The History of Western Political Thought course cover

The History of Western Political Thought

5

LESSONS

2.7h

TOTAL LENGTH

Discover the history of western political thought through a survey of some of the most important figures in the tradition. Examine the origins of political philosophy in ancient Greece through Aristotle’s most important works—Nicomachean Ethics and Politics. Explore the ways in which Aristotle’s thought was taken up by Christianity through a brief examination of central articles in St. Thomas Aquinas’s “Treatise on Law”.

MEET YOUR PROFESSOR

Dr. Joseph Brutto

Dr. Joseph Brutto

Joseph Brutto holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame. He teaches courses in political theory and Catholic social doctrine. His research focuses on contemporary applications of Aristotle’s philosophy like that found in the work of Alasdair MacIntyre.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Discover the impact of the political philosophy of ancient Greece.

Witness the radical break from traditional political philosophy in Niccolò Machiavelli.

Learn the origins of social contract theory and its influence on America.

Explore the insights of one of the most perceptive observers of American political life—Alexis de Tocqueville.

LESSONS IN THIS COURSE

Thumbnail for Teleology and the Common Good in the Writings of Aristotle

41m

Thumbnail for St. Thomas Aquinas on Virtue, Law, and the Common Good

35m

Thumbnail for The Origins of Modern Political Thought: Niccolò Machiavelli and “The Prince”

31m

Thumbnail for John Locke, Classical Liberalism, and the Origins of Social Contract Theory

31m

Thumbnail for American Political Thought: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America

28m

Ready to start learning?