Yale Course , Fall 2006 , Prof. Steven B. Smith
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
Lecture Details
Introduction to Political Philosophy (PLSC 114)
John Locke had such a profound influence on Thomas Jefferson that he may be deemed an honorary founding father of the United States. He advocated the natural equality of human beings, their natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and defined legitimate government in terms that Jefferson would later use in the Declaration of Independence. Lockes life and works are discussed, and the lecture shows how he transformed ideas previously formulated by Machiavelli and Hobbes into a more liberal constitutional theory of the state.
0000 - Chapter 1. Who Is John Locke?
1311 - Chapter 2. John Lockes Theory of Natural Law
3127 - Chapter 3. Property, Labor and the Theory of Natural Law
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website httpopen.yale.educourses
This course was recorded in Fall 2006.