Loyola University Chicago

Department of Philosophy

PHIL 326: Political Philosophy

PHIL 326: Political Philosophy

The Generic Catalog Description

An examination of the major issues of political philosophy. Various theories of political society will be studied with a view to explaining the chief characteristics of political society and their relationships to important aspects of the human character.


PHIL 326: Political Philosophy

Brandon Morgan Olsen

This course is designed as an introduction to and exploration of issues in the philosophy of human rights.  Throughout the term, we will discuss how one ought to conceive of and justify human rights, guided by a close examination of various themes and controversies that surround these issues. Among other lines of inquiry, we will:

  • Consider whether rights should include positive rights (roughly, rights to be provided something) or only negative rights (roughly, rights to not be harmed or interfered with),
  • Address pluralistic challenges to human rights theories, both domestic (e.g., issues of multiculturalism) and international (e.g. issues of cultural relativism and/or the International Criminal Court),
  • And question whether rights can be extended to groups as well as individuals.