Political Theory
T
his concentration allows students to engage with many of the most enduring questions in political thought from antiquity to the twenty-first century. Students consider how different texts in the classical, modern, and contemporary Western tradition have grappled with these issues and learn how debates and often intense disagreements about these questions have informed political reflection and practice through the ages. Students also deliberate on whether Western political thought remains vibrant and relevant in an increasingly diverse and globalized world that challenges established ways of thinking about politics.
In their second year of the program, students in this concentration earn 1.0 credit in the following two courses:
PSCI 2301 [0.5 credit]: History of Political Thought I
Western political thought from classical times to the Renaissance: Plato, Aristotle, and other thinkers.
PSCI 2302 [0.5 credit]: History of Political Thought II
Western political thought from the Renaissance: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and other thinkers.
In their third and fourth years of the program, students take an additional 2.5 credits in Political Theory, such as:
PSCI 3300 – Politics and Literature
PSCI 3303 – Feminist Political Theory
PSCI 3307 – Politics of Human Rights
PSCI 3308 – Modern Political Thought
PSCI 3709 – Ancient and Medieval Political Thought
PSCI 4302 – Political Thought in the Modern Muslim Middle East
PSCI 4303 – Governmentality and Politics
PSCI 4309 – Contemporary Approaches to Political Enquiry
PSCI 4316 – Contemporary Political Theory I
PSCI 4318 – Concepts of Political Community I
For the full list of course options in Political Theory, and the specific degree requirements for your program, consult the Undergraduate Calendar. Please note that not all courses in this list are offered each year.