Modern Political Thought

Catalog description

Pre-req: Completion of the Core Curriculum Research & Professional Writing Requirement. The modern period, starting with the Renaissance, saw a significant break from the past in terms of political thought. Due to religious and philosophical upheavals, new questions arose largely relating to the role and limits of government in societies characterized by diverse worldviews. Out of these questions arose a new paradigm of political thought that remains dominant today: liberalism. In this course we will explore the birth and trajectory of liberalism as well as its major critics. The focus will be on enlightenment political philosophy, including social contract theory and utilitarianism.