History of Political Philosophy

This course explores the history of political philosophy by examining the writings of major ancient and modern political thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aganis, Machivelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Moll, and Marx. We will focus in particular on the theme of the relationship between the concepts of human nature and political community, showing how different interpretations of human nature have led to different concepts of liberty, equality, and justice. We will also consider how the historical arguments fare in contemporary political debates.