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This course focuses on selected Western political philosophers from the Ancient and Medieval periods of political theory, roughly 400 B.C.E.-1400 C.E. It includes theorists such as Plato, Aristole, St. Augustine, and Aquinas and explores questions like: What is the best form of government? What roles do education and faith play in politics?

The goals of POL 240 are: • to study and understand the main ideas and questions of Western political theory from antiquity to medieval times; specifically—students will be able to identify, analyze, and critique the concepts of justice and virtue, as well as the ideal “man,” citizen, and political community of the major thinkers covered in class; • to enhance each student’s capacity to read with understanding and a critical eye, using primary source materials;• to refine each student’s ability to express ideas clearly and convincingly—particularly in writing; • and, to form a mutually supportive learning community that facilitates the objectives outlined above.

*The learning goals displayed here are those for one section of this course as offered in a recent semester, and are provided for the purpose of information only. The exact learning goals for each course section in a specific semester will be stated on the syllabus distributed at the start of the semester, and may differ in wording and emphasis from those shown here.