Course Listing

Seminar in Public Law.

The purpose of this course is to explore the various facets of the First Amendment. Why protect speech and the practice of religion? Are these “special?” What is speech? What is religion? Do rights to speech and religion trump other rights?

No description.

The United States has one of the highest levels of economic inequality in the developed world. While some level of economic inequality is inherent and even desirable in a capitalistic economy, many scholars believe that the level of inequality that prevails in the United States erodes generalized levels of trust, poisons interpersonal relationships, and ultimately makes it far more difficult to govern a democratic society. This course examines the roots of American economic inequality, with a tight focus on how laws adopted through democratic processes have resulted in a huge transfer of wealth from the hands of the many to the hands of the few.

A survey of the principal political theories set forth in the works of writers before Machiavelli.

The study of Marxist thought and an assessment of the critical transformations and reassessments of the theory and practice of Marxism.

This course is a critical review of the major theories of social justice that have emerged from the history of Western political thought. It begins by presenting the dominant strain of liberalism underpinning Western Democracies. It then surveys challenges raised by the disparate experiences of women, people of color, and other historically marginalized groups. The course concludes by considering the future when white Americans will be a minority, and the implications for culture and traditional social norms.

No description.

Seminar in Political Philosophy