Critical Social Inquiry 0195 - Liberalism and Its Critics

In this course, you will become familiar with foundational figures and arguments in social-political philosophy, with a focus on the tradition of liberal social contract theory. Given that liberalism has been the central tradition in political thought since its emergence, there is an equally important tradition of dissent that we will address. Common to the various critical theories we will cover is the illumination of contradictions within liberalism, such that despite liberal values of democracy, equality, and liberty, there continue to be flagrant cases of tyranny and terror sanctioned by liberal nations. The victims of these tyrannies are women, indigenous peoples, racial/ethnic and religious minorities, the working class/poor, and many others. As we analyze these critical accounts, we will also consider how we can move past the failures of liberalism to form a more peaceful and just society.

Power, Community and Social Justice Independent Work Writing and Research Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.