Introduction to Political Philosophy

This course is a basic introduction to the main principles of political philosophy. The history of political philosophy, whether in China or the West, is a history of debates about contrasting political values: What matters more, freedom or community? Equality or hierarchy? Democracy or political meritocracy? Nationalism or cosmopolitanism? Different thinkers in China and the West have put forward different arguments for prioritizing different values, depending on their political ideals and visions of the good life. These political values recur in different times and places and they are still being debated today. In this course, we will discuss some of the more influential arguments for and against these contrasting political values in the history of political thought.