Latin American Political Thought

Latin American political thinkers, who have been tremendously influential in their own region, remain marginal to the canon of Western political thought. This course is an overview of the various traditions in the history of Latin American political thought. It examines the answers Latin American thinkers have given to some of the fundamental preoccupations of political theory from the perspective of the region’s social and political realities. The course will introduce students to figures in Latin American political thought—such as Bartolomé de las Casas, Simón Bolivar, Domingo F. Sarmiento, José Martí, José Vasconcelos, José Carlos Mariátegui, and contemporary Latino political theorists.