Women in Western Political Thought

Much of the tradition of western political philosophy has either ignored or justified the subordination of women, despite elucidating principles of alleged universality. This course challenges the traditional “canon” of western political thought by recovering a long—and often forgotten—history of debates, ideas, and texts written by, about, and for women. This course is intended for upper-division undergraduate students. Its methodological approach emphasizes close readings of texts in their historical context, but also draws on the approaches of contemporary feminist political philosophy as a framework for discussion and debate.