History of Social and Political Philosophy
| Title | Ιστορία της κοινωνικής και πολιτικής φιλοσοφίας / History of Social and Political Philosophy |
| Code | Φ492 |
| Faculty | Philosophy |
| School | Philosophy and Education |
| Cycle / Level | 1st / Undergraduate |
| Teaching Period | Winter/Spring |
| Coordinator | Konstantinos Kavoulakos |
| Common | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Course ID | 600022977 |
Programme of Study: UPS School of Philosophy and Education (2011-today)
Registered students: 1
| Orientation | Attendance Type | Semester | Year | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Exchange | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Philosophy | Compulsory courses beloging to the selected specialisation | Winter/Spring | - | 6 |
| Academic Year | 2024 – 2025 |
| Class Period | Spring |
| Faculty Instructors | |
| Class ID | 600273225
|
Course Type 2021
Specific Foundation
Mode of Delivery
- Face to face
Digital Course Content
- e-Study Guide https://qa.auth.gr/en/class/1/600273225
- eLearning (Moodle): https://elearning.auth.gr/course/view.php?id=20100
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
- Greek (Instruction, Examination)
- English (Examination)
- German (Examination)
Learning Outcomes
- become familiar with classical political philosophy of the ancient, medieval, and modern periods.
- become acquainted with certain key figures in political thought.
- be able to distinguish between the three major periods of political thought.
- be able to broaden their studies by examining further bibliography.
General Competences
- Retrieve, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
- Work autonomously
- Appreciate diversity and multiculturality
- Be critical and self-critical
- Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
This course is an introduction to the history of social and political philosophy. Through a concise discussion of key historical milestones in social and political philosophy, we will focus our attention on the following issues:
1) Key questions in social and political philosophy: The ethical foundations of social life, the problem of its political regulation, the purposes of social and political institutions.
2) Key axes of the historical development of social and political philosophy. Questions of justice and the common good, the relationship between the individual and the community, the idea of the social contract, the problem of freedom within society.
3) Fundamental categories for the classification of relevant philosophical theories: The contradictions between historicity and ahistoricity in the criteria of political and social philosophy, ethical foundation and decisionism, nature and convention.
4) The internal link between social and political philosophy. Their relationship with ethics, the philosophy of history, culture, education, but also with subjects of theoretical philosophy (e.g. ontology/metaphysics, epistemology, etc.).
5) Classical thinkers of social and political philosophy and their ideas: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel.
6) The difference between ancient Greek/medieval and modern social and political philosophy: ontological and subject-centered foundations.
7) Current issues in social and political philosophy and their relationship to classical theories.
Keywords
History of social and political philosophy
Educational Material Types
- Notes
- Slide presentations
- Book
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
- Use of ICT in Course Teaching
- Use of ICT in Communication with Students
Course Organization
| Activities | Workload | ECTS | Individual | Teamwork | Erasmus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 39 | 1.6 | |||
| Reading Assigment | 108 | 4.3 | |||
| Exams | 3 | 0.1 | |||
| Total | 150 | 6 |
Student Assessment
Description
Three hours examination with questions chosen by the students.
Student Assessment methods
- Written Exam with Extended Answer Questions (Summative)
Bibliography
Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
1) G. Sabine, Ιστορία των πολιτικών θεωριών, Αθήνα, χωρίς ημερομηνία,
2) Π. Κιτρομηλίδης, Νεότερη πολιτική θεωρία, Αθήνα 1996.
3) J. Coleman, Ιστορία της πολιτικής σκέψης (τόμ. Ι), Αθήνα 2004.
4) ) J. Coleman, Ιστορία της πολιτικής σκέψης (τόμ. ΙΙ), Αθήνα 2006.
5) Q. Skinner, Τα θεμέλια της νεότερης πολιτικής σκέψης, Αθήνα 2005.
7) Β. Haddock, Ιστορία της πολιτικής σκέψης. Από το 1789 μέχρι σήμερα, Αθήνα 2009.
8) Μ. Όουξοτ, Διαλέξεις για την ιστορία της πολιτικής σκέψης, Τόπος: Αθήνα 2019.
Last Update
07-10-2025
