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CS92PROD
Political Freedom

GOVT 347
Fall 2020
Section: 01  
This course may be repeated for credit.
Course Cluster and Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate

Is political freedom about doing what you want as long as you don't hurt anyone else? Is it about collectivizing power or actively participating in governance? Is freedom an inherently individual practice or a necessarily collaborative one? A private or public matter? Does it depend upon rights or the transformation of social conditions? Does it emerge from political representation or direct democracy? Is capitalism the scene of human domination, human freedom...or both?

Is freedom a concept, a principle, or a practice? What is the relationship of political freedom to power, equality, and community? What is the relationship of social identity to freedom--is it emancipatory or imprisoning? Is freedom something we even desire, or do we experience it as a burden? What happens when Dr. King meets Karl Marx, when John Stuart Mill meets Kate Bornstein, when Cathy Cohen meets Milton Friedman?

In this course, we will pursue these kinds of questions through consideration of classics in Western political theory, contemporary writings, and some films. We will neither settle the question of what freedom is nor the question of how to produce it. However, we will deepen our appreciation of its importance and complexity.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (CSCT)(GOVT)(GOVT-Theory)
Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89%

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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