POL381H1S L0101
Topics in Political Theory
Theories of Liberal Democracy
Themes
In Western societies such as Canada, liberal democracy has been the reigning paradigm of politics since the end of the Second World War. Today, liberal democracy is in crsis in the West and globally. This course will begin with an in-depth exploration of one of the leading philosophers of liberal democracy in the 20th century (John Rawls), and explore a series of critics of liberal democracy from feminist, Black, Indigenous, non-Western, and post-human perspectives.
Texts
John Rawls, Carole Pateman, Charles Mills, Combahee River Collective, George Manuel, Jane Bennett, Edward Said, Zhao Tingyang
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)