教學大綱 Syllabus

課程簡介Course Description

Can liberalism respond to contemporary challenges such as populism, conservatism, and nationalism? Is liberalism an outdated political project? Or the fundamental question might be:  does liberalism fail? This course seeks to address these questions by examining key arguments in early modern political thought, with a particular focus on the contrasting philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Through their proto-liberal ideas, we will trace the historical development of liberalism and assess its capacity to withstand the pressures of the modern age.

We will approach these classic texts through several primary lenses. Major themes include natural equality, the sovereign state, liberty, and religious toleration. In the first part of the course, we will situate Hobbes’s political thought within the context of international politics, including European expansion and colonization—an ironic yet essential component of liberalism’s history. Is Hobbes an apologist for English colonialism? To what extent is liberalism entangled with colonialism? Is Hobbes’s international political thought “realist”?

In the second half of the semester, we will turn to the foundations, development, and critiques of liberal political philosophy, focusing on the influential works of John Locke. Through selective but close readings of The Second Treatise of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration, we will examine core liberal concepts such as natural rights, limited government, and religious freedom. Why should we remain vigilant against the exercise of arbitrary power? What role should religion play in our lives?  What are the proper limits of religious freedom?