Teaching

Course Taught

POT 2002: Introduction to Political Theory- Syllabus
This course introduces students to political theory as a distinct field of political inquiry. By surveying key thinkers and texts in the history of Western political thought, we will ask the following questions: What is politics, and what should it be? Who is involved in politics, and how should one live under political conditions? What is the nature of freedom, equality, democracy, power, and citizenship? The approach will be mainly historical and conceptual. It will investigate how past political thinkers constructed theories of politics in their respective historical contexts, while attending to the contemporary relevance of these theoretical interventions reflectively.

POT 4311: Problems of Democracy- Syllabus
The global popularity of democracy today has been increasingly haunted by its ambiguous meaning and contested substance. While it has been often associated with various ideas such as freedom, equality, constitution, representation, and even revolution, democracy, the venerable Greek term, originally signifies the rule (kratos) by the people (demos). But who are the people? How do and should they rule? What are the justifications and, if any, limitations of their ruling? An investigation on how past political thinkers and activists reflected on these questions not only helps us de-familiarize and problematize current opinions about democracy but also points toward alternative futures of democratic ideals. This advanced undergraduate course situates the ongoing debates about democracy and its problems in a larger historical and philosophical framework.