Social and Political Philosophy II

This course is based on classic texts in the history of philosophy, starting from the early modern period through to the turn of the twentieth century. The course is equally divided into Philosophy and English Language parts. While both parts of the course focus on the same set of texts, the emphasis and assessment criteria for each are different. The Philosophy part places more emphasis on evaluating the ideas and arguments expressed by each philosopher. Questions to be considered include: Should our actions be guided by reason or passion, altruism or egoism? Is the idea of forcing someone to be free a contradiction? Should there be limits on what justice can demand in order to bring about the best consequences? The English part will place more emphasis on developing the ability to read and interpret challenging texts, as well as the ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Thus, the English part uses the original texts to further develop the goals achieved during first year English courses (ENG 101/102).