POLI 1401: Great Political Thinkers: Introduction to Political Thought

Abstract

Political philosophy examines the fundamental problems faced by human beings both as individuals and as members of associations that, in the Western tradition, have come to be called political. They ask two fundamental questions: “how should I live my life?” and “how can and should we live together?” The great thinkers of the Western tradition have explored these and related questions with tremendous depth. In this class, we will study three seminal thinkers in the history of Western political thought: Plato, Aristotle, and Machiavelli. Plato and Aristotle produced the central writings of ancient political philosophy, while Machiavelli was the founder of modern political philosophy. Between the study of Plato and Aristotle on the one hand and Machiavelli on the other, students will be introduced to both the “ancient” and “modern” perspectives on politics. ¶However, the purpose of this study is not merely to gain historical understandings of how people thought in the past. Rather, through careful study of these writers, students should attempt to grapple with what these authors have to teach us about fundamental political and thus human questions. Such questions include: What is justice? Is thought superior to action, or is action superior to thought? What is philosophy, and how does it relate to politics? How much can expertise or reason be employed in resolving political conflict? What demands does morality make on politics, and what demands do politics make on morality? Along the way, Jewish perspectives on the themes covered will be considered. For Political Science Majors: The class counts toward the Intro course requirement or Political Theory distribution.