This course aims to engage students with the foundational texts and debates of modern social and political philosophy, tracing the transition from classical to modern conceptions of political authority. The course aims to explore the emergence of the modern state and social contract theory as central frameworks for addressing the legitimacy of political power, the origins of political obligation, and the proper limits of state authority over individuals. Consequently, this course will analyze and discuss the political thought of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, examining how their respective accounts of human nature, the state of nature, and the social contract shaped competing visions of sovereignty, natural rights, and the relationship between the individual and the state.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Identify the central concepts, texts, and thinkers of modern social and political philosophy, including social contract theory and theories of the modern state,
Explain the historical and intellectual context that gave rise to modern conceptions of political authority, sovereignty, and legitimacy,
Analyze primary source texts by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau to identify their core arguments regarding human nature, the state of nature, and political power,
Compare competing accounts of the social contract and their implications for the legitimacy and limits of state authority,
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of modern contractarian theories in addressing contemporary questions of political obligation and state power,
Construct a coherent, textually grounded argument on a selected problem in modern social and political philosophy.