Great Ideas in Political Thought

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) This course introduces students to central questions crucial to the study of political thought. Students examine the ideas of great thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, J.S. Mill, Marx, and Engels and their perspectives on enduring questions such as: What is human nature? What is the best form of government? Is politics an activity in which all subjects/citizens are able to participate or should it be a specialized activity reserved for social, economic and/or intellectual elites? How much power should a state exercise over individuals' lives? Should citizens always obey the law? Maximum 6 credit hours of Political Science at the 1000 level may be used for degree credit.