History of Political Philosophy
PHIL 250
Fall 2011
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01
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This course is a critical historical introduction to some of the central questions in political philosophy. We will begin by examining various arguments for and against the legitimacy of the state. We will then proceed to examine classic responses to the anarchist challenge. We will read a variety of positions including the liberal positions of Rousseau, Locke, Jefferson, and Mill; the communist position as expressed by Marx and Engels; and contemporary philosophical responses by Nozick, Rawls, and Sandel. Central to all of the views we will study are the concepts of equality, liberty, and justice. We will see that how these concepts are interpreted varies considerably among political philosophers. Although the bulk of the course will be devoted to analyzing classical and contemporary philosophical positions, we will spend time discussing how such positions inform contemporary controversies and current public policy debates. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA PHIL |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (PHIL)(PHIL-Philosophy)(PHIL-Social Jus) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
TBA
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Examinations and Assignments:
Attendance at every class, having read, at least once, the required reading. Participation in class discussions. One 5-7 page paper will be due around the middle of the semester. One 8-10 page paper will be due at the end of the semester. |
| Instructor(s): Gruen,Lori Times: ..T.R.. 01:10PM-02:30PM; Location: FISK404; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 25 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 6 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 4 | SO: 6 | FR: 4 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 10 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 2 | 3rd Ranked: 1 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 7 |
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