Introduction to Political Philosophy (261-0-20)
Topic
Contractarianism
Instructors
Corey Lorenzo Barnes
Meeting Info
555 Clark B03: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
Philosopher A. John Simmons tells us that: "What is distinctive about political philosophy...is its prescriptive or evaluative concern with justifications, values, virtues, ideals, rights, obligations—in short, its concern with how political societies should be, how political policies and institutions can be justified, how we and our political officeholders ought to behave in our public lives." In this course, we will engage these themes by looking specifically at contractarianism. Contractarianism is a political theory that employs the idea of agreement among rational and equal individuals to account for the content and the normative force of the requirements applicable to the rational and equal individuals. We will explore many themes in political philosophy by looking at five philosophers who wrote on contractarianism—namely, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Carole Pateman, and Charles Mills.
Learning Objectives
Use the tools of philosophy (logic) to compose, analyze, and evaluate arguments. Describe and analyze key concepts in political philosophy (e.g., justice, political authority, etc.). Analyze contemporary issues from multiple perspectives, including identifying potential biases on the basis of social location (e.g., historical, cultural, gender, racial, economic, religious, ability, etc.). Develop, articulate, and defend a well-reasoned judgment on contractarianism, demonstrating nuance, clarity, and precision.
Class Materials (Required)
All class materials will be available on Canvas at NO cost to the student.
Class Attributes
Ethics & Values Distro Area
SDG Reduced Inequality
SDG Peace & Justice
Associated Classes
DIS - Locy Hall 106: Mon 3:00PM - 3:50PM
DIS - Locy Hall 214: Wed 11:00AM - 11:50AM
DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-410: Fri 3:00PM - 3:50PM
DIS - Harris Hall L28: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM