Social and Political Philosophy
Political Science · 3 hrs Lecture
Offered: Fall/Winter Only, Every Year
No prerequisites listed, you can take this course without prior coursework.
Where POL-2200 counts
Counts toward 9 more as one option among several, not as a course you must take:
- HR 3-YEAR BA IN HUMAN RIGHTS
- HR 4-YEAR BA IN HUMAN RIGHTS
- PHIL 3-YEAR BA IN PHILOSOPHY
- PHIL 4-YEAR BA IN PHILOSOPHY
- PHIL 4-YEAR BA IN PHILOSOPHY (STUDENT DIRECTED STREAM)
- PHIL HONOURS BA IN PHILOSOPHY
- PHIL HONOURS BA IN PHILOSOPHY (STUDENT DIRECTED HONOURS PROGRAM)
- POL 4-YEAR BA IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
- POL HONOURS BA IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Read from the departments' own calendar pages, where 50 of 208 programs are only partly machine-readable, so treat these as a minimum rather than the full list. Confirm with an academic advisor.
Description
This course is a critique of attempts to give ethical justification for social institutions and practices. Why should one obey the state? When is disobedience justified? Are there any inalienable and absolute human rights? What are the conditions and limits of liberty? Why and when is it moral to punish? Is free enterprise consistent with principles of justice? Is it ever right to engage in war? Readings will include the work of some of the following: social contract theorists, utilitarians, Hegelians, Marxists, existentialists, and analytic philosophers.
Restrictions
Students may not hold credit for this course and PHIL-2200 | PHIL-2205.
Cross-listed
PHIL-2200(6).
From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.