PSCI182 - Contemporary Pol.Thought

This course is intended as a general introduction to political theory since 1900, examining prominent theorists of politics including Max Weber, Hannah Arendt, Carl Schmitt, Isaiah Berlin, Jurgen Habermas, John Rawls, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida. Our theme for the Fall 2012 course will be: The Disenchantment of the World? Topics include: the nature of the the political and the concern, particular to the last century, that politics is itself under attack; the spread of liberal democracy across the globe and a critical appraisal of the moral meaning of this regime; contemporary theories of social justice; and an exploration of various issues pertaining to violence and the politics of security.