Courses

The Political Theory of Progress, Reconsidered

Ethics for Activists

Fall 2025

What Can You Do for Your Country? (ESF 17, ESF 17A)

Instructors: Russell Berman and Ruth Starkman

What does it mean to serve your country? All ethical systems train the individual to relinquish self-interest in favor of a larger communal good. When you applied to Stanford, you answered many application questions designed to elicit evidence of your ability to serve others, which is considered a sign of good character, leadership, and ability to thrive beyond the confines of your family and private world. Knowing you've wrestled with this question at length, showing sacrifice, endurance, empathy, and understanding of higher goods, this course asks you to examine the nation's view. How can the nation present itself as worthy of your personal sacrifice? Do you need to believe in the greatness of your nation to serve? What kind of cause demands your devotion? Nations have differently articulated such a commitment. Some make modest demands and promise you your own sovereignty. Others request only that you dream of national greatness as your own and that you lend a hand. But all nations require at some point, everything from you. What and when are you prepared to give? This course begins with the shortest and most powerful demand for the last full measure your devotion. President Abraham Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address', which presents the ideals of the American nation as worthy of returning to war. Following this question of devotion to your nation, the course moves to President JF Kennedy's 'What can you do for your nation' speech, and then to diverse periods and perspectives around the globe. Syllabus available here

The Presidency (POLISCI 220R, POLISCI 320R)

Instructor: Brandice Canes-Wrone

This course provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the American presidency and covers a range of topics: elections, congressional relations, public communications, unilateral action, influence over the bureaucracy, leadership in foreign policy, and much more. Throughout, the goal is to understand why presidents behave as they do and why the presidency as an institution has developed as it has, with special attention to the dynamics of the American political system and how they condition incentives, opportunities, and power. Syllabus available here.

Zionism and the Novel (JEWISHST 37Q, COMPLIT 37Q)

Instructors: Russell Berman

At the end of the nineteenth century, Zionism emerged as a political movement to establish a national homeland for the Jews, eventually leading to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. This seminar uses novels to explore the changes in Zionism, the roots of the conflict in the Middle East, and the potentials for the future. We will take a close look at novels by Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, in order to understand multiple perspectives, and we will also consider works by authors from the North America and from Europe. Note: This course must be taken for a letter grade to be eligible for WAYS and Writing 2 credit. Syllabus available here.

Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence (POLISCI 115/INTLREL 115/PUBPOL 114/AMSTUD115S)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course examines the past, present, and future of American espionage. Targeted at first years and sophomores, the class surveys key issues in the development of the U.S. Intelligence Community since World War II. Topics include covert action, intelligence successes and failures, the changing motives and methods of traitors, and ethical dilemmas. The course pays particular attention to how emerging technologies are transforming intelligence today. We examine cyber threats, the growing use of AI for both insight and deception, and the “open-source” intelligence revolution. Government spy agencies used to dominate the collection and analysis of intelligence, and much of it was secret. Now the most valuable data is often publicly available. The Internet, social media, AI, commercial satellites, and other technological advances are enabling companies, non-governmental organizations, and individuals to collect and analyze intelligence, too. Questions examined include: What do these changes mean for American spy agencies? What is the role of private firms? What are the implications for geopolitics and international security?

We examine controversial topics from contending points of view based on available evidence. The goal is to sharpen students’ thinking skills and walk in the shoes of intelligence analysts who deal with questions that rarely have clear answers, even in hindsight. There is a difference between understanding and being able to clearly articulate a given position and agreeing with or endorsing it.  We seek the former, not the latter. This is an environment for learning and debate, and we want all students to feel comfortable expressing their views as well as interacting with and learning from their peers. Please be aware of and respectful of the fact that your peers may have different views from you. Try to separate your personal feelings on course topics from your academic engagement.

Classes include guest lectures by former senior U.S. intelligence officials, policymakers, and open-source intelligence leaders. Course requirements include an all-day crisis simulation with former senior officials designed to give students a hands-on feel for the uncertainties, coordination challenges, time pressures, and policy frictions of intelligence in the American foreign policy process.

No prior coursework or background in U.S. foreign policy is required. Graduate students must complete an additional research paper assignment. Syllabus available here.

Societal Collapse (POLISCI 244D, CLASSICS 187)

Instructor: Javier Mejia

Sustained economic growth is an anomaly in human history. Moreover, in the very long term, sustained economic decline is common. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the causes of economic decline, the social and political consequences of that decline, and the path that led to the collapse of some of the most prosperous societies in human history. Among the episodes we will cover are the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the Classic Maya collapse. We will compare these ancient episodes with recent cases of socioeconomic decline, including the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the downfall of Venezuela under Chavismo. We will use the past to reflect on the fundamentals of harmony and prosperity in our society and the challenges that they will face in the future. Syllabus available here.

American Constitutional History (AMSTUD 57A, AMSTUD 157A, HISTORY 57, HISTORY 157)

Instructor: Jonathan Gienapp

The United States Constitution has been the nation's fundamental law since it was adopted over two centuries ago. Along the way, it has provided the basic framework through which Americans have governed themselves and secured their fundamental liberty. It has also been an endless site of struggle as Americans, in debating the reach of national power, slavery, democracy, equality, personal autonomy, and much else, have vigorously disputed not simply what the Constitution means and licenses but more fundamentally what it even is. This course offers a broad overview of this expansive history from its eighteenth-century origins to our modern era. It focuses on pivotal developments and debates that have shaped the constitutional order and the various institutions and actors who have played an important role in that process, not simply the Supreme Court and the cases it has decided, but also the other branches of government, the political process, and the social movements that have mobilized new understandings of the Constitution to advance their goals. It emphasizes contest and change through law, politics, and culture, exploring how the Constitution has been at once a political and legal document as well a source of national identity that binds generations to one another.

Political Theory in Public Policy (PUBLPOL 314)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

How should we judge the fairness of social institutions? This is the basic question of justice, and it is a crucial topic for students of public policy. Justice, the philosopher John Rawls famously argued, is the "first virtue of social institutions ... laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust." Justice is an ethical question about how we as moral beings ought to treat one another, but it is also a profoundly practical question. All human endeavors require large-scale coordination of our actions, which we achieve through laws and institutions. But law without justice is merely mass coercion, neither desirable nor sustainable. In this class we examine some of the most influential theories of fairness in social cooperation, including utilitarianism, social contract theory, liberalism, socialism, and libertarianism, and talk through how we can use these theories to analyze, evaluate, and (re)design public policy. Key questions include: Under what conditions is inequality of wealth and income problematic, and why? What are rights, and why do they matter? How should we balance the needs of individuals against the claims of groups? This class is also meant to provide students with the critical tools to identify and remedy injustices. No experience with political theory is required or assumed, and students will learn the skills of how to do political theory and how to incorporate it into policy work as part of the course. Open only to graduate students; permission number required to enroll. Syllabus available here.

Is Privacy Dead? Privacy, Surveillance, and Freedom in the Digital Age (POLISCI 29N, ETHICSOC 128N)

Instructor: Lowry Pressly

Suppose that someone is listening to your phone calls and reading your emails, but you never find out and your life is never affected. What reason do you have to complain? Does it make a difference if it's a neighbor, a lover, the state, or an AI agent listening in? What if you are the one posting the information on social media? Do we have a right not to be tracked, photographed, or surveilled in public? In this seminar, students will examine these questions and many more having to do with the value of privacy in the digital age. They will have the opportunity to develop their own answers by drawing on a field of theories about privacy, anonymity, and surveillance, and they can expect to leave the seminar with a better view of the ethical and political problems facing their own era of technological change. This seminar will serve as an introduction to the wide range of ethical and political questions concerning privacy and technology, as well as an introduction to the practice of philosophy. We will take an interdisciplinary approach to questions of privacy, surveillance, and freedom in the digital age, with readings drawn from moral and political philosophy, political science, sociology, law, media studies, and the arts. Assessing what others have said and thought about privacy (writ large) will be important in developing our own views. Just as important, however, we will refract these arguments and observations through our own experiences with concealment and exposure, letting the theory inform our lives and vice versa. This is what I mean when I say this seminar will offer an introduction to the practice of philosophy. Students can expect to see improvement in their skills of critical reasoning and argumentative writing, and to leave the seminar with a sharpened faculty of critical and moral vision.

The History of Ancient Greek Philosophy (PHIL 100, CLASSICS 40)

Instructor: Christopher Bobonich

We shall cover the major developments in Greek philosophical thought, focusing on Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic schools (the Epicureans, the Stoics, and the Skeptics). Topics include epistemology, metaphysics, psychology, ethics and political theory. No prereqs, not repeatable. Syllabus available here.

Hoover Institution National Security Affairs Fellows Mentorship Program (PUBLPOL 100)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course is designed to give Stanford undergraduates an introduction to civil-military relations, leadership development, and operational aspects of American foreign policy. Admitted undergraduates will be mentored by a distinguished leader from the Air Force, Army, CIA, Coast Guard, FBI, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, or State Department for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the 2023-24 academic year. Participation in all three quarters is required. These military leaders, diplomats, and intelligence professionals are part of the Hoover Institution's National Security Affairs Fellows program. The scheduled class time will be used for group activities, lectures from the National Security Affairs Fellows on their experiences in the U.S. government, small group meetings with mentees and mentors, and special sessions with senior American foreign policy leaders. At the end of each quarter, students write short reflection papers. No expertise in international affairs is necessary to apply and all majors are welcome. Selection is based on academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, and interest in international affairs. The program is directed by Dr. Amy Zegart. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to hoovernsaf@stanford.edu. Syllabus available here.

Justice (POLISCI 103, ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much, much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, “the benefits and burdens of social cooperation”? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we’ll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We’ll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and liberal egalitarianism, and we’ll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own. Syllabus available here.

20th Century and Contemporary Political Theory (POLISCI 437C)

Instructor: Emilee Chapman

This graduate seminar course provides a survey of some of the major contributions to (primarily Western) political thought in the past century. The course will place special emphasis on the development of theories of political authority and legitimacy in the context of the modern bureaucratic state and global order, as well as the connection between authority and other key concepts in normative political theory: freedom, justice, equality, and democracy. Syllabus available here.

Workshop in Political Theory (POLISCI 433)

Instructor: Brian Coyne and Ariel Yingqi Tang

For graduate students. Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in political theory present works-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.

Liberalism and Populism in the American Political Economy (POLISCI 235U, POLISCI 335U)

Instructor: Paul Lendway

America's political economy critically hinges on open markets, individual liberties, and institutional constraints legitimized by state constitutions. Domestically and abroad, recent decades have consisted of a meteoric rise of populists on the ideological left and ideological right challenging these core assumptions under the mantle of the people's will. This class will examine foundational texts on liberalism and populism, discuss the historic interplay between the two in the context of American politics, and wrestle with how America's political economy can respond to the theoretical and practical challenges of populism.

The History of Early Modern Political Philosophy: Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Locke (PHIL 172B, PHIL 272B)

Instructor: Christopher Bobonich

Spring 2026

The Spirit of Democracy (COLLEGE 110)

Instructors: Larry Dimaond, James Fishkin, Armando Perez-Gea, and Irmak Yazici

This course is offered in the “Global Perspectives” quarter of the COLLEGE program. It engages the core purpose of the COLLEGE program by pondering questions central to civic identity and responsibility across diverse countries. And, in the spirit of the program, it seeks to cultivate the knowledge and skills “that empower and enable us to live together.”

Specifically, the course provides an overview of the diverse cultural origins of democratic ideals and practices, their global evolution, the challenges confronting them, and innovations that can make democracy work better. The course places American democracy in a global and comparative perspective, noting the distinctive features and challenges of U.S. democracy and the wide variety of other democratic institutional forms in the world. It deals both with competing visions of what democracy might be and their actual realization around the world. A major element of the course is to consider different conceptual approaches to democracy—direct, representative, participatory, and deliberative. How do different political systems borrow from these concepts to enhance or justify their forms of governance? How are they evolving or reforming in ways that may address the current crisis of democracy and renew public faith in the efficacy and worth of democracy? Democratic institutions are subject to a living dialogue. W, and we intend to engage the students in these debates, at the levels of both democratic theory and ongoing democratic practice and institutional designs. In the second half of the course, we will examine innovations like Deliberative Polling and institutional reforms of electoral systems and accountability structures that could increase civic participation, reduce polarization, rein in corruption, and improve the functioning and legitimacy of democracy. Syllabus available here

Varieties of Conservatism in America (POLISCI 237)

Instructor: Peter Berkowitz

This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course. Syllabus available here.

Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx and Mill (POLISCI 131L, ETHICSOC 131S)

Instructor: Alison McQueen

This course is an introduction to the history of Western political thought from the late fifteenth century through the nineteenth century. We will consider the secularization of politics, the changing relationship between the individual and society, the rise of consent-based forms of political authority, and the development and critiques of liberal conceptions of property. We will cover the following thinkers: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Mill, and Marx. Syllabus available here.

Selections in Modern Political Thought (POLISCI 432R, ETHICSOC 432X)

Instructor: Alison McQueen

This graduate-level seminar explores selections from the canon of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Throughout the course, we will engage in close textual readings of individual thinkers and consider some of the larger questions raised by political modernity. The theme of the course differs from year to year. Syllabus available here.

Democratic Theory (POLISCI 234, ETHICSOC 234, PHIL 176P)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

Most people agree that democracy is a good thing, but do we agree on what democracy is? This course will examine the concept of democracy in political philosophy. We will address the following questions: What reason(s), if any, do we have for valuing democracy? What does it mean to treat people as political equals? When does a group of individuals constitute "a people," and how can a people make genuinely collective decisions? Can democracy really be compatible with social inequality? With an entrenched constitution? With representation? Syllabus available here.

Liberalism and its Critics (POLISCI 130, ETHICSOC 130, PHIL 171P)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

In this course, students will learn and engage with the core debates that have animated political theory in modern times. What is the proper relationship between the individual, the community, and the state? Are liberty and equality in conflict, and, if so, which should take priority? What does justice mean in a large and diverse modern society? The title of the course, borrowed from a book by Michael Sandel, is 'Liberalism and its Critics' because the questions we discuss in this class center on the meaning of, and alternatives to, the liberal ideas that the basic goal of society should be the protection of individual rights and that some form of an egalitarian democracy is the best way to achieve this goal. The course is structured around two historical phenomena: one the one hand, liberal answers to these key questions have at times seemed politically and socially triumphant, but on the other hand, this ascendency has always been challenged and contested. At least one prior class in political theory, such as Justice (PS 103), Citizenship in the 21st Century ( College 102), or Democratic Theory (PS 234) is recommended but not required. Syllabus available here.

Tech Ethics and the Future of Human Values (POLISCI 125, ETHICSOC 125)

Instructor: Lowry Pressly

New technologies frequently alter the contours of everyday life and can even affect our understanding of what it means to be human. In this class, we will examine the ethical challenges posed by a range of these technologies: from artificial intelligence and algorithmic curation to gene-editing and biohacking and beyond. Our approach will draw on - and introduce students to - a variety of normative frameworks concerning what individuals and societies ought to do, and how technology can modify our understanding of human life and what makes it go well. The focus of this course is primarily theoretical in nature, and its readings draw from a variety of disciplines beyond philosophy, like history, sociology, science and technology studies, computer science, and the arts. Students will have the opportunity to propose themes and technologies to explore both in class and through independent research. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Wealth of Nations (POLISCI 244C, ECON 134)

Instructor: Javier Mejia Cubillos

Why are there economic disparities across countries? Why did some countries grow steadily over the past 200 years while many others did not? What have been the consequences for the citizens of those countries? What has been the role of geography, culture, and institutions in the development process? What are the moral dilemmas behind this development process? These are some of the questions we will discuss in this course. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the origins of economic development and the path that led to the configuration of the modern global economy. Syllabus available here.

Political Economy of Latin America (LATINAM 343, POLISCI 243, INTNLREL 153)

Instructor: Javier Mejia Cubillos

This course offers a comprehensive overview of Latin America's political and economic development, exploring the factors contributing to the region's current situation. It examines why Latin America fell behind the United States, its high degree of political instability, and widespread inequality. The course analyzes Latin America's history, including the colonial period, and uses theories on democracy and development to interpret persistent economic inequality and political instability. Additionally, the course examines key features of Latin American democracies, including state weakness, clientelism, and corruption. By analyzing these factors, students gain an understanding of the challenges facing Latin American countries and potential solutions. The course provides a deep dive into Latin America's political and economic development, offering insights into the region's history and current circumstances, and how they inform potential future outcomes.

Hoover Institution National Security Affairs Fellows Mentorship Program (PUBLPOL 100)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course is designed to give Stanford undergraduates an introduction to civil-military relations, leadership development, and operational aspects of American foreign policy. Admitted undergraduates will be mentored by a distinguished leader from the Air Force, Army, CIA, Coast Guard, FBI, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, or State Department for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the 2024-25 academic year. Participation in all three quarters is required. These military leaders, diplomats, and intelligence professionals are part of the Hoover Institution's National Security Affairs Fellows program. The scheduled class time will be used for group activities, lectures from the National Security Affairs Fellows on their experiences in the U.S. government, small group meetings with mentees and mentors, and special sessions with senior American foreign policy leaders. At the end of each quarter, students write short reflection papers. No expertise in international affairs is necessary to apply and all majors are welcome. Selection is based on academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, and interest in international affairs. The program is directed by Dr. Amy Zegart. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to hoovernsaf@stanford.edu. Syllabus available here.

Workshop in Political Theory (POLISCI 433)

Instructor: Brian Coyne and Ariel Yingqi Tang

For graduate students. Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in political theory present works-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.

Autumn 2024

What Can You Do for Your Country? (ESF 17)

Instructors: Russell Berman and Ruth Starkman

What does it mean to serve your country? All ethical systems train the individual to relinquish self-interest in favor of a larger communal good. When you applied to Stanford, you answered many application questions designed to elicit evidence of your ability to serve others, which is considered a sign of good character, leadership, and ability to thrive beyond the confines of your family and private world. Knowing you've wrestled with this question at length, showing sacrifice, endurance, empathy, and understanding of higher goods, this course asks you to examine the nation's view. How can the nation present itself as worthy of your personal sacrifice? Do you need to believe in the greatness of your nation to serve? What kind of cause demands your devotion? Nations have differently articulated such a commitment. Some make modest demands and promise you your own sovereignty. Others request only that you dream of national greatness as your own and that you lend a hand. But all nations require at some point, everything from you. What and when are you prepared to give? This course begins with the shortest and most powerful demand for the last full measure your devotion. President Abraham Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address', which presents the ideals of the American nation as worthy of returning to war. Following this question of devotion to your nation, the course moves to President JF Kennedy's 'What can you do for your nation' speech, and then to diverse periods and perspectives around the globe. Syllabus available here

Zionism and the Novel (JEWISHST 37Q, COMPLIT 37Q)

Instructors: Russell Berman

At the end of the nineteenth century, Zionism emerged as a political movement to establish a national homeland for the Jews, eventually leading to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. This seminar uses novels to explore the changes in Zionism, the roots of the conflict in the Middle East, and the potentials for the future. We will take a close look at novels by Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, in order to understand multiple perspectives, and we will also consider works by authors from the North America and from Europe. Note: This course must be taken for a letter grade to be eligible for WAYS and Writing 2 credit. Syllabus available here.

Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence (Political Science 115/INTLREL 115/PUBPOL 114/AMSTUD115S)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course examines the past, present, and future of American espionage. Targeted at first years and sophomores, the class surveys key issues in the development of the U.S. Intelligence Community since World War II. Topics include covert action, intelligence successes and failures, the changing motives and methods of traitors, and ethical dilemmas. The course pays particular attention to how emerging technologies are transforming intelligence today. We examine cyber threats, the growing use of AI for both insight and deception, and the “open-source” intelligence revolution. Government spy agencies used to dominate the collection and analysis of intelligence, and much of it was secret. Now the most valuable data is often publicly available. The Internet, social media, AI, commercial satellites, and other technological advances are enabling companies, non-governmental organizations, and individuals to collect and analyze intelligence, too. Questions examined include: What do these changes mean for American spy agencies? What is the role of private firms? What are the implications for geopolitics and international security?

We examine controversial topics from contending points of view based on available evidence. The goal is to sharpen students’ thinking skills and walk in the shoes of intelligence analysts who deal with questions that rarely have clear answers, even in hindsight. There is a difference between understanding and being able to clearly articulate a given position and agreeing with or endorsing it.  We seek the former, not the latter. This is an environment for learning and debate, and we want all students to feel comfortable expressing their views as well as interacting with and learning from their peers. Please be aware of and respectful of the fact that your peers may have different views from you. Try to separate your personal feelings on course topics from your academic engagement.

Classes include guest lectures by former senior U.S. intelligence officials, policymakers, and open-source intelligence leaders. Course requirements include an all-day crisis simulation with former senior officials designed to give students a hands-on feel for the uncertainties, coordination challenges, time pressures, and policy frictions of intelligence in the American foreign policy process.

No prior coursework or background in U.S. foreign policy is required. Graduate students must complete an additional research paper assignment. Syllabus available here.

Immigration and Citizenship: The American Experience (POLISCI 246, HISTORY 256B)

Instructor: Cody Nager

Who should reside within the United States? How should new arrivals be incorporated into American society and the body politic? Who should be excluded and why? These questions have been debated by American politicians and the public since the nation’s founding. This course examines how Americans thought and fought about selecting which immigrants should join the nation and how United States immigration and citizenship policy developed from the colonial period through the present. We will consider how migration patterns, immigrant incorporation, and state and federal regulations were shaped as the United States’ relationship with the broader world shifted, social norms changed, industrial capitalism developed, and government power expanded. Syllabus available here.

Societal Collapse (POLISCI 244D, CLASSICS 187)

Instructor: Javier Mejia

Sustained economic growth is an anomaly in human history. Moreover, in the very long term, sustained economic decline is common. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the causes of economic decline, the social and political consequences of that decline, and the path that led to the collapse of some of the most prosperous societies in human history. Among the episodes we will cover are the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the Classic Maya collapse. We will compare these ancient episodes with recent cases of socioeconomic decline, including the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the downfall of Venezuela under Chavismo. We will use the past to reflect on the fundamentals of harmony and prosperity in our society and the challenges that they will face in the future. Syllabus available here.

Political Theory in Public Policy (PUBLPOL 314)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

How should we judge the fairness of social institutions? This is the basic question of justice, and it is a crucial topic for students of public policy. Justice, the philosopher John Rawls famously argued, is the "first virtue of social institutions ... laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust." Justice is an ethical question about how we as moral beings ought to treat one another, but it is also a profoundly practical question. All human endeavors require large-scale coordination of our actions, which we achieve through laws and institutions. But law without justice is merely mass coercion, neither desirable nor sustainable. In this class we examine some of the most influential theories of fairness in social cooperation, including utilitarianism, social contract theory, liberalism, socialism, and libertarianism, and talk through how we can use these theories to analyze, evaluate, and (re)design public policy. Key questions include: Under what conditions is inequality of wealth and income problematic, and why? What are rights, and why do they matter? How should we balance the needs of individuals against the claims of groups? This class is also meant to provide students with the critical tools to identify and remedy injustices. No experience with political theory is required or assumed, and students will learn the skills of how to do political theory and how to incorporate it into policy work as part of the course. Open only to graduate students; permission number required to enroll. Syllabus available here.

Originalism and the American Constitution: History and Interpretation (HISTORY 252, HISTORY 352)

Instructor: Jonathan Gienapp

Except for the Bible no text has been the subject of as much modern interpretive scrutiny as the United States Constitution. This course explores both the historical dimensions of its creation as well as the meaning such knowledge should bring to bear on its subsequent interpretation. In light of the modern obsession with the document's "original meaning," this course will explore the intersections of history, law, and textual meaning to probe what an "original" interpretation of the Constitution looks like. Syllabus available here.

The History of Ancient Greek Philosophy (PHIL 100, CLASSICS 40)

Instructor: Christopher Bobonich

We shall cover the major developments in Greek philosophical thought, focusing on Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic schools (the Epicureans, the Stoics, and the Skeptics). Topics include epistemology, metaphysics, psychology, ethics and political theory. No prereqs, not repeatable. Syllabus available here.

From Cold War to New Cold War: Politics and Political Theory in Contemporary China (POLISCI 235A, 335A)

Instructor: Simon Luo

China lacks everything: middle managers, engineers and capital," so wrote French political thinker Raymond Aron. That was 1950, three years after Harry Truman's 1947 Address to Congress, which was usually considered the beginning of the Cold War, and months after the founding of the People's Republic of China. More than seventy years later, and after a long, winding journey, China now has much more than middle managers, engineers, and capital. However, global politics seems to move towards another clash of two powerful countries with seemingly different ideological orientations as many now claim that a new Cold War is on the horizon. How did China emerge as a global power from what Aron described in 1950? And more importantly, can we, and if so, how do we, understand the rise of China with a theoretical perspective? How do theory and real politics shape each other, as manifested in the history of contemporary China? In this class, we explore answers to these questions by reading political theory against history, sociology, and political science. In every week, we read texts that reflect both the social reality and theoretical concerns of a given period in contemporary Chinese history. By so doing, we seek to make sense of both the contemporary Chinese society and the power and limits of ideas in political theory. Syllabus available here.

Hoover Institution National Security Affairs Fellows Mentorship Program (PUBLPOL 100)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course is designed to give Stanford undergraduates an introduction to civil-military relations, leadership development, and operational aspects of American foreign policy. Admitted undergraduates will be mentored by a distinguished leader from the Air Force, Army, CIA, Coast Guard, FBI, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, or State Department for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the 2023-24 academic year. Participation in all three quarters is required. These military leaders, diplomats, and intelligence professionals are part of the Hoover Institution's National Security Affairs Fellows program. The scheduled class time will be used for group activities, lectures from the National Security Affairs Fellows on their experiences in the U.S. government, small group meetings with mentees and mentors, and special sessions with senior American foreign policy leaders. At the end of each quarter, students write short reflection papers. No expertise in international affairs is necessary to apply and all majors are welcome. Selection is based on academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, and interest in international affairs. The program is directed by Dr. Amy Zegart. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to hoovernsaf@stanford.edu. Syllabus available here.

Justice (POLISCI 103, ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much, much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, “the benefits and burdens of social cooperation”? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we’ll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We’ll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and liberal egalitarianism, and we’ll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own. Syllabus available here.

20th Century and Contemporary Political Theory (POLISCI 437C)

Instructor: Emilee Chapman

This graduate seminar course provides a survey of some of the major contributions to (primarily Western) political thought in the past century. The course will place special emphasis on the development of theories of political authority and legitimacy in the context of the modern bureaucratic state and global order, as well as the connection between authority and other key concepts in normative political theory: freedom, justice, equality, and democracy. Syllabus available here.

Workshop in Political Theory (POLISCI 433)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

For graduate students. Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in political theory present works-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.

Spring 2025

The Spirit of Democracy (COLLEGE 110)

Instructor: Larry Dimaond and James Fishkin

This course is offered in the “Global Perspectives” quarter of the COLLEGE program. It engages the core purpose of the COLLEGE program by pondering questions central to civic identity and responsibility across diverse countries. And, in the spirit of the program, it seeks to cultivate the knowledge and skills “that empower and enable us to live together.”

Specifically, the course provides an overview of the diverse cultural origins of democratic ideals and practices, their global evolution, the challenges confronting them, and innovations that can make democracy work better. The course places American democracy in a global and comparative perspective, noting the distinctive features and challenges of U.S. democracy and the wide variety of other democratic institutional forms in the world. It deals both with competing visions of what democracy might be and their actual realization around the world. A major element of the course is to consider different conceptual approaches to democracy—direct, representative, participatory, and deliberative. How do different political systems borrow from these concepts to enhance or justify their forms of governance? How are they evolving or reforming in ways that may address the current crisis of democracy and renew public faith in the efficacy and worth of democracy? Democratic institutions are subject to a living dialogue. W, and we intend to engage the students in these debates, at the levels of both democratic theory and ongoing democratic practice and institutional designs. In the second half of the course, we will examine innovations like Deliberative Polling and institutional reforms of electoral systems and accountability structures that could increase civic participation, reduce polarization, rein in corruption, and improve the functioning and legitimacy of democracy. Syllabus available here

Cold War Political Theory: From the Center to the Peripheries (POLISCI 235M)

Instructor: Simon Luo

Analysts, pundits, and politicians have repeatedly warned us about entering a "New Cold War" between the United States and China. The reference to the Cold War intends to invoke the historical imagination of a binary world where liberal free world defends itself against the expansion of communist dictatorship through economic, political, and military measures. This imagination, however, reflects only a limited vision articulated by thinkers and policymakers at the "center" of the so-called liberal world - France, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc. It eclipses the continuing struggle between the center and peripheries over the meaning of political values, the vision of global order, and the vehicles of social change. This course walks us back to these contestations by closely reading important intellectual texts produced during the Cold War. By closing examining ideas, theories, and visions articulated in these texts from both the center and the peripheries, we seek to reconstruct the variegated faces of the Cold War, disrupt our current image of the Cold War, and reconsider the ways in which we imagine the future of our world. Syllabus available here

Formal Models of International Relations (POLISCI 351)

Instructor: Joseph J. Ruggiero

This course provides an overview of the formal theoretical literature on international relations. The primary focus will be on theories of international conflict, but we will also touch on theories of international political economy and international organization. Because international political outcomes are the product of strategic interactions among states, formal models and game theory are invaluable tools for developing theories of international politics. The goal of the course is for students to learn how to produce, not just consume, models of IR. To this end, our discussions of the readings will focus on how these papers arrive at their conclusions. This includes (i) deriving or proving results from the selected readings, (ii) identifying the contributions of their authors, and (iii) finding ways to improve the research or extend the insights. Syllabus available here

Hellenistic Ethics (PHIL 113E, PHIL 213E)

Instructor: Christopher Bobonich

We shall read the major ethical works of the three main Hellenistic (post-Plato and Aristotle, conventionally 323-31 BCE): the Epicureans, the Skeptics, and the Stoics. Syllabus available here

Current Debates in American Political Institutions (POLISCI 421A)

Instructor: Brandice Canes-Wrone

Each week of this class will focus on a recent debate in the American political institutions literature, with the term institutions being broadly defined. Topics will span elected officials' behavior, including by congressional members, the president, and state and local actors; judicial decisionmaking; representation and accountability; campaign finance; the administrative state and policy implementation; and other issues that involve institutional actors. Although the graduate field seminar on institutions is not officially a prerequisite, the class will not repeat this material and therefore for some topics, background readings will be recommended for those will no prior exposure. Syllabus available here

Representation and Democracy (POLISCI 335T)

Instructor: Emilee Chapman

What is the relationship between representative government and democracy? What makes someone a good representative, and what kinds of institutions and social norms promote good representation? This course explores 20th and 21st century theories of political representation and brings them to bear on both big picture questions about the values of electoral democracy and contemporary controversies about, for example, race-conscious districting and judicial elections. This course also examines political representation outside of electoral institutions, asking how our understanding of democratic representation changes when we turn our attention to organizers, activists, and civic leaders. Syllabus available here

Tech Ethics and the Future of Human Values (POLISCI 125, ETHICSOC 125)

Instructor: Lowry Pressly

New technologies frequently alter the contours of everyday life and can even affect our understanding of what it means to be human. In this class, we will examine the ethical challenges posed by a range of these technologies: from artificial intelligence and algorithmic curation to gene-editing and biohacking and beyond. Our approach will draw on - and introduce students to - a variety of normative frameworks concerning what individuals and societies ought to do, and how technology can modify our understanding of human life and what makes it go well. The focus of this course is primarily theoretical in nature, and its readings draw from a variety of disciplines beyond philosophy, like history, sociology, science and technology studies, computer science, and the arts. Students will have the opportunity to propose themes and technologies to explore both in class and through independent research. There are no prerequisites for this course. Syllabus available here

The Revisionists Chinese and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy (POLISCI 210)

Instructor: Joseph Torigian

Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis described China and Russia as "revisionist powers," signaling that, after years of focus on the Middle East and terrorism, great power politics once again sit at the center of U.S. foreign policy. But how have the political elite in these two countries thought about their security in the broadest sense? This course explores how leaders in Beijing and Moscow have historically sought to defend themselves against other competitors from within the regime, their own people, and other great powers. Drawing on international relations and comparative politics, the course applies political science theories to better understand how powerful actors in China and Russia behaved similarly or differently during crucial historical moments.

During this course, students will learn the promises and pitfalls of comparing two countries with strong similarities but also significant differences. Why did the two major revolutions of the twentieth century occur in China and Russia? How did Mao Zedong and Josef Stalin translate violence, cult of personality, and strategic maneuvering into political power? Why was it that they also presided over major famines? Why did China and Russia see such different outcomes to reforms in the 1980s? What kind of authoritarianism do they impose on their population today? How have Beijing and Russia dealt with their ethnic and religious minorities? Why do they diverge with regards to nuclear weapons postures? How do these countries turn ideology and religion into political instruments? What is the role of individual leaders? How did Washington come to label China and Russia “revisionists,” and should Washington worry about developing close bilateral relations between Beijing and Moscow? Syllabus available here

The Politics of Nature (POLISCI 231R)

Instructor: Ariel Yingqi Tang

Long before the idea of nature came to be associated with the vocabularies of environmentalism and climate change, the study of nature as a real and imaginary category has always informed human self-understanding, shaping the ways in which political ideals and institutions are envisioned and construed. While nature nurtures humans along with other beings, the numerous mysteries that it poses—some still unresolved—continue to destabilize politics’ promise of orderliness and set limits to the emancipatory potential of social arrangements of various kinds. The endeavor to tame nature’s whim and parse its inner logic—be it through science or art—proclaims to liberate us from the disillusionment with our powerlessness without ever settling the tension between humans and their surroundings. The looming threat of the climate crisis and the global pandemic further reminds us of the persistent challenges brought to politics by our embeddedness in the physical world. Syllabus available here

Varieties of Conservatism in America (POLISCI 237)

Instructor: Peter Berkowitz

This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course. Syllabus available here.

Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx and Mill (POLISCI 131L, ETHICSOC 131S)

Instructor: Alison McQueen

This course is an introduction to the history of Western political thought from the late fifteenth century through the nineteenth century. We will consider the secularization of politics, the changing relationship between the individual and society, the rise of consent-based forms of political authority, and the development and critiques of liberal conceptions of property. We will cover the following thinkers: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Mill, and Marx. Syllabus available here.

Selections in Modern Political Thought (POLISCI 432R, ETHICSOC 432X)

Instructor: Alison McQueen

This graduate-level seminar explores selections from the canon of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Throughout the course, we will engage in close textual readings of individual thinkers and consider some of the larger questions raised by political modernity. The theme of the course differs from year to year. Syllabus available here.

