Class Political Thought

This course unit is aimed at the study and understanding of the main concepts and theoretical currents that have shaped the history of political thought over the centuries. It proposes an analysis, through reference literature, of the major issues and concepts in political theory, such as power, freedom, justice, and democracy.

Not applicable

The course unit is structured around three main modules: the foundations of ancient political theory and thought, the rupture that gives rise to modernity, and contemporary political thought. The exploration of different theoretical and conceptual approaches will be carried out through the contributions of authors such as Aristotle, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Alexis de Tocqueville, Herbert Marcuse, Isaiah Berlin, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Patrick Deneen. The ideologies of modernity, socialism, liberalism and conservatism, as well as the concepts of utopia and dystopia, and their relevance to political thought, will also be addressed.

In-class questions  Oxford style debates 

Aristóteles. (1997). Política (tradução, introdução e notas de M.¿G.¿Kury; 3ª ed.). Brasília: UNB. Berlin, I. (2023). Esperança e medo: Dois conceitos de liberdade (J.¿P.¿Pires & M.¿J.¿Baptista, Trad.). Porto: Guerra e Paz. Deneen, P. (2018). Why Liberalism Failed. New Haven: Yale University Press. MacIntyre, A. (2007). After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (3ª ed.). (Obra originalmente em inglês; sem tradução acadêmica recente em português). Marcuse, H. (1965). Tolerância repressiva. (Edição portuguesa atual; com base no original em alemão; dados completos da tradução podem ser complementados conforme disponível). Maquiavel, N. (2024). Discursos sobre a Primeira Década de Tito Lívio (1ª ed.). Lisboa: Edições 70. Rousseau, J.-J. (2025). Do Contrato Social (G. Neves, Trad.; Penguin Clássicos, 1ª ed., março de 2025). Lisboa: Penguin Clássicos.