Modern thinkers understood the political communities in which they lived in two ways: the first comprised the concepts of ‘state’ and ‘sovereign’, which were often combined to form the notion of ‘sovereign state’. The second way of thinking about political community was that of ‘empire’. This concept was mainly connected to the legacy of the Roman empire and it developed in conjunction with the European encounters with the extra-European world.
The course aims to introduce students to the ideas and works of some of the most important political thinkers, from Machiavelli to Marx, who contributed to the development of the political thought of state and empire. Both authors and ideas will be examined in their historical and intellectual context. Topics examined in this course include, but are not limited to, sovereignty, natural rights, constitutionalism, and revolution.
- Docente: MARCO BARDUCCI