Modern political philosophy: ideas and ideologies in the 21st century

This course will explore some of the key philosophical ideas behind the issues and debates of today. Starting with a critical examination of the case for classical liberalism we will then turn to look at some of the alternatives from the left and right of the political spectrum - and beyond. This will involve a consideration of radical and conservative perspectives on the state, free speech, rights and the nature of freedom and equality as values. We will be looking at some of the key contributions to the debates around the character of ‘the political’, of citizenship and of public versus private as well as the question of how power is wielded in our society, and to what ends.