This course offers an in-depth exploration of the foundational concepts and ideas in classical political philosophy, focusing primarily on the works of ancient Greek and modern European thinkers who shaped the development of political philosophy. Students will engage with the key texts of philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and the Social Contractarians, examining their views on justice, citizenship, the nature of the state, the role of the individual, and the best forms of government. The course begins with a study of Plato, who explores the nature of justice and the ideal city-state. Following Plato, the course turns to Aristotle, who offers a more empirical and pragmatic approach to political philosophy. After that, the course explains the theories and ideas put forward by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Jeremy Bentham, JS Mill, and ends with Karl Marx. Throughout the course, students will critically engage with the central questions of classical political philosophy: What is the nature of justice? What is the best form of government? What is the role of the individual within the state? How can political communities balance freedom and authority? By the end of the course, students will have developed a deeper understanding of the enduring questions of political philosophy and how these ancient ideas continue to influence modern political thought and practice.This course will be taught through a combination of lectures and readings encouraging students to engage critically with both the texts and the continuing relevance of classical political philosophy.
| Course Status : | Upcoming |
| Course Type : | Core |
| Language for course content : | English |
| Duration : | 12 weeks |
| Category : |
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| Credit Points : | 5 |
| Level : | Undergraduate |
| Start Date : | 06 Jan 2025 |
| End Date : | 30 Apr 2025 |
| Enrollment Ends : | 28 Feb 2025 |
| Exam Date : | 17 May 2025 IST |
| NCrF Level : | 5.5 |
| Exam Shift: : | II |
Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.
WEEK 1
1. What is Political Philosophy?
2. Approaches to the Interpretation of texts
3. Quentin Skinner’s Approach to Interpretation
4. Plato: Introduction
WEEK 2
5. Plato’s Method and Theory of Forms
6. Plato’s concept of Philosopher King
7. Justice: Plato’s Critique of earlier notions & his own Theory of Justice
8. Plato’s concept of Education
WEEK 3
9. Plato’s idea of Communism
10. Plato’s views on Women and Guardianship
11. Plato’s views on Censorship
12. Aristotle: Introduction & Method
WEEK 4
13. Aristotle’s Criticism of Plato
14. Aristotle’s Theory of Justice
15. Aristotle on Family, Property, and Slavery
16. Aristotle’s Theory on Revolution
WEEK 5
17. Aristotle’s State and Political man
18. Aristotle’s Classification of Government
19. Political Philosophy of St. Augustine
20. Political Philosophy of St. Thomas Acquinas
WEEK 6
21. Political Philosophy of Marsiglio of Padua
22. Machiavelli: Introduction
23. Machiavelli on Human Nature
24. Machiavelli’s views on Secularism
WEEK 7
25. Machiavelli’s views on Republicanism
26. Machiavelli’s Statecraft
27. Hobbes: Introduction
28. Hobbesian State of Nature
WEEK 8
29. Hobbes: Social Contract
30. Thomas Hobbes’ theory of State and Sovereignty
31. Hobbes: Individualism
32. John Locke: Introduction
WEEK 9
33. John Locke and his Political Thought
34. John Locke’s Theory of Natural Rights
35. Locke’s Theory of Property: Justification and Critique
36. John Locke on Limited Government & Right to Dissent
WEEK 10
37. John Locke: on the Laws of Nature
38. Political Philosophy of Montesquieu
39. Political Philosophy of Rousseau Part I
40. Political Philosophy of Rousseau Part II
WEEK 11
41. Rousseau on Democracy
42. Political Philosophy of Immanuel Kant
43. Political Philosophy of George Hegel
44. Hegel’s concept of State and Civil Society
WEEK 12
45. Political Philosophy of Thomas Hill Green
46. Political Philosophy of Bentham
47. Political Philosophy of John Stuart Mill
48. John Stuart Mill’s the Subjection of Women
WEEK 13
49. Karl Marx –A Profile
50. Karl Marx –Life and Works
51. Marxist Theory of Historical Materialism
52. Marxian Concept of Class
WEEK 14
53. Conflict Theory with Special Reference to Karl Marx
54. Karl Marx’s views on Capitalism
55. Karl Marx on Alienation
References:
1. Berlin, Issaih (2006). Political ideas in the Romantic Age –Their rise and influence on Modern Thought, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
2. Sankowski, Edward (1995). ‘Political Philosophy’, in Ted Honderich (ed.) The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Oxford: OUP, pp. 693-697.
3. Larmore, Charles (2013). ‘What is Political Philosophy?, Journal of Moral Philosophy, Vol. 10, pp. 276-306.
4. Strauss, Leo (1957). ‘What is Political Philosophy?’, The Journal of Politics, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 343-368.
5. Wolff, Jonathan (2006). Introduction to Political Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
6. Jha, Shefali (2010). Western Political Thought –From Plato to Marx, Delhi: Pearson.
7. Heywood, Andrew (Ed 4th) (2015). Political Theory: An Introduction London: Macmillan International
8.
Links
1. Plato’s Theory of Forms on Academia
https://www.academia.edu/29597704/An_Introduction_to_Platos_Theory_of_Forms
2. Plato’s Philosophy on Research Gate
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358768206_Plato's_Philosophy
3. Shields, C. (forthcoming). Aristotle. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023 Edition). Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/aristotle/
4. LeBar, M. (2020). Justice as a Virtue. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition). Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2020/entries/justice-virtue/
5. Berlin, Isaiah. 2005. “Three Turning Points in Political Thought: Machiavelli,” The Isaiah Berlin Virtual Library. https://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/lists/nachlass/machiavelli.pdf.
6. Dunning, W.A. 1902. A History of Political Theories: Ancient and Medieval, New York: Johnson Reprint. https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd/193
7. Machiavelli, Niccolo (2014) The Prince Translated Tim Parks Penguin Classics URL: https://apeiron.iulm.it/retrieve/handle/10808/4129/46589/Machiavelli%2C%20The%20Prince.pdf
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