POLSC201: Introduction to Western Political Thought
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Explore major texts in Western political thought and their impact on government design. Discover how Plato, Machiavelli, and Rousseau shaped the conversation on human nature, justice, democracy, and the citizen-state relationship. Dive into the Polis, modern political thought, and liberal democracy. Study guides available.
In this course,we examine major texts in Western political thought, where authors pose difficult questions about the political community, social order, and human nature.
How do our views about human nature and history inform government design? We explore how Plato, Machiavelli, and Rousseau, responded and how these philosophers contributed to the broader conversation about human needs, goods, justice, democracy, and the ever-changing relationship between the citizen and the state.
Unit 1: The Polis
Unit 2: Modern Political Thought
Unit 3: Liberal Democracy and Its Critics
Study Guides
