University General Course Catalog 2026-2027 (DRAFT) 
    
    Jun 01, 2026  
University General Course Catalog 2026-2027 (DRAFT)

PHIL 207C - Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy

(3 units) CO8
Major political philosophers, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Mill, Marx, on topics such as justice, freedom, equality, tyranny, war, racism, sexism, power, consent, economics. The Constitutions of the United States and Nevada will also be taught. 

Maximum units a student may earn: 3

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 3
Offered: Every Fall

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. state a thesis about a problem in social and political philosophy, and provide evidence and philosophical argument (including replies to counter-arguments) in its defense.
2. explain and interpret at an introductory level the ideas associated with social and political philosophy in the contemporary literature.
3. distinguish better and worse reasoning, and recognize relevant logical relationships and patterns of inference in different works of social and political philosophy.
4. show what is at stake in abstract debates in social and political philosophy and indicate how different positions in these debates help elucidate our understanding of the Constitutions of the United States and Nevada, as well as the evolution of American institutions and ideals.
5. trace the sources and development of important political concepts within American intellectual traditions and cultural institutions.


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