This course offers an undergraduate-level introduction to the field of political theory, which is the study of the concepts and values that are central to governance and politics: for example, democracy, power, freedom, and justice. Over the course of the semester we will read some historical texts that are considered “canonical,” such as Jeremy Bentham’s Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation and Karl Marx’s Capital. However, our emphasis will be on contemporary works, like those of Elizabeth Anderson, Michel Foucault, and Charles Mills. By the end of the semester, students will:

• have a good working knowledge of the texts we’ve studied and the arguments their authors advance;
• have the fundamental skills needed to read, analyze, debate about, and write about  similar texts in political theory; and 
• be well-equipped for further study in the field of political theory, including, but not limited to, the history of political thought sequence at Washington University.