Introduction to Political Philosophy (261-0-20)
Topic
Contractarianism
Instructors
Corey Lorenzo Barnes
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-415: Mon, Wed 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 social contract theory (contractarianism). Contractarianism is a political theory that employs the idea of agreement among rational and equal persons to account for the content and the normative force of the requirements applicable to those rational and equal persons. We will explore many themes in political philosophy by looking at six philosophers who endorsed contractarianism—namely, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Rawls, 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 Materials (Suggested)
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, ISBN: 978-0-87220-177-4; John Locke, Political Writings, ISBN: 978-0-87220-676-2; Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Basic Political Writings, ISBN: 978-1-60384-673-8; John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ISBN: 978-0-67400-078-0; Carole Pateman, The Sexual Contract, ISBN: 0-8047-1477-0; Charles Mills, The Racial Contract, ISBN: 978-1-50176-428-8
Class Notes
Final exam in class.
Class Attributes
Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci
Ethics & Values Distro Area
Associated Classes
DIS - Locy Hall 106: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM
DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-420: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM
DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-440: Fri 3:00PM - 3:50PM
DIS - Locy Hall 106: Fri 2:00PM - 2:50PM