PHL.2081 Social and Political Philosophy
Aristotle called human beings "political animals" - that what makes us different from other mammals is our ability to form societies. So what does it mean that humans are inclined to form social and/or political groups? What makes up these groups? How do these groups function? What does it mean to live in community? This course is a survey through Western philosophy pertaining to the social and the political. It will look at how many of our contemporary political systems came to be. We will also examine major figures who have been influential on the development of Western civilization.
LA