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University Bulletin

Undergraduate Degree Programs

Political Science (PL SC)

PL SC 430W Selected Works in the History of Political Theory (3) Detailed examination and analysis of a selected major work, thinker, or tradition in the history of political theory.

PL SC 430W Selected Works in the History of Political Theory (3)

The course will examine the tradition of "liberal" political philosophy, focusing principally on the social contract tradition in Western political philosophy. We will examine the work of the "classic" social contract theorists -Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant - and discuss some more recent variants. We will then consider broad contemporary critiques of this tradition. In particular, we will consider charges of exclusion, parochialism, and biased conceptions of the self allegedly manifested in liberal theories, especially as those charges that center on considerations of race and gender.


General Education: None
Diversity: None
Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Science
Effective: Spring 2008
Prerequisite: PL SC 017 orPL SC 007

Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.