Taking philosophy in a general way to be the investigation of the most
fundamental questions in various fields, this course aims to examine
such questions in relation to social and political areas of human
interaction such as: What is justice? What is a just state? What is the
political? How should we understand the relation between political
authority and individual liberty? What is democracy? Is the law the
instrument of justice, or the tool of powerful interests? What is civil
society? The answer to these questions will be sought, first, by a study
of canonical texts of Western political philosophy which will include
both ancient and contemporary contributions, and secondly, by a
discussion of current controversies as found in the court cases and
news. By the end of the course, students not only will have a sense of
main topics and issues in social and political philosophy but will also
be able to examine and analyze such arguments as found in their everyday
life.