TI 257-PO - Basic Political Thought

Min Units: 3
Max Units: 3
This course examines a selection of classics in the history of political thought, coming from thinkers in times and places as diverse as Ancient Greece and 20th century Algeria. We will learn to question received, commonsense ideas about politics by examining enduring questions about the character of politics, its origins, what makes polities legitimate, and the role of power, identity, and economics in constructing political societies. Rather than comprehensively examine the breadth of this history, we will sample a few of the great thinkers in this tradition to learn to think critically and deeply about politics. (U)