POL 210 Lecture 1: Week 1

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POL 210
• Professor: Brian Thomas

Document Summary

A level engage with readings, showing its strengths and weaknesses also showing in contemporary context mdolder@sfu. ca psivia@sfu. ca. What is political philosophy? (or rather, what are we doing when engaged in this distinctive mode of critical reflection?) Political science construed as a descriptive project; how a political society is organized. Two departures (take on some of the project): 1) identify the principles organizing society and whether they are plausible and desirable political society defined = homogenous and hetero in some ways, share something common enough to live together. Ie: democratic societies have liberty, but also massive inequality. Ancient tradition character assumes we should be governed legitimacy modern. We live in the shadow of human rights discourse where democracy is won. Migrants/political instability (in the larger context, global inequality race and gender) same kind of problems that plagued us through the great wars but aren"t resolved ask about non-human animals, natural environment left out of the ancient tradition.