The purpose of this class is to understand the origins and contemporary applications of the various political ideologies that undergird the political ideas and actions of both individuals and groups. By comparing differences and similarities among various ideologies, you will gain a clearer sense of what your own ideology is and how your ideological beliefs shape the way you see the world.

Because we will be dealing with the historical origins of political ideologies, as well as their contemporary manifestations, this course will be divided into two parts. In the first part of the class we will examine those ideologies that are a product of the Enlightenment (liberalism, conservatism, market conservatism, Marxism). We will critically engage these "Enlightenment ideologies" with an eye to the ways in which they question and refute each other in their conceptions of human nature, history, and politics.

In the second part of the class we will examine the US political landscape through literature and case-studies that raise some of the most difficult questions regarding America's status as a "liberal democracy." Using competing conceptions of "justice" as the vehicle for understanding various ideologies, we will focus on challenges from those who have been historically excluded from the promises of the Enlightenment in the US, particularly women and African Americans.