The Modern Political Tradition: Hobbes to Habermas

Overview

Course No. 4750
Without even realizing it, we all use the fruits of political philosophy. From liberty to democracy to community, the terms and concepts originated by political philosophers are ingrained in our global consciousness. Yet many of us have an incomplete picture of how these ideas developed and, quite possibly, a skewed perception of their intentions and implications.

This highly relevant course sheds light on the labyrinth of Western political and social theory, as well as its influence on modern history. Guided by an award-winning professor of philosophy and author, these eye-opening lectures reveal how political philosophers, in responding to the societal problems and changing conditions of their day in revolutionary ways, created virtual blueprints of action for leaders. You’ll gain not only the tools to comprehend the omnipresent language of politics but a thorough understanding of the wellspring of thought that has emerged over centuries of political philosophy and the intellectual origins of major historical movements and events.

Throughout, questions of democracy, freedom, and distributive justice are addressed, along with revolutionary figures who have left an indelible mark on history – from Niccolo Machiavelli to Ayn Rand. By the conclusion of lecture 36, you will have the context necessary to appreciate the evolution of myriad political ideas, including hot-button topics of today such as libertarianism, neoconservatism, feminism, and environmentalism.

Course Lectures

1. Origins and Conflicts of Modern Politics
   Kick off the course with a discussion of political philosophy’s continuing influence in the world and its major concepts, including democracy, republicanism, and liberalism.
   Duration: 35 min
2. Ancient Republics, Empires, Fiefdoms
   Delve into the history of politics leading up to 16th-century Europe, including the development of ancient political organization and the contributions of Plato and Aristotle.
   Duration: 30 min
3. Machiavelli’s New Order
   Explore the legacy of Niccolò Machiavelli, who broke with classical virtue politics, establishing a new order of political thought that focused on real-world politics.
   Duration: 29 min
4. Hobbes, Natural Law, the Social Contract
   Explore Hobbes’ social contract theory based on moral relativism and a pessimistic state of nature, illustrating why society must give up control to the sovereign.
   Duration: 32 min
5. Locke on Limited Government and Toleration
   Investigate John Locke’s more liberal notion of the state of nature and the social contract in terms of property preservation and modern republicanism.
   Duration: 33 min
6. Rousseau’s Republican Community
   Examine Rousseau’s legacy and thought which sought to structure modern civil society around the independence and equality of primitive society.
   Duration: 32 min
7. Kant’s Ethics of Duty and Natural Rights
   Study Kant’s deontological ethics and its foundational importance to understanding modern political theory.
   Duration: 31 min
8. Smith and the Market Revolution
   Investigate thinkers like Voltaire and Adam Smith who argued that self-interested producers promote liberty, peace, and prosperity.
   Duration: 32 min
9. Montesquieu and the American Founding
   Explore the complexity of the American Constitution and the contributions of Montesquieu and the arguments within the Federalist Papers.
   Duration: 31 min
10. Debating the French Revolution
    Delve into the liberal, conservative, and proto-progressive arguments made during “the battle of the pamphlets” surrounding the French Revolution.
    Duration: 31 min
11. Legacies of the Revolution-Right to Left
    Learn about the historical origins of the political terms “right” and “left” through powerful 19th-century thinkers.
    Duration: 33 min
12. Nationalism and a People’s War
    Understand the philosophical work of Carl von Clausewitz and the development of nationalism and modern warfare as a result of the French Revolution.
    Duration: 29 min
13. Civil Society-Constant, Hegel, Tocqueville
    Examine the contributions of Benjamin Constant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Alexis de Tocqueville to political theory.
    Duration: 33 min
14. Mill on Liberty and Utility
    Investigate John Stuart Mill’s doctrine of individual liberty and his redefinition of utilitarianism.
    Duration: 30 min
15. Marx’s Critique of Capitalism
    Explore Karl Marx’s basic claims and his critique of capitalism that shaped political thought well into the 20th century.
    Duration: 31 min
16. Modern vs. Traditional Society
    Learn how figures like Max Weber and Friedrich Nietzsche described the shift from traditional society to modernity.
    Duration: 32 min
17. Progressivism and New Liberalism
    Understand the role, effects, and issues raised by American progressives from 1900 to 1920.
    Duration: 30 min
18. Fleeing Liberalism-Varieties of Socialism
    Explore the growing variants of socialism and the ideas of Vladimir Lenin.
    Duration: 31 min
19. Fleeing Liberalism-Fascism and Carl Schmitt
    Examine the roots of fascism and Carl Schmitt’s critique of parliamentary democracy.
    Duration: 32 min
20. Totalitarianism and Total War
    Grasp the philosophical interpretations surrounding totalitarianism during World War II.
    Duration: 31 min
21. Conservative or Neoliberal-Oakeshott, Hayek
    Examine the divided paths of conservatism and neoliberalism post-WWII.
    Duration: 30 min
22. Reviving the Public Realm-Hannah Arendt
    Explore Hannah Arendt’s critique of modern economics over politics and her call for a return to civic republicanism.
    Duration: 31 min
23. Philosophy vs. Politics-Strauss and Friends
    Look into Leo Strauss’s influences on American neoconservatives and his approach to modern politics.
    Duration: 29 min
24. Marcuse and the New Left
    Delve into Herbert Marcuse’s ideas and their impact on the New Left movement of the 1960s.
    Duration: 31 min
25. Rawls’s A Theory of Justice
    Explore John Rawls’s views on justice and their justification of welfare liberalism.
    Duration: 32 min
26. Ayn Rand, Robert Nozick, Libertarianism
    Analyze the views of Ayn Rand and Robert Nozick on individualism and the welfare state.
    Duration: 32 min
27. What about Community?
    See how communitarian theories responded to individualism in light of Rawls and Nozick’s views.
    Duration: 33 min
28. Walzer on Everything Money Shouldn’t Buy
    Explore Michael Walzer’s contributions to distributive justice and political discourse.
    Duration: 30 min
29. Identity Politics-Feminism
    Consider the feminist challenge to liberal republican political theory and its implications.
    Duration: 30 min
30. Identity Politics-Multiculturalism
    Examine how cultural recognition impacts political equality and liberal republicanism.
    Duration: 30 min
31. The Politics of Nature-Environmentalism
    Survey the arguments of the environmentalist movement and their effects on modern political theory.
    Duration: 31 min
32. Postmodernism, Truth, and Power
    Explore postmodern critiques of egalitarian liberalism and their implications.
    Duration: 31 min
33. Habermas-Democracy as Communication
    Investigate Jürgen Habermas’s defense of modern republicanism through his philosophy of communication.
    Duration: 32 min
34. The End of History? Clash of Civilizations?
    Analyze the relevance of liberal republicanism amid rising ethnic nationalism and radical ideologies.
    Duration: 30 min
35. Just Wars? The Problem of Dirty Hands
    Revisit the ethics of war and Michael Walzer’s moral perspective on just war theory.
    Duration: 32 min
36. Why Political Philosophy Matters
    Conclude the course with insights into the relevance of political philosophy in modern society.
    Duration: 33 min