Democratic Theory (POLISCI 234, ETHICSOC 234, PHIL 176P)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

Most people agree that democracy is a good thing, but do we agree on what democracy is? This course will examine the concept of democracy in political philosophy. We will address the following questions: What reason(s), if any, do we have for valuing democracy? What does it mean to treat people as political equals? When does a group of individuals constitute "a people," and how can a people make genuinely collective decisions? Can democracy really be compatible with social inequality? With an entrenched constitution? With representation? Syllabus available here.

Liberalism and its Critics (POLISCI 130, ETHICSOC 130, PHIL 171P)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

In this course, students will learn and engage with the core debates that have animated political theory in modern times. What is the proper relationship between the individual, the community, and the state? Are liberty and equality in conflict, and, if so, which should take priority? What does justice mean in a large and diverse modern society? The title of the course, borrowed from a book by Michael Sandel, is 'Liberalism and its Critics' because the questions we discuss in this class center on the meaning of, and alternatives to, the liberal ideas that the basic goal of society should be the protection of individual rights and that some form of an egalitarian democracy is the best way to achieve this goal. The course is structured around two historical phenomena: one the one hand, liberal answers to these key questions have at times seemed politically and socially triumphant, but on the other hand, this ascendency has always been challenged and contested. At least one prior class in political theory, such as Justice (PS 103), Citizenship in the 21st Century ( College 102), or Democratic Theory (PS 234) is recommended but not required. Syllabus available here.

Wealth of Nations (POLISCI 244C, ECON 134)

Instructor: Javier Mejia Cubillos

Why are there economic disparities across countries? Why did some countries grow steadily over the past 200 years while many others did not? What have been the consequences for the citizens of those countries? What has been the role of geography, culture, and institutions in the development process? What are the moral dilemmas behind this development process? These are some of the questions we will discuss in this course. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the origins of economic development and the path that led to the configuration of the modern global economy. Syllabus available here.

Hoover Institution National Security Affairs Fellows Mentorship Program (PUBLPOL 100)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course is designed to give Stanford undergraduates an introduction to civil-military relations, leadership development, and operational aspects of American foreign policy. Admitted undergraduates will be mentored by a distinguished leader from the Air Force, Army, CIA, Coast Guard, FBI, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, or State Department for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the 2024-25 academic year. Participation in all three quarters is required. These military leaders, diplomats, and intelligence professionals are part of the Hoover Institution's National Security Affairs Fellows program. The scheduled class time will be used for group activities, lectures from the National Security Affairs Fellows on their experiences in the U.S. government, small group meetings with mentees and mentors, and special sessions with senior American foreign policy leaders. At the end of each quarter, students write short reflection papers. No expertise in international affairs is necessary to apply and all majors are welcome. Selection is based on academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, and interest in international affairs. The program is directed by Dr. Amy Zegart. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to hoovernsaf@stanford.edu. Syllabus available here.

Workshop in Political Theory (POLISCI 433)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

For graduate students. Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in political theory present works-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.

Autumn 2023

Societal Collapse (POLISCI 44Q)

Instructor: Javier Mejia

Sustained economic growth is an anomaly in human history. Moreover, in the very long term, sustained economic decline is common. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the causes of economic decline, the social and political consequences of that decline, and the path that led to the collapse of some of the most prosperous societies in human history. Among the episodes we will cover are the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the Classic Maya collapse. We will compare these ancient episodes with recent cases of socioeconomic decline, including the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the downfall of Venezuela under Chavismo. We will use the past to reflect on the fundamentals of harmony and prosperity in our society and the challenges that they will face in the future. Syllabus available here.

Justice (POLISCI 103, ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much, much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, “the benefits and burdens of social cooperation”? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we’ll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We’ll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and liberal egalitarianism, and we’ll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own. Syllabus available here.

From Cold War to New Cold War: Politics and Political Theory in Contemporary China (POLISCI 235A)

Instructor: Simon Luo

“China lacks everything: middle managers, engineers and capital,” so wrote French political thinker Raymond Aron. That was the year 1950, three years after Harry Truman’s 1947 Address to Congress, which was usually considered the beginning of the Cold War, and months after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. More than seventy years later, and after a long, winding journey, China now has much more than middle managers, engineers, and capital. However, global politics seems to move towards another clash of two powerful countries with (at least seemingly) different ideological orientations as many now claim that a new Cold War is on the horizon.

How did China emerge as a global power from what Aron described in 1950? And more importantly, can we, and if so, how do we, understand the rise of China with a theoretical perspective? How do theory and real politics shape each other, as manifested in the history of contemporary China? In this class, we explore answers to these questions by reading political theory against history, sociology, and political science. Every week, we read texts that reflect both the social reality and theoretical concerns of a given period in contemporary Chinese history. By so doing, we seek to make sense of not only contemporary Chinese society but also the power and limits of ideas in political theory. Syllabus available here.

Misinformation and Democracy: Past and Present (POLISCI 235C)

Instructors: Avshalom Schwartz

Many today consider misinformation to be one of the most significant challenges faced by democratic societies. Some see this as a new phenomenon, arguing, for example, that modern technology—and, above all, social media giants like Facebook or Twitter—is responsible for this threat. Yet, the problem of misinformation and the challenges posed by ‘fake news,’ conspiracy theories, and lying in politics have a long history. In this course, we will ask whether and how misinformation threatens democracy and explore different potential solutions to this challenge. We will read various historical texts suggesting that misinformation is not a new phenomenon born in our digital age. Moreover, we will explore broader questions and issues around the topic of misinformation and democracy. We will ask whether democracies are particularly good at processing information or rather susceptible to mis/disinformation. We will further broaden the scope of misinformation to include discussions of the permissibility of lying in politics in antiquity, conspiracies during the late Roman Republic, and early modern debates about censorship and freedom of speech. We will see how several key figures in the history of political thought - from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes and Mill - sought to deal with these problems. Combining close readings of historical texts with discussions of contemporary research, we will ask whether and how we might be able to utilize historical knowledge and experience to understand and address some of the most pressing challenges we face today. Syllabus available here.

Workshop in Political Theory (POLISCI 433)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

20th Century and Contemporary Political Theory (POLISCI 437C)

Instructor: Emilee Chapman

This graduate seminar course provides a survey of some of the major contributions to (primarily Western) political thought in the past century. The course will place special emphasis on the development of theories of political authority and legitimacy in the context of the modern bureaucratic state and global order, as well as the connection between authority and other key concepts in normative political theory: freedom, justice, equality, and democracy. Syllabus available here.

Spring 2024

Democracy and Disagreement (PHIL 3, POLISCI 31, PUBLPOL 3, RELIGST 23X)

Instructors: Paul Brest & Debra Satz

Deep disagreement pervades our democracy, from arguments over immigration, gun control, abortion, and the Middle East crisis, to the function of elite higher education and the value of free speech itself. Loud voices drown out discussion. Open-mindedness and humility seem in short supply among politicians and citizens alike. Yet constructive disagreement is an essential feature of a democratic society. This class explores and models respectful, civic disagreement. Each week features scholars who disagree - sometimes quite strongly - about major policy issues. Each class will be focused on a different topic and have guest speakers. Students will have the opportunity to probe those disagreements, understand why they persist even in the light of shared evidence, and to improve their own understanding of the facts and values that underlie them.

