Political Philosophy
Contact John Robertson, 530 Hall of Languages, 315-443-5826.
Faculty See faculty listings under the programs in philosophy and in political science.
Political philosophy is reflective thought on group activity. It differs from political science in that it is a conceptual inquiry, while political science is a more empirical and practical application of that inquiry. The program enables students to pursue studies using the resources of both the philosophy department and the political science department. Students take coursework in ethics, political theory, history of political thought, law, and human nature. Some other topics of study include governmental structures and their ideal implementation, political behavior, civil liberties, the relationship between individuals and governments, and philosophy of law.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
The program requires a total of 30 credits. Of these, 12 credits are selected from the following courses:
PHI 107 may also apply toward satisfaction of the humanities divisional requirements in the Liberal Arts Core.
In addition, students choose two of the following four areas, and take nine credits in each: (1) political thought; (2) law; (3) ethics and politics; and (4) human nature and political theory. Each course selection needs the approval of a political philosophy advisor. The courses listed below satisfy these area requirements. However, additional courses in philosophy or political science, such as selected topics courses, may be approved, as may certain courses in other departments such as history or sociology, as well as appropriate courses given outside of the arts and sciences. Each political philosophy student consults with the advisor about course selections each semester. The illustrative examples are:
(1) History of political thought:
(2) Law:
(3) Ethics and politics:
(4) Human nature and political theory: