In continuation with the first course of Western Political Thought, the structure of this course is designed in such a way as to enable the students to understand the continuity in Western Political Thought. This paper focuses on thinkers and themes of Western political philosophy of the medieval and modern periods. An attempt has been made to understand thinkers and texts both from philosophical and historical perspectives. The main objective is to train students in the foundational texts and thinkers of Western Political Philosophy. Taking forward from the earlier thinkers belonging to Western Political Thought, this course highlights the modern advances in political philosophies ranging from socialism, critical theory, feminism, and so on.
Course Content
Unit I: Idealism and Socialism
a) Hegel
- Dialectical Idealism
- Concept of State
- Theory of Freedom
b) Karl Marx
- Dialectical Materialism
- Historical Materialism
- Concept of Class
- Capitalist Exploitation
- State
- Revolution
Unit II: Critical Theories
a) Antonio Gramsci
- Power
- Hegemony and Civil Society
- Role of Intellectuals
- Types of War
b) Jürgen Habermas
- Legitimation Crisis
- Theory of Communicative Action
Unit III: Feminist Thinkers
a) Mary Wollstonecraft
- Men’s Rights and Women’s Freedom
- Idea of Women’s Education
b) Carole Pateman
- The Sexual Contract
- Democracy
- Participation and Obligation
- Patriarchy
- Contract and Property
Unit IV: Contemporary Liberalism and Its Critics
a) John Rawls
- Justice as Fairness
- Original Position
- Veil of Ignorance
b) Michel Foucault
- Power and Freedom
- Governmentality and Ethics
Essential Readings
- Heywood, A. (2004). Political Theory: An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Mukherjee, S., & Ramaswamy, S. (2004). A History of Political Thought: Plato to Marx. PHI Learning.
- Nelson, B. R. (2006). Western Political Thought. Pearson Education India.
- Russell, B. (2005). History of Western Philosophy. Routledge.
- Sabine, G. H. (2018). History of Political Theory. Oxford and IBH Publishers.
- Skinner, Q. (2002). The Foundations of Modern Political Thought (Vol. I: The Renaissance). Cambridge University Press.
- Wayper, C. L. (2007). Teach Yourself Political Thought. Surjeet Publication.
Source: Undergraduate (UG) Political Science Syllabus – Core IX (Semester IV): Western Political Thought – II.