This course is offered in the spirit of the observation by Hanna Holborn Gray, former president of the University of Chicago, that “education should not be intended to make people comfortable, it is meant to make them think. Universities should be expected to provide the conditions within which hard thought, and therefore strong disagreement, independent judgment, and the questioning of stubborn assumptions, can flourish in an environment of the greatest freedom.”

Democracy & Disagreement is open to students, faculty and staff to attend and will also be recorded.  Enrolled students who take this as a 1-unit course are expected to attend the weekly sessions and do the suggested readings before each event. We will also use devices such as clickers to see whether exposure to different arguments changes minds.

The speakers in this course are the guests of the faculty and students alike, and should be treated as such. They are aware that their views will be subject to criticism in a manner consistent with our commitment to respectful critical discourse. We will provide as much room for students’ questions and comments as is possible for a class of several hundred. For anyone who feels motivated to engage in a protest against particular speakers, there are spaces outside the classroom for doing so. Syllabus available here.

Varieties of Conservatism in America (POLISCI 237)

Instructor: Peter Berkowitz

This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course. Syllabus available here.

Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx and Mill (POLISCI 131L, ETHICSOC 131S)

Instructor: Alison McQueen

This course is an introduction to the history of Western political thought from the late fifteenth century through the nineteenth century. We will consider the secularization of politics, the changing relationship between the individual and society, the rise of consent-based forms of political authority, and the development and critiques of liberal conceptions of property. We will cover the following thinkers: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Mill, and Marx. Syllabus available here.

Selections in Modern Political Thought (POLISCI 432R)

Instructor: Alison McQueen

This graduate-level seminar explores selections from the canon of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Throughout the course, we will engage in close textual readings of individual thinkers and consider some of the larger questions raised by political modernity. The theme of the course differs from year to year. Syllabus available here.

The Presidency (POLISCI 220R, POLISCI 320R)

Instructor: Brandice Canes-Wrone

This course provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the American presidency and covers a range of topics: elections, congressional relations, public communications, unilateral action, influence over the bureaucracy, leadership in foreign policy, and much more. Throughout, the goal is to understand why presidents behave as they do and why the presidency as an institution has developed as it has, with special attention to the dynamics of the American political system and how they condition incentives, opportunities, and power. Syllabus available here.

Democratic Theory (POLISCI 234, ETHICSOC 234, PHIL 176P)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

Most people agree that democracy is a good thing, but do we agree on what democracy is? This course will examine the concept of democracy in political philosophy. We will address the following questions: What reason(s), if any, do we have for valuing democracy? What does it mean to treat people as political equals? When does a group of individuals constitute "a people," and how can a people make genuinely collective decisions? Can democracy really be compatible with social inequality? With an entrenched constitution? With representation? Syllabus available here.

20th Century Political Theory: Liberalism and its Critics (POLISCI 130, ETHICSOC 130, PHIL 171P)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

In this course, students will learn and engage with the core debates that have animated political theory in modern times. What is the proper relationship between the individual, the community, and the state? Are liberty and equality in conflict, and, if so, which should take priority? What does justice mean in a large and diverse modern society? The title of the course, borrowed from a book by Michael Sandel, is 'Liberalism and its Critics' because the questions we discuss in this class center on the meaning of, and alternatives to, the liberal ideas that the basic goal of society should be the protection of individual rights and that some form of an egalitarian democracy is the best way to achieve this goal. The course is structured around two historical phenomena: one the one hand, liberal answers to these key questions have at times seemed politically and socially triumphant, but on the other hand, this ascendency has always been challenged and contested. At least one prior class in political theory, such as Justice (PS 103), Citizenship in the 21st Century ( College 102), or Democratic Theory (PS 234) is recommended but not required. Syllabus available here.

Contemporary Virtue Ethics and its Critics (PHIL 112, PHIL 212) 

Instructor: Christopher Bobonich

In this course, we shall examine contemporary virtue ethics beginning with G.E.M. Anscombe’s famous 1958 paper ‘Modern Moral Theory’ (although Anscombe herself did not advocate a virtue ethics). In particular, we shall read some of the leading contemporary exponents of virtue ethics (Philippa Foot, Rosalind Hursthouse, Michal Slote, and Linda Zagzebski). We shall also read some of leading virtue ethics’ leading critics, such as David Copp, Julia Driver, and Jerome Schneewind. We shall consider questions including the following. Can Virtue Ethics give a plausible account of right action? Is Virtue Ethics action-guiding at all? What is the relation between virtue and happiness or flourishing? Is Virtue Ethics a form of ethical naturalism? Is Virtue Ethics compatible with modern biology? Does Virtue Ethics give us a way to avoid the ‘ethical schizophrenia’ of modern impartialist moral theories or does it produce its own form of ethical schizophrenia? Is Virtue Ethics self-effacing? Syllabus available here.

Political Economy of Latin America (POLISCI 243, INTNREL 153)

Instructor: Javier Mejia Cubillos

This course offers a comprehensive overview of Latin America's political and economic development, exploring the factors contributing to the region's current situation. It examines why Latin America fell behind the United States, its high degree of political instability, and widespread inequality. The course analyzes Latin America's history, including the colonial period, and uses theories on democracy and development to interpret persistent economic inequality and political instability. Additionally, the course examines key features of Latin American democracies, including state weakness, clientelism, and corruption. By analyzing these factors, students gain an understanding of the challenges facing Latin American countries and potential solutions. The course provides a deep dive into Latin America's political and economic development, offering insights into the region's history and current circumstances, and how they inform potential future outcomes. Syllabus available here.

Wealth of Nations (POLISCI 244C, ECON 134)

Instructor: Javier Mejia Cubillos

Why are there economic disparities across countries? Why did some countries grow steadily over the past 200 years while many others did not? What have been the consequences for the citizens of those countries? What has been the role of geography, culture, and institutions in the development process? What are the moral dilemmas behind this development process? These are some of the questions we will discuss in this course. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the origins of economic development and the path that led to the configuration of the modern global economy. Syllabus available here.

Creation of the Constitution (HISTORY 153, LAW 7017) 

Instructor: Michael McConnell

The course begins with readings setting forth the intellectual and experiential background of the framing, including common law and natural rights theory, republicanism, economic & political scientific ideas, and colonial and post-Independence experience. We then study large parts of the debates at the Constitutional Convention, primarily using Madison's Notes. Major topics are the principle of representation, the extent and enumeration of national powers, the construction of the executive and judicial branches, and slavery. Next come the ratification debates, including readings from antifederalist writers, The Federalist, and speeches in ratification conventions. We conclude with the addition of the Bill of Rights. Classes consist of a combination of lecture and extensive participation by students. Elements used in grading: Class participation, final exam, supplemented by short take-home essay. Syllabus available here.

Executive Power Under the Constitution (POLISCI 326, LAW 7107)

Instructor: Michael McConnell

This course, taught for the second time, will address the full range of issues involving executive power under the U.S. Constitution, including the process of election, impeachment, foreign affairs (including control of foreign relations, command of the military, and control over national security, surveillance, and the like), authority of the President over executive agencies (including the power of removal and the duty to enforce the law), congressional oversight and executive privilege, executive statutory and constitutional interpretation, the budget process, and litigation against the executive.

