PHI2042F - Political Philosophy

Course Outline:

What should our government do for us? Do the rich owe anything to the poor? Should society accept all cultures, or are there limits to tolerance? Is democracy really a good system? What is a just war, and can terrorism be justified? These are some of the questions asked in political philosophy. This course approaches the field in two ways. We choose several great political philosophers from ancient times to the twentieth century, and discuss their aims and arguments. Then we select some areas from contemporary political philosophy, and assess solutions to perpetual or recent problems in these areas.