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Introduction to Political Philosophy

Yale,, Fall 2006 , Prof. Steven B. Smith

Updated On 02 Feb, 19

Overview

Introduction: What is Political Philosophy - Socratic Citizenship: Plato's Apology-Plato's Crito - Philosophers and Kings: Plato's Republic,Plato's Republic,Plato's Republic - The Mixed Regime and the Rule of Law: Aristotle's Politics - New Modes and Orders: Machiavelli's The Prince - The Sovereign State: Hobbes' Leviathan - Constitutional Government: Locke's Second Treatise - Constitutional Government: Locke's Second Treatise - Democracy and Participation: Rousseau's Discourse - Democratic Statecraft: Tocqueville's Democracy in America - In Defense of Politics

Includes

Lecture 11: New Modes and Orders Machiavellis The Prince (chaps. 13-26)

4.1 ( 11 )


Lecture Details

Introduction to Political Philosophy (PLSC 114)

The discussion of Machiavellis politics continues in the context of his most famous work, The Prince. A reformer of the moral Christian and classical concepts of goodness and evil, Machiavelli proposes his own definitions of virtue and vice, replacing the vocabulary associated with Plato and the biblical sources. He relates virtue, or virtu, to manliness, force, ambition and the desire to achieve success at all costs. Fortune, or fortuna, is a woman, that must be conquered through policies of force, brutality, and audacity. The problem of "dirty hands" in political and philosophical literature is discussed in detail.

0000 - Chapter 1. Introduction and Class Agenda
0409 - Chapter 2. "Discourses on Livy"
1030 - Chapter 3. The Problem of "Dirty Hands"
2250 - Chapter 4. Was Machiavelli a Machiavellian?
3619 - Chapter 5. What Did Machiavelli Achieve?

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website httpopen.yale.educourses

This course was recorded in Fall 2006.

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Comments
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Sam

Excellent course helped me understand topic that i couldn't while attendinfg my college.

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Dembe

Great course. Thank you very much.

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