POLI206

An examination of the traditional concerns expressed by European political theorists from the Greeks to the Enlightenment. The course will analyze the changes in notions regarding political authority and legitimacy and the function of the state as they have developed through history. The theories of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Mill will constitute the bulk of the subject matter of the course. In addition, we will also read more recent work in American political theory, to further explore issues of justice, power, and identity. We will learn through conversation, working and teaching in groups, and writing papers and exams.