HIST 130
History of European Political Thought
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Introduction to principal themes in history of European political thought from classical antiquity to close of early modern period. Study of outstanding contributions to history of social, political, and moral philosophy in texts of major thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, More, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Reconstruction of broad intellectual and ideological contexts from which their work emerged to help students make sense of works of political philosophy in their relevant historical setting and to know something about Athenian democracy and its critics, Roman republic and its empire, Renaissance, early modern European civil wars, American and French Revolutions, and Enlightenment. Focus on emergence of some crucial concepts during this period--ideas about state, self, rights, sovereignty, liberty, private property, and more--that define way we think about politics and society in modern world. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2025 - There is no doubt that Peter Stacey is passionate about the topic he teaches. He is very knowledgeable and clearly qualified to teach the class. The syllabus is straightforward and consists of two essays: a midterm and a final. On the surface, he seems nice enough. He jokes around in class and makes casual conversation. If you know for a fact that nothing major will come up in your life, go ahead and take the class, it’s honestly super interesting! However, be aware that if you run into a problem in the class for any reason, he is not very accommodating. Although attendance is not mandatory, if you miss a class, even for a medical reason or a major life event, as in my case, and ask a question about the lecture you missed, he may respond quite harshly. His position is that he should not have to explain material twice: once in class and again to students who were absent. Even if you ask to discuss what you missed during office hours, he states that “there is no individual or private tuition available to students who miss class.” To be fair, if you review the lecture slides and complete the readings, you will probably be fine. However, if you need additional support beyond that, it may be difficult to get help. As he puts it, “If, on the other hand, you feel that you want to de-enroll… then that is of course fine by me, too.” A little harsh, if you ask me.
Spring 2025 - There is no doubt that Peter Stacey is passionate about the topic he teaches. He is very knowledgeable and clearly qualified to teach the class. The syllabus is straightforward and consists of two essays: a midterm and a final. On the surface, he seems nice enough. He jokes around in class and makes casual conversation. If you know for a fact that nothing major will come up in your life, go ahead and take the class, it’s honestly super interesting! However, be aware that if you run into a problem in the class for any reason, he is not very accommodating. Although attendance is not mandatory, if you miss a class, even for a medical reason or a major life event, as in my case, and ask a question about the lecture you missed, he may respond quite harshly. His position is that he should not have to explain material twice: once in class and again to students who were absent. Even if you ask to discuss what you missed during office hours, he states that “there is no individual or private tuition available to students who miss class.” To be fair, if you review the lecture slides and complete the readings, you will probably be fine. However, if you need additional support beyond that, it may be difficult to get help. As he puts it, “If, on the other hand, you feel that you want to de-enroll… then that is of course fine by me, too.” A little harsh, if you ask me.
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