Power and Justice
This course seeks to provide an introduction to the study of politics by reading and discussing works of social and political theory. It is not a survey course in the history of political philosophy. Rather, it is a focused exploration of several dimensions of a single, thorny problem: the relationship between power and justice in political life. Some questions to be asked are: What is political power? How is it related to other forms of power? What is justice? What role do claims of justice play in political life? In framing these questions, our focus will be the lives of ordinary men and women in liberal-democratic states. Our premise—to be examined in the first section of the course—will be that modern citizenship is not confined to overtly political activities and concerns. Important as governing, voting, military service, and taxpaying are, they are not nearly as significant as the endeavors that constitute civil society. It is in the world of work, in voluntary associations, and in intimate relationships, that modern citizens find (and lose) meaning, identity, social standing, and self-respect. It is in civil society that modern struggles of power and justice are most visibly seen and powerfully felt.
Political Science 13 is an introductory course, and assumes no previous study of political theory. Materials range from political pamphlets and philosophical treatises to court decisions, works of literature, and short films.
