POLT 238 - Empire and Political Thought

FC SSCI CD

4 credits
This course examines the role of colonialism in shaping the central categories of modern political thought, which emerged in the context of European imperial expansion. We will be reading texts by early modern European thinkers such as Francisco de Vitoria and John Locke; the major thinkers of the Enlightenment and liberal traditions such as John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville; and finally, seminal thinkers outside or at the margins of traditional Western political thought including C.L.R. James and M.K. Gandhi. We will also engage with influential postcolonial interpretations of these texts that have shaped contemporary debates in political theory and politics. Previous exposure to modern political thought is recommended but not required.