This course will focus on normative political thought. Political theory is a field of study, which engages the history of political thought and attempts to answer the normative question “What do we want our political world to be?”. The immediate goal of this class is pushing you to think critically about the ideas and philosophies that have shaped, and will continue to guide, contemporary political systems. We do this by reading and discussing a variety of influential political thinkers who advance competing ideas of how the political ought to be organized. The larger goal of the course is to provide you with the intellectual tools to become more informed and engaged democratic citizens, and perhaps, more thoughtful and considerate human beings. We will explore together some of the great contributors to the history of political thought. This historical investigation will be balanced by a close reading of select primary documents dealing with the fundamental problems of politics. The students will have to keep the following questions in mind as we conduct our investigation: What is the structure of reality posited by the thinker? How does the thinker view human nature? What are the practical outcomes if the thinker is taken seriously? What is the impact of political philosophy on the real life? Why do laws made by other people have authority for me? Can it be fair for one person to be wealthier than another? How free should society be? Is sexism like racism? Such questions are explored through a careful reading of some classic texts in political philosophy, from the fourth century B.C.E. to the present.
