In this class we will explore the relationship between ethics and politics through a close reading of the political philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome. The readings are drawn from a period when this problem was unsettled, giving rise to vivid and diverse answers. Our central question will be: What does it mean to be good when you cannot choose freely, when circumstance conspires to force a choice between bad options? But we will also consider questions including: Is it possible to act politically and be a good person? Or do we need to act politically in order to be good? Would it be possible to have a politics in which choices between bad options do not arise? Can we reduce the frequency of these choices or mitigate their harm? Or do we need to discover a way of thinking about ourselves that does not tie ourselves to external circumstances? The readings will not answer these questions, but they will help us deepen our understanding of their value and their complexity.
Instructor: Sam Stevens
Class number originally listed as PS116.