POL 396 - Seminar in Political Philosophy

FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring

Prerequisite: POL 111 or instructor consent. An examination of selected questions and problems in political philosophy and/or political theory. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Winter 2016, POL 396-01: Seminar in Political Philosophy: Freedom (3). Prerequisite: POL 111 or instructor consent. It is no exaggeration to say that the maximization of individual freedom is one of the central goals of modern and contemporary politics. But, what does freedom mean, and what should we be doing with it? Is freedom just the absence of restraint, or are there special purposes toward which freedom ought to be dedicated? What role does politics play in the articulation and pursuit of freedom? This seminar explores the concept and meaning of freedom as it develops in modern and contemporary political thought. We examine contending conceptions of public (civic republican) and private (liberal) freedom, robust subjectivism, constraints of disciplinary power, and anarchism. Throughout the course, we track these various conceptions of freedom in contemporary American life by reading Jonathan Franzen’s novel, Freedom. We also consider other thinkers including Rousseau, J.S. Mill, Nietzsche, Foucault, and Goldman. (SS2) Gray.

Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.