Themes in Modern Political Thought
Narratives of Modernity — How did the social and political philosophers of the 19th and 20th centuries diagnose the modern social and political condition? Just
Early Modern Political Thought
The Early Modern period was a sea change in social relationships and political possibilities due to the emergence of towns. Technologies of reading and writing
From Ancient to Modern Political Thought
From Aristotelian virtue to Machiavellian Virtú. From Aquinas’ natural law following to Hobbesian natural right. How did the study of politics fall away from virtue and community and turn into an acrimonious war within man and without gods?
Ancient Political Thought
Where to begin the study of the history of political philosophy? While Western Philosophy starts with Plato’s dialogues, political philosophy has to begin with the Peloponnesian War on the one hand, and the Theban plays of Sophocles on the other. Enjoy readings from Thucydides, Plato, and Aristotle. In the Roman context, we cover Polybius, Livy, Tactius, Sallust, and Cicero. How is the political life related to the ethical life?