History of Political thought c.1700-c.1890

Beginning with the Enlightenment and extending through the American and French revolutions to Marx’s reflections on the rise of capitalism and arguments over the nature of nineteenth-century colonialism, this paper offers a chance to explore the history of many of the fundamental concepts of modern politics. Themes covered include the relation between liberty and commerce, the invention of the modern constitutional republic, the politics of citizenship and slavery, and the demand for gender equality, among many others.

Although a wide range of lectures are offered, you will be able to chart your own intellectual pathway through the paper by choosing, with your supervisor, eight topics on which to focus . Supervisions are geared to help you get the most out of primary texts, and to help you engage directly with many of the most interesting arguments and ideas from this crucial period in the development of modern politics.