What is political philosophy? How do I begin to study political philosophy, and why is this study worthwhile? Our goal, in this seminar, is to develop the critical, rhetorical, and analytical skills requisite for deciphering texts of political theory and appreciating the ways that they can enhance our understanding of the contemporary political world. Toward this end, we will undertake a close reading of four foundational texts in the history of Western political thought — The Republic (Plato), Leviathan (Hobbes), The Genealogy of Morals (Nietzsche), and Discipline and Punish (Foucault). Topics to be examined include: justice, sovereignty, tradition, religion and politics, the nature of the self, the value of values, the relationship between knowledge and power, etc. Students can expect to enrich their understanding of the history of political philosophy and to sharpen their skills of critical analysis and argumentation.