Moral Foundations of Politics
When do governments deserve our allegiance, and when should they be denied it? This course explores the main answers that have been given to this question in the modern West. We start with a survey of the major political theories of the Enlightenment: Utilitarianism, Marxism, and the social contract tradition. In each case, we begin with a look at classical formulations, locating them in historical context, but then shift to the contemporary debates as they relate to politics today.
Next, we turn to the rejection of Enlightenment political thinking, again exploring both classical and contemporary formulations. The last part of the course deals with the nature of, and justifications for, democratic politics, and their relations to Enlightenment and Anti-Enlightenment political thinking.
In addition to exploring theoretical differences among the various authors discussed, considerable attention is devoted to the practical implications of their competing arguments. To this end, we discuss a variety of concrete problems, including debates about economic inequality, affirmative action and the distribution of health care, the limits of state power in the regulation of speech and religion, and difficulties raised by the emerging threat of global environmental decay.
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Syllabus
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Welcome to Moral Foundations of Politics
Week 2
Enlightenment Political Theory
Week 3
Utilitarianism: Classical and Neoclassical
Week 4
Marxism, Its Failures and Its Legacy
Week 5
The Social Contract Tradition I
Week 6
The Social Contract Tradition II
Week 7
Anti-Enlightenment Politics
Week 8
Democracy
FAQ
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Reviews
This is an extremely interesting and engaging course. The lectures delivered by Prof. Ian Shapiro were articulate and lucid. Looking forward to a more advanced version of this course in coursera.
Wonderful course. All political developments are taught in a chronological way. Professor is very engaging. Its not live any other course but more of a discussion between students and professor.
It is very well done. It touches all the political theories but that is it, it just touches them. It is still worth taking and you will also learn which one of the theories you can relate to.
The lectures are easy to understand, the reading materials informative. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and any beginner will be able to grasp the technicalities of Moral Politics after this Course.
