ASTK18127U Republicanism

This course is an introduction to republicanism in Western political thought. Republicanism is fundamental in both senses of the term. As one of the most ancient theories in political thought it constitutes the foundation of Western societies. It is also one of the essential contemporary theories because it discusses problematics we face acutely today, albeit under different guises: Does security come at the price of liberty? Is violence legitimate and who should exert violence for a republic or in a republic? What is liberty and how can it be maintained? Do virtuous institutions or virtuous political actors produce effective government? What are republican virtues and how to maintain them? Is private wealth the enemy of the commonwealth or its lifeblood? Can a republic thrive on a large territory with a large body of citizens? Are democracy and republicanism compatible? Should citizens be educated and how? Who can/should be a citizen? What are the limits of a republic? Are republican values universal? Are republics more peaceful and stable than tyrannies? Would a world of republics be better than a single universal republic?

This introductory course will present a (subjective) choice of the main views and theories within republicanism in a lively and interactive way. The above questions and many others appeared at different time in Western history. We will see why famous philosophers asked them in the context of their time, and how their answers made sense then and if they still do today. The humanist renaissance established a curriculum based on rhetoric and philosophy for educating students to republican public life, studying Attic and Roman authors. The humanities were thus considered primordial for the good functioning of a state: philosophy to attain truth through critical thinking and morality through questioning choices; rhetoric to instruct how to persuade others of this truth and morality. Without claiming to revive this republican humanist tradition, this introductory course is nonetheless directed primarily at any student considering a career in government or in leading political and social institutions, but also any concerned citizen wishing to be an independent and well-functioning individual in a republic.