×

plsc 100: political theory

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Whidden
MWF 9:20am / LSC

This course provides an in-depth introduction to political philosophy.  The overarching theme of the course is the conflict between man-made law and natural law.  How have some of the most thoughtful human beings throughout history attempted to resolve this tension, both in theory and in practice? Authors include Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Machiavelli, Bacon, Locke, Lincoln, and Mill.  
This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Dr. Yoksas
MWF 12:35pm / LSC

How can a citizen know what a just law looks like?  Why must citizens give deference to political authority?  What is the difference between an effective leader and an ineffective leader?  The history of mankind is the history of political relationships.  The most fundamental of these relationships is the one between the government and the governed.  Indeed, all human beings who live in a community with others will at some point be expected to either craft the laws, or obey the laws crafted by others.  The possession of political authority over the community comes with certain obligations to use the authority for the sake of the common good.  Likewise, citizenship carries with it the obligation to obey the laws for the sake of civil order.  This course is designed to examine this relationship between leaders and citizens. Students will read a variety of perspectives from the history of political thought, from ancient Greece to 20th Century America.  This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Whidden
MWF 1:40pm / LSC

This course provides an in-depth introduction to political philosophy.  The overarching theme of the course is the conflict between man-made law and natural law.  How have some of the most thoughtful human beings throughout history attempted to resolve this tension, both in theory and in practice? Authors include Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Machiavelli, Bacon, Locke, Lincoln, and Mill.  
This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Danford
TTh 11:30am / LSC

According to Aristotle, the thinker generally regarded as the founder of the scientific study of politics, political science is the architectonic science, the most comprehensive attempt to understand and articulate the human good. Its central question is the question how should human beings live. Inquiry into the human good requires a comprehensive understanding of human nature--what kind of creatures are we?--along with an account of the circumstances of political life. This course will serve as a theoretical and comparative introduction to political science thus understood. We will consider the chief answers which have been given to these questions over the 2,400 years during which serious political science has been practiced.  This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum. 

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Mayer  
TTh 1:00pm / LSC

How big should government be? Should it be larger or smaller than it is right now? The question about the proper size of government is one of the most hotly contested issues, both in the political arena and in the subfield of political theory. In this introductory course we examine different answers to this question offered by five of the greatest political thinkers in the Western tradition: Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and Mill. These men disagree not only about how big government should be but also about how we should go about answering this important question. Our task during the semester will be to uncover and to assess the logic of each thinker’s argument. This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.


PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Whidden
MWF 9:20am / LSC

This course provides an in-depth introduction to political philosophy.  The overarching theme of the course is the conflict between man-made law and natural law.  How have some of the most thoughtful human beings throughout history attempted to resolve this tension, both in theory and in practice? Authors include Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Machiavelli, Bacon, Locke, Lincoln, and Mill.  
This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Dr. Yoksas
MWF 12:35pm / LSC

How can a citizen know what a just law looks like?  Why must citizens give deference to political authority?  What is the difference between an effective leader and an ineffective leader?  The history of mankind is the history of political relationships.  The most fundamental of these relationships is the one between the government and the governed.  Indeed, all human beings who live in a community with others will at some point be expected to either craft the laws, or obey the laws crafted by others.  The possession of political authority over the community comes with certain obligations to use the authority for the sake of the common good.  Likewise, citizenship carries with it the obligation to obey the laws for the sake of civil order.  This course is designed to examine this relationship between leaders and citizens. Students will read a variety of perspectives from the history of political thought, from ancient Greece to 20th Century America.  This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Whidden
MWF 1:40pm / LSC

This course provides an in-depth introduction to political philosophy.  The overarching theme of the course is the conflict between man-made law and natural law.  How have some of the most thoughtful human beings throughout history attempted to resolve this tension, both in theory and in practice? Authors include Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Machiavelli, Bacon, Locke, Lincoln, and Mill.  
This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Danford
TTh 11:30am / LSC

According to Aristotle, the thinker generally regarded as the founder of the scientific study of politics, political science is the architectonic science, the most comprehensive attempt to understand and articulate the human good. Its central question is the question how should human beings live. Inquiry into the human good requires a comprehensive understanding of human nature--what kind of creatures are we?--along with an account of the circumstances of political life. This course will serve as a theoretical and comparative introduction to political science thus understood. We will consider the chief answers which have been given to these questions over the 2,400 years during which serious political science has been practiced.  This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum. 

PLSC 100: Political Theory
Professor Mayer  
TTh 1:00pm / LSC

How big should government be? Should it be larger or smaller than it is right now? The question about the proper size of government is one of the most hotly contested issues, both in the political arena and in the subfield of political theory. In this introductory course we examine different answers to this question offered by five of the greatest political thinkers in the Western tradition: Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and Mill. These men disagree not only about how big government should be but also about how we should go about answering this important question. Our task during the semester will be to uncover and to assess the logic of each thinker’s argument. This course is an option in the "Philosophical Knowledge" section of the core curriculum.