GOVT 64.01 Liberalism and Its Critics
Liberal political theory is renowned for its emphasis on rights, freedoms, and limited government; but critics of liberalism hold that the liberal legacy in free societies is one of misguided energies and broken promises. Students in this course chart the development of liberal thought from the Seventeenth Century to the present, with a view to considering the central values and commitments liberals may share, and examining important contemporary work in liberal theory. The course integrates weighty challenges to the moral and political viability of liberalism, from communitarian, conservative, libertarian, and postmodern critics. GOVT 6 recommended.
Instructor
Swaine