History of Political Thought
Preliminary requirements:
Basic knowledge in the field of humanities and social studies
Course Description:
Lecture and seminar:
- Political thought of ancient Greeks (Herodotus, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)
- Political thought of ancient Rome (Polybius, Cicero)
- The Christian World and Medieval Ages (Augustine and Aquinas, Ibn Khaldun Interregnum, Humanism, Reformation, Machiavelli, Bodin)
- Political thought of modernity (Hobbes, Locke, Republicanism, Rousseau, American founding, French revolution, Hegel, Utilitarianism – Bentham, James and John S. Mill, Tocqueville and Democracy)
Aims of the course:
Student is able to explain the norms and rules that shape the relations of power in the legal, moral, organizational dimension. Student understands the facts, determinants and mechanisms of historical evolution of political ideas, doctrines and thoughts. Student has the ability to describe different ways of political thinking: leading political doctrines, political concepts implemented by political parties and key ideologies of the history of the world. Student explains and describes basic theories in the field of politics, law and economy which shape the actions of the states and powers in international relations.
Student can perceive politics as a social phenomenon, identifying essential social phenomena at the source of specific political processes. Student has skills of preparing a typical written expression on issues related to the field of politics and political thought both in English.Student is able to give speeches on issues related to the political taught and ideas in English. Student has the skills to discuss, in an objective manner, the discourse on historical development and changes of political thought.
Student is aware of significance and level of his/her knowledge in the field of political thought. Student has the ability to build a system of his/her own views on issues related to the political thought.
Teaching methods:
Academic lecture, seminar, text analysis, discussion, case studies analysis, work in groups, presentation, paper
Evaluation & Completion:
For the completion of seminar - preparation of presentation or writing of an essay. Active participation in the discussion.
Oral exam consisting of two questions.
Basic Literature:
- Cahn, Steven M., Political Philosophy: The Essential Texts, Oxford Oxford University Press 2005.
- Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present, Boucher David & Kelly Paul (ed.), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009.
Ryan Alan, On Politics. History of Political Thought. From Herodotus to the Present, New York/London 2013.
- The Great Political Theories, Curtis Michael (ed.), New York, Harper Collins, 2008.
- Sheldon G.W., The History of Political Theory: Ancient Greece to Modern America, New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2003.
- Roberts Peri and Such Peter, An Introduction of Political Thought, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2004.
Additional Literature:
Plato, Four Texts on Socrates, London, Cornell University Press, 1998.
Aristotle. Politics. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Machiavelli. The Portable Machiavelli, New York, Penguin, 1979.
Hobbes. Leviathan. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1996 .
Locke. Second Treatise of Government, Indianapolis, Hackett Pub. Co., 1980.
Rousseau. Basic Political Writings, Indianapolis, Hackett Pub. Co., 1987.
Tocqueville. Democracy in America, New York, Harper Perennial, 1988.
John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34901
