Kursinformation

What is freedom? And why is it important to us? In this proseminar, we will explore the meaning and value of freedom in modern political philosophy. Freedom has long been considered a central value in modern political society, and yet there is large disagreement on why this is so or even what exactly freedom is. Does ”being free” simply mean we are permitted to act as we please without restraints, or does it require something more? Is freedom valuable only because it helps us achieve other things, such as prosperity or happiness, or is freedom valuable for its own sake? How do we weigh freedom with other values important to society, such as security or equality? Might there be certain kinds of freedom in society that turn out to be masks for certain forms of oppression (for example, gender oppression)? These are a few of the questions we will consider as we examine and debate major theories of freedom from the 17th century to the present day. Readings for this proseminar may be taken from Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Isaiah Berlin, Philip Pettit, Carole Pateman, Charles W. Mills, Nancy Hirschmann, and others.