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Interdisciplinary Minor in Political Philosophy

Description

The interdisciplinary minor in Political Philosophy offers students the opportunity for intensive study in the area of political philosophy and political theory. The minor includes courses that focus on the history of political philosophy, on the moral evaluation of political institutions, on ethical, social, and political issues raised by globalization, and on the conceptual foundations of democracy and human rights.

The minor can provide the opportunity for students to study this field in depth and from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, to develop a deeper philosophical perspective on political institutions, and to lay the foundation for further graduate study in Philosophy, Government, or Policy Studies.

The minor is available to currently enrolled undergraduate students and consists of 15 credits of related course work, including 6 required credits and 9 elective credits.

Students wishing to register for the minor should contact:
Dr. Roger Paden | Interdisciplinary Minor Program Coordinator
rpaden@gmu.edu | Robinson B 458 | Voice 703 993-1265
Fax 703 993-1297 | Call or email to schedule an appointment.

Requirements

Students enrolled in this minor must complete 15 hours distributed as follows:

Core courses (6 credits): 2 core courses selected from the following

PHIL/GOVT 323 Classical Western Political Theory
PHIL/GOVT 324 Modern Western Political Theory
PHIL/GOVT 327 Contemporary Western Political Theory

Note: a third core course may be counted toward satisfying the minor's
elective requirements

Elective courses (9 credits): 3 elective courses selected from the following list

PHIL/GOVT 323 Classical Western Political Theory
PHIL/GOVT 324 Modern Western Political Theory
PHIL/GOVT 327 Contemporary Western Political Theory
PHIL/GOVT 427 Feminist Political Thought
PHIL 325 Karl Marx's Social and Political Thought
PHIL 326 Justice, Law, and the Modern State
PHIL 429 International Ethics
GOVT 328 Non-Western Political Theory
GOVT 329 Issues in Political Theories and Values
GOVT 420 American Political Thought
GOVT 421 Contemporary Political Ideologies
GOVT 428 Advanced Issues in Democratic Theory
GOVT 448 Ethics and International Politics

Note to Philosophy and Government Students: According to the University Catalog, "at least 8 credits [of the course work applied to the minor] must be applied ONLY to the minor and not may not be used to fulfill requirements of the major." In effect, therefore, two three-hour classes may be counted toward satisfying both your major and this minor, while three other three-hour classes must be counted toward the minor only.

Note: special topics courses and independent studies courses, when relevant and
with the prior approval of the coordinator, may be used as elective courses

Affiliated Faculty

Coordinator: Roger Paden

Core faculty: Mario Feit, Char Miller, Roger Paden, Claire Snyder

Contributing faculty: Debra Bergoffen, Rose Cherubin, Martin De Nys,
Fran Harbour, Peter Mandaville