Liberalism and its Critics.

Catalog description

Since the late eighteenth century, liberalism--the belief that individuals and their rights are the foundation of political life--has shaped modern civic culture and democratic institutions. Yet liberalism has always had its challengers. This course examines major philosophical debates about liberty, equality, and community. Students will explore how nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers wrestled with liberalism's deepest tensions--between individual freedom and moral order, self-expression and civic duty--and consider the fate of these ideas today.