporary philosophical positions, we will spend some time discussing how such positions inform current public policy debates.
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: Lecture/Discussion
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA PHIL Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-18-2003
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459