Political Science: Intro to Political Theory

Examination of basic problems in political philosophy, e.g. morality and law; punishment; freedom; equality; obligation and disobedience. Credit not awarded for both POLS 1200 and POLS 1012.

Open to degree and PACE students

This course is designed to introduce you to the field of political theory. It requires no prior knowledge of the field. The course is divided into three sections, each of which explores a different theme: freedom, democracy, and the theme of political authority itself. Over the course of the semester, we will be asking such question as: why should we have governments at all, and wouldn’t life be better without them? Do we have an obligation, as citizens, to obey the laws? Is patriotism a virtue? Should we prefer democracy to other forms of government, and if so why? What does it mean to be free, and what is the relationship between freedom and government? We will approach these questions with the help of classic works of political philosophy, beginning with some of Plato’s most famous dialogues, as well as more contemporary works of political theory and political science.