PO 349 - The Character of Political Life

Aristotle tells us that “Man is by nature a political animal,” but what does this mean, and what is the character of politics? Politics involves the distribution of power in complex communities for the purpose of securing interests and honors. The distribution of power requires a justification of power or authority - in other words, a regime’s account of justice. Looked at in this way we can see that a number of themes emerge: the enduring problem of faction, and the distinction of public and private goods; the shaping of a “public” and the ordering of a regime; the empowerment - and disempowerment - of reason in public life; the relationship between justice and power; the interaction of nature and convention in politics. The texts include works by Aristotle, Xenophon, Montesquieu, Shakespeare and Machiavelli. (Formerly PO 207)

Four credits.