This course engages central topics in social and political philosophy and in ethics such as, for instance, the nature of justice, forms of governance, the emergence and changes of social structures, or conceptions of political power and legitimacy. Such topics will be addressed by studying seminal texts written by classical or contemporary social and political philosophers and ethicists from Western and/or Eastern philosophical traditions. The goal is to better understand how different social and political philosophies have given expression to various forms of institutions and shaped the lives of people affected by them throughout different periods of history.

CILO-1: Conceive of the development of social and political structures within a philosophical framework. CILO-2: Discern how ethical values have informed the development of social and political ideas and ideals. CILO-3: Address contemporary social, political, and ethical debates in speech and in writing.