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Theory

Political Theory

Authority, liberty, equality, and power, one tradition at a time. Later headings open after the one before. Read a political-theory argument — authority, liberty, equality, power — and answer it in the terms the text actually uses.

  • 6 headings
  • Ladder
  • Test out a heading you have
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A class on this path

Plato and Aristotle · First class

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Materials for this classReadingPodcastLecture

Pick where you want to start

Each heading is its own course. Later ones open when you finish — or skip — the one before. A later course does not reteach earlier bands.

  1. Plato and Aristotle

    Start here

    State the justice question in the Republic and Politics, and object to it without flattening either text.

  2. Social contract

    After Plato and Aristotle — test out to unlock

    Separate Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau on the state of nature, consent, and what the sovereign may do.

  3. Liberalism

    After Social contract — test out to unlock

    Use Mill (and a later liberal) on harm, liberty, and majority tyranny on a concrete ban or mandate.

  4. Marx and critics

    After Liberalism — test out to unlock

    State exploitation and ideology as Marx uses them, then a serious liberal or conservative objection.

  5. Justice

    After Marx and critics — test out to unlock

    Run a Rawls original-position argument, then Nozick or a luck-egalitarian objection, on a tax or health scheme.

  6. Power and democracy

    After Justice — test out to unlock

    Say what a democracy owes minorities and what “power” is doing in a modern state, with a named theorist.

What this is for

  1. 01

    State the justice question in the Republic and Politics, and object to it without flattening either text.

  2. 02

    Separate Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau on the state of nature, consent, and what the sovereign may do.

  3. 03

    Use Mill (and a later liberal) on harm, liberty, and majority tyranny on a concrete ban or mandate.

Why a path, not a playlist

Authority, liberty, equality, and power, one tradition at a time. Later headings open after the one before.

Each heading is its own course with a tutor. Later headings open when you finish — or test out of — the one before.

After you sign in

  • You land on this map — every heading is already there.
  • Take the open class, or test out of a later heading to unlock it.
  • Each heading is one shared course — same syllabus and first class for everyone. Later classes continue on your copy.

Theory

Start Political Theory free

Free to start. Sign in with Google or email.