Hoover Institution National Security Affairs Fellows Mentorship Program (PUBLPOL 100)

Instructor: Amy Zegart

This course is designed to give Stanford undergraduates an introduction to civil-military relations, leadership development, and operational aspects of American foreign policy. Admitted undergraduates will be mentored by a distinguished leader from the Air Force, Army, CIA, Coast Guard, FBI, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, or State Department for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the 2023-24 academic year. Participation in all three quarters is required. These military leaders, diplomats, and intelligence professionals are part of the Hoover Institution's National Security Affairs Fellows program. The scheduled class time will be used for group activities, lectures from the National Security Affairs Fellows on their experiences in the U.S. government, small group meetings with mentees and mentors, and special sessions with senior American foreign policy leaders. At the end of each quarter, students write short reflection papers. No expertise in international affairs is necessary to apply and all majors are welcome. Selection is based on academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, and interest in international affairs. The program is directed by Dr. Amy Zegart. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to hoovernsaf@stanford.edu.

Workshop in Political Theory (POLISCI 433)

Instructor: Brian Kenneth Coyne

For graduate students. Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in political theory present works-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.

Autumn 2022

The History of Ancient Greek Philosophy (PHIL 100, CLASSICS 40)

Instructor: Chris Bobonich

We shall cover the major developments in Greek philosophical thought, focusing on Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic schools (the Epicureans, the Stoics, and the Skeptics). Topics include epistemology, metaphysics, psychology, ethics, and political theory. Syllabus available here.

Justice (POLISCI 103, POLISCI 336S, ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, PUBLPOL 103C)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own. Syllabus available here. 

From Cold War to New Cold War: Politics and Political Theory in Contemporary China (POLISCI 235A/335A)

Instructor: Simon Luo

China lacks everything: middle managers, engineers and capital," so wrote French political thinker Raymond Aron. That was 1950, three years after Harry Truman's 1947 Address to Congress, which was usually considered the beginning of the Cold War, and months after the founding of the People's Republic of China. More than seventy years later, and after a long, winding journey, China now has much more than middle managers, engineers, and capital. However, global politics seems to move towards another clash of two powerful countries with seemingly different ideological orientations as many now claim that a new Cold War is on the horizon.How did China emerge as a global power from what Aron described in 1950? And more importantly, can we, and if so, how do we, understand the rise of China with a theoretical perspective? How do theory and real politics shape each other, as manifested in the history of contemporary China? In this class, we explore answers to these questions by reading political theory against history, sociology, and political science. In every week, we read texts that reflect both the social reality and theoretical concerns of a given period in contemporary Chinese history. By so doing, we seek to make sense of both the contemporary Chinese society and the power and limits of ideas in political theory. Syllabus available here.

Selections in Modern Political Thought (POLISCI 432R, ETHICSOC 432X)

Instructor: Avshalom Schwartz

This graduate-level seminar explores selections from the canon of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Throughout the course, we will engage in close textual readings of individual thinkers and consider some of the larger questions raised by political modernity. This offering will focus on Western political thought from the Renaissance through the turn of the 20th century. Thinkers covered will include: Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Karl Marx, among others. Syllabus available here.

Spring 2023

Democratic Theory (POLISCI 234, ETHICSOC 234, PHIL 176P)

Instructor: Brian Coyne

Most people agree that democracy is a good thing, but do we agree on what democracy is? This course will examine the concept of democracy in political philosophy. We will address the following questions: What reason(s), if any, do we have for valuing democracy? What does it mean to treat people as political equals? When does a group of individuals constitute "a people," and how can a people make genuinely collective decisions? Can democracy really be compatible with social inequality? With an entrenched constitution? With representation? Syllabus available here.

Political Memory and Democratic Citizenship (POLISCI 235B/335B)

Instructor: Simon Luo

We may not always realize it, but political discussions often invoke historical memory. As we debate about political ideas and praxes, we often draw on history to criticize our interlocutors and build our arguments. Meanwhile, historical memory also deeply shapes how we think about politics. For example, our rejection of Nazism is closely linked to memories of the Holocaust. Our debates about racial politics in the US are inevitably intertwined with historical readings of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. New politics often offers new historical readings and counters mainstream, commonsensical understandings of the past. Because historical memory is so crucial to politics, and because what is considered collective memory often varies from community to community, it is essential that we try to understand the relationship between memory, politics, and citizenship. In this class, we read texts written by thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, W. James Booth, Avishai Margalit, John Rawls, and Judith Shklar to discuss the following questions: How does memory form communal identity? How does memory shape our conception of justice, political agency, and legitimacy? Are there democratic ways of approaching history? Is remembering always good for democratic politics? As we come up with answers to these questions, we develop a better sense of how our identity as democratic citizens is linked to historical and collective memory. Syllabus available here.

Misinformation and Democracy: Past and Present (POLISCI 235C/335C)

Instructor: Avshalom Schwartz

Many today consider misinformation to be one of the most significant challenges faced by democratic societies. Some see this as a new phenomenon, arguing, for example, that modern technology - and, above all, social media giants like Facebook or Twitter - is responsible for this threat. Yet, the problem of misinformation and the challenges posed by 'fake-news,' conspiracy theories, and lying in politics have a long history. In this course, we will ask whether and how misinformation threatens democracy and explore different potential solutions to this challenge. We will read various historical texts suggesting that misinformation is not a new phenomenon born in our digital age. We will learn about various past experiences of misinformation, such as discussions of the permissibility of lying in politics in antiquity, rumors about the end of the world in the Renaissance, and early modern debates about censorship and freedom of speech. We will see how several key figures in the history of political thought - from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes and Mill - sought to deal with these problems. Combining close readings of historical texts and discussions of contemporary issues, we will ask whether and how we might be able to utilize historical knowledge and experience to understand and address some of the most pressing challenges we face today. Syllabus available here.

Varieties of Conservatism in America (POLISCI 237)

Instructor: Peter Berkowitz

This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course. Syllabus available here.

Societal Collapse (POLISCI 244D, CLASSICS 187)

Instructor: Javier Mejia Cubillos

Sustained economic growth is an anomaly in human history. Moreover, in the very long term, sustained economic decline is common. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the causes of economic decline, the social and political consequences of that decline, and the path that led to the collapse of some of the most prosperous societies in human history. Among the episodes we will cover are the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the Classic Maya collapse. We will compare these ancient episodes with recent cases of socioeconomic decline, including the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the downfall of Venezuela under Chavismo. We will use the past to reflect on the fundamentals of harmony and prosperity in our society and the challenges that they will face in the future. Syllabus available here.

Autumn 2021

Spring 2022

The Political Theory of Progress, Reconsidered (POLISCI 234S)

Instructor: Jacob Abolafia

This course will consider the origins and fate of Enlightenment theories of political progress. We will begin with the classic accounts of progress in Kant, Hegel, and Marx, before turning to conservative critics of progress (Burke, de Maistre), and non-conservative challenges to the idea of progress (Weber, Schmitt, Adorno, Arendt), before concluding with contemporary controversies around the idea of progress as it pertains to technology, the environment, and economic inequality. Syllabus available here.