POLT 258 - The Social Contract and Its Critics

Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS

This course explores an important tradition of thought about the origins, purposes, structures and institutions of political life: The Social Contract Tradition. Originating the 17th century, thinkers in this tradition viewed society as a contract to which human beings consented in order to secure their life, liberty, and property, and to enjoy the benefits of each. We will read Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau as key representatives of this tradition. We will then turn to its historical and contemporary critics, such as Edmund Burke, Karl Marx, Charles Mills, and Carole Pateman.

Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: J. Schiff

Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes