Theorizing Politics: Machiavelli, Marx, and Foucault

Semester and Year	FA 2010
Course Number	IDSEM-UG1272
Section	001
Instructor	George Shulman
Days	Tue
Time	6:20 PM - 9:00 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement	SOC

Description

This course explores American ambivalence toward and alienation from “politics.” What do our apathy and cynicism say about politics as it is practiced in our society, and what do they say about ourselves? To pursue these questions we analyze what politics–as a concept and a practice–has meant in history, means to us now, and could mean. The course proceeds by closely reading several canonical texts in political theory and using them to think about current events. Working through several profound visions of politics will help us learn to “think politically.”

Course Type

Interdisciplinary Seminars (IDSEM-UG)