PHIL5290 · Philosophy
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
In this course we will make an expansive inquiry into the meaning of liberalism as a social and political philosophy, considering the critiques of liberalism made by both the conventionally identified Right, such as Schmitt and Heidegger, and Left, such as Marx and in critical theory. We will focus partially on the American variant of liberalism, with its roots in Locke and the Founding, and also examine contemporary events in the light of the ideas and arguments we will study. Other authors will include de Tocqueville and Cortés on individualism and authoritarianism, Frederick Douglass and Charles Mills on race, Martha Nussbaum and Judith Butler on gender, and others.
Course experience
Averages use the original five-point historical evaluation scale.
Organization
4.0 / 5
How well the course was organized
Challenge
4.7 / 5
How intellectually challenging students found it
Attendance
4.6 / 5
How necessary attendance was
Assignments
4.6 / 5
How helpful assignments were
Weekly effort
~5
hours per week
Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.
Instructor options
Ratings below reflect only recovered evaluations connected to this course.
Across time
Section-level results available in the recovered archive.
Spring 2025
1 section