Political Thought and the Global Twentieth Century

This option course examines the history of 20th-century political thought from a global perspective and focuses on a set of themes that have generated widespread discussion and controversy over the course of the last century.  Its aim to not to study any particular region or decade, but rather to explore how ideas and interventions related to the persistent problems of understanding violence, community, history, viable governance, and the paradox of the 20th century itself found resonance across continents in surprising ways.  Given the wide scope of the course, students will be expected to address questions of comparative interpretation.  The course is intended both for students who want an introduction to global intellectual history and for those who would like an opportunity to extend and reconsider their existing knowledge of it.