PHIL351 FA26

This course introduces students to central questions in political philosophy. What justifies political authority? What limits should be placed on state power? How should a just society balance individual freedom with the common good? We will approach these questions through sustained engagement with the work of John Stuart Mill, whose writings on liberty, utility, and gender remain foundational to contemporary political thought. By reading On Liberty, Utilitarianism, and The Subjection of Women in sequence, along with supplementary readings that apply, extend, and challenge Mill’s views in light of contemporary debates, students will develop a rigorous understanding of liberal political theory. Potential topics include hate speech regulation, religious freedom, democratic theory, conservatism, perfectionism, individuality and conformity, sexual equality, and the politics of homelessness. There are no prerequisites for this course, though students are expected to read carefully and engage critically with difficult texts.

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