printer friendly pagePHIL 176A: Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought (CLASSICS 181, CLASSICS 381, ETHICSOC 130A, PHIL 276A, POLISCI 230A, POLISCI 330A)
Political philosophy in classical antiquity, centered on reading canonical works of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle against other texts and against the political and historical background. Topics include: interdependence, legitimacy, justice; political obligation, citizenship, and leadership; origins and development of democracy; law, civic strife, and constitutional change.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Ober, J. (PI)
;
Ozturk, U. (TA)
PHIL 176P: Democratic Theory (ETHICSOC 234, POLISCI 234)
Most people agree that democracy is a good thing, but do we agree on what democracy is? This course will examine the concept of democracy in political philosophy. We will address the following questions: What reason(s), if any, do we have for valuing democracy? What does it mean to treat people as political equals? When does a group of individuals constitute "a people," and how can a people make genuinely collective decisions? Can democracy really be compatible with social inequality? With an entrenched constitution? With representation?
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
Instructors:
Coyne, B. (PI)
PHIL 178M: Introduction to Environmental Ethics (ETHICSOC 178M, ETHICSOC 278M, PHIL 278M, POLISCI 134L)
How should human beings relate to the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human beings, including future generations, with respect to the environment? The first part of this course will examine such questions in light of some of our current ethical theories: considering what those theories suggest regarding the extent and nature of our environmental obligations; and also whether reflection on such obligations can prove informative about the adequacy of our ethical theories. In the second part of the course, we will use the tools that we have acquired to tackle various ethical questions that confront us in our dealings with the natural world, looking at subjects such as: animal rights; conservation; economic approaches to the environment; access to and control over natural resources; environmental justice and pollution; climate change; technology and the environment; and environmental activism.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, GER:EC-EthicReas
Instructors:
Adams, M. (PI)
PHIL 182H: Truth (PHIL 282H)
Philosophical debates about the place in human lives and the value to human beings of truth and its pursuit. The nature and significance of truth-involving virtues such as accuracy, sincerity, and candor. Prerequisite
Phil 80 or permission of the instructor.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Hills, D. (PI)
PHIL 194W: Capstone Seminar: Imagination in Fiction and Philosophy
This course is about imagination in fiction and philosophy. One core set of questions will have to do with our use of the imagination in fiction. Are there limits to the way in which fiction can engage the imagination? If so, are these limits different from general limits on the imagination? Another set of questions is about the nature of imagination and its importance to philosophy. What is imagination? Can it produce knowledge? How is imagination engaged in fictional thought experiments? Readings will include: selections from contemporary analytic philosophy; a few pieces of literary theory; and both contemporary and historical fiction. Students are expected to have general facility with challenging philosophical texts and fiction in English. Knowledge of modal logic will be helpful but not required. Prerequisites: at least one course in the Philosophy department. Course is not repeatable for credit. This is a capstone seminar for philosophy majors and students pursuing the Philosophy & Literature concentration. Other students are welcome to enroll, but preference will be given to students in these groups.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Peacocke, A. (PI)
POLISCI 103: Justice (ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C, PUBLPOL 307)
In this course, we explore three sets of questions relating to justice and the meaning of a just society: (1) Liberty: What is liberty, and why is it important? Which liberties must a just society protect? (2) Equality: What is equality, and why is it important? What sorts of equality should a just society ensure? (3) Reconciliation: Are liberty and equality in conflict? If so, how should we respond to the conflict between them? We approach these topics by examining competing theories of justice including utilitarianism, libertarianism/classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism. The class also serves as an introduction to how to do political philosophy, and students approaching these topics for the first time are welcome. Political Science majors taking this course to fulfill the WIM requirement should enroll in
POLISCI 103.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Coyne, B. (PI)
;
Hope, P. (TA)
;
LaCruise, T. (TA)
...
more instructors for POLISCI 103 »
Instructors:
Coyne, B. (PI)
;
Hope, P. (TA)
;
LaCruise, T. (TA)
;
Mrsny, S. (TA)
;
Oh, E. (TA)
;
Petrov, P. (TA)
;
Schwartz, A. (TA)
;
Woodworth, S. (TA)
;
Zhao, D. (TA)
POLISCI 130: 20th Century Political Theory: Liberalism and its Critics (ETHICSOC 130, PHIL 171P)
In this course, students learn and engage with the debates that have animated political theory since the early 20th century. What is the proper relationship between the individual, the community, and the state? Are liberty and equality in conflict, and, if so, which should take priority? What does justice mean in a large and diverse modern society? The subtitle of the course, borrowed from a book by Michael Sandel, is "Liberalism and its Critics" because the questions we discuss in this class center on the meaning of, and alternatives to, the liberal idea that the basic goal of society should be the protection of individual rights. Readings include selections from works by John Rawls, Hannah Arendt, Robert Nozick, Michael Sandel, Iris Marion Young, and Martha Nussbaum. No prior experience with political theory is necessary.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 131L: Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx and Mill (ETHICSOC 131S)
This course offers an introduction to the history of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. We will consider the development of ideas like individual rights, government by consent, and the protection of private property. We will also explore the ways in which these ideas continue to animate contemporary political debates. Thinkers covered will include: Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill, and Karl Marx.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ER, GER:EC-EthicReas
POLISCI 132A: The Ethics of Elections (ETHICSOC 134R)
Do you have a duty to vote? Should immigrants be allowed to vote? Should we make voting mandatory? How (if at all) should we regulate campaign finance? Should we even have elections at all? In this course, we will explore these and other ethical questions related to electoral participation and the design of electoral institutions. We will evaluate arguments from political philosophers, political scientists, and politicians to better understand how electoral systems promote important democratic values and how this affects citizens' and political leaders' ethical obligations. We will focus, in particular, on issues in electoral design that have been relevant in recent US elections (e.g. gerrymandering), though many of the ethical issues we will discuss in this course will be relevant in any electoral democracy.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 133: Ethics and Politics of Public Service (CSRE 178, ETHICSOC 133, PHIL 175A, PHIL 275A, PUBLPOL 103D, URBANST 122)
Ethical and political questions in public service work, including volunteering, service learning, humanitarian assistance, and public service professions such as medicine and teaching. Motives and outcomes in service work. Connections between service work and justice. Is mandatory service an oxymoron? History of public service in the U.S. Issues in crosscultural service work. Integration with the Haas Center for Public Service to connect service activities and public service aspirations with academic experiences at Stanford.
Last offered: Spring 2018
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP, WAY-ER
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