POL381H1F L0101
Topics in Political Theory
Political Agency Under Modernity
Themes
In the modern world shaped by capitalism, state bureaucracies, and colonialism, what remains of the human possibilities for freedom through politics? What features of modernity render the morality of politics so uncertain? How central is violence to our understanding of politics in the modern age? This course will explore these themes through close reading of key figures in 20th century political thought.
Texts
Max Weber, Hannah Arendt, Gandhi, Fanon, Isaiah Berlin, Michel Foucault
Format and Requirements
Two hours of weekly lecture and class discussion; response essays, in-class writing, short essays, final exam.
Prerequisites
POL200Y1 or ?POL200Y5 or (POLC70H3 and POLC71H3)