The course provides students with a brief introduction to Western political philosophy by examining some of the major texts of classical authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, and the modern (Mill, Weber, Arendt, Strauss, Rawls, etc.). The course has the character of a seminar and requires the student to read the texts regularly (20-30 pages every weekend), prepare a presentation, and prepare weekly short answers to the reading questions.

The course provides students with a brief introduction to Western political philosophy by examining some of the major texts of classical authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, and the modern (Mill, Weber, Arendt, Strauss, Rawls, etc.). The course has the character of a seminar and requires the student to read the texts regularly (20-30 pages every weekend), prepare a presentation, and prepare weekly short answers to the reading questions.

Topics:

1. Plato's Conception of Justice and Reflections on the Just City in the Republic

2. Aristotle's Critique of Plato in his Politics

3. Aristotle's political anthropology of the concept of mixed constitution (Politeia)

4. Machiavelli: The Prince

5. T. Hobbes: Leviathan

6. J. Locke: Second Treatise on Government

7. J.-J. Rousseau: Discourse on the Social Contract

8. K. Marx, the Communist Manifesto and the Paris Manuscripts

9. J. S. Mill: On Liberty

10. H. Arendt: Truth and Politics

Week 1 - Aristotle's Book 1 of Politics

Course materials are available in the Moodle: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=12089

* Recommended literature:

ARENDT, H., „Socrates,“ in Arendt, H., The Promise of Politics. New York:
Schocken Books, 2005, p. 5-39.
RANCIÈRE, J., Disagreement: Politics and Philosophy. Minneapolis -
London: University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
ROWE, C., SCHOFIELD, M. (eds.). The Cambridge History of Greek and
Roman Political Thought. London - New York: Oxford University Press,
2000.
STRAUSS, L, The City and Man. Chicago - London: University of Chicago
Press, 1964.
STRAUSS, L., The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: Its Basis and Its Genesis.
Chicago - London: University of Chicago, 1963.