Reason and Revolution
Political Science · 3 hrs Lecture
Offered: Fall Or Winter
No prerequisites listed, you can take this course without prior coursework.
Where POL-3205 counts
Counts toward 2 more as one option among several, not as a course you must take:
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
Reason and revolution are ideas central to contemporary politics. This course explores their roots in 18th century Europe. Enlightenment thinkers argue that society can be reorganized based on reason, freedom and equality. Counter-enlightenment thinkers argue that such attempts often degenerate into the type of violence and terror evident in the French Revolution. This course explores these issues in the writings of thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Edmund Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Paine and others. Restriction: Students may not hold credit for this course and POL-3235(3).
From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.