Political Philosophy, BA

Contact

Dennis Rasmussen
Political Science
313B Maxwell Hall
315.443.5877

Faculty

See faculty listings under the programs in Philosophy and in Political Science.

Program Description

The Political Philosophy major enables students to take courses across a range of academic disciplines that tackle some of the biggest questions that we all face, such as: What is justice? What is freedom? What constitutes a good society? What constitutes a good life? In addition to core courses in moral and political theory, students may pursue tracks in the history of political thought, law, ethics and politics, or human nature and political theory.

Student Learning Outcomes

Explain core concepts in political philosophy (such as liberty, equality, rights, federalism, etc.)
Identify and reconstruct political arguments, including the ability to identify premises and conclusions in political arguments
Read and critically evaluate literature in political thought, including historical texts, scholarly publications, and public scholarship
Write short analytical essays in political thought
Apply theories and concepts to relevant political case studies

Major Requirements

The program requires a total of 30 credits.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Requirements
Select 12 credits of the following:		12
PHI 125	Political Theory
PSC 125	Political Theory
PHI 175	Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
PHI 191	The Meaning of Life
PHI 192	Introduction to Moral Theory
PHI 305	Classical Political Philosophy
PSC 385	Classical Political Philosophy
PHI 317	Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition and its Critics
PHI 417	Contemporary Political Philosophy
No more than two 100-level courses can count towards these 12 credits.
In addition, students choose two of the following four areas
In addition, students choose two of the following four areas, and take nine credits in each: (1) history of political thought; (2) law; (3) ethics and politics; and (4) human nature and political theory. Each course selection needs the approval of a political philosophy advisor. The courses listed below satisfy these area requirements. However, additional courses in philosophy or political science, such as selected topics courses, may be approved, as may certain courses in other departments such as history or sociology, as well as appropriate courses given outside of the arts and sciences. Each political philosophy student consults with the advisor about course selections each semester. The illustrative examples are:		18
History of Political Thought
PSC 326	Foundations of American Political Thought
PSC 327	Modern American Political Thought
PHI 418	Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche
PSC 345	Capitalism, For and Against
PSC 376	The Creation of the U.S. Constitution
Law
PSC 324	Constitutional Law I
PSC 325	Constitutional Law II
PSC 352	International Law
PSC 374	Law and Society
PSC 375	Philosophy of Law
REL 361	Islamic Law & Society
PSC 381	Islamic Law & Society
Ethics and Politics
ANT 483	Social Movement Theory
GEO 273	Geography of Capitalism: The Political Economy of Global Inequality
GEO 353	Geographies of Environmental Justice
PHI 393	Contemporary Ethics
PHI 493	Contemporary Ethical Issues
PSC 307	The Politics of Citizenship
PSC 356	Political Conflict
PSC 363	Ethics and International Relations
PSC 377	Religion and Politics
PSC 378	Power and Identity
Human Nature and Political Theory
PHI 197	Human Nature
PHI 297	Philosophy of Feminism
PHI 377	Philosophy of Psychology
PHI 391	History of Ethics
PHI 411	Philosophies of Race and Identity
PHI 575	Philosophy of Social Science
PSC 319	Gender and Politics
SOC 335	Political Sociology
WGS 301	Feminist Theories
WGS 343	Latina Feminist Theories
Total Credits		30

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major (30 credits) that are listed above.

Dual Enrollments:

Students dually enrolled in Newhouse* and Arts and Sciences|Maxwell will complete a minimum of 122 credits, with at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences|Maxwell coursework and an Arts and Sciences|Maxwell major.

*Students dually enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences|Maxwell as first year students must complete the Liberal Arts Core. Students who transfer to the dual program after their first year as singly enrolled students in the Newhouse School will satisfy general requirements for the dual degree program by completing the Newhouse Core Requirements.

Undergraduate University Requirements

The following requirements and experiences apply to all Syracuse University Undergraduate matriculated degree programs.

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