Ancient Political Thought

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The relationship between war, empire, and democracy was a source of constant interest and concern for ancient Greek thinkers, many of whom struggled to make sense of the aggressive expansionism of Athens, the first western democracy. This seminar aims to familiarize students with ancient Greek thinking about war, empire, and democracy, offering at once an advanced introduction to classical Greek political thought and a chance to consider the relationship between these concepts from a range of provocative and original perspectives. Course readings will be principally drawn from the writings of Thucydides, Plato, and Aristotle, but shorter readings from epic poetry, Athenian tragedy, political oratory, and Greek scientific thought will be incorporated as well..