Introduction

I. Outline of Topics for May 13

1. syllabus
2. books
3. subject matter and aims of political philosophy
1. clarifying political concepts
2. answering normative political questions
4. methods of political philosophy
1. theoretical, not empirical
2. general, not specific
3. thought experiments
5. approaches to political obligation
1. social contract
2. Mill
3. Marx

II. Suggestions for Further Reading

1. Stanley I. Benn, “Political Philosophy, Nature of,” in Paul Edwards (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Philosophy (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1967) (Hillman reference B41 E56), volume 6, pp. 387-92.
2. Anthony Kenny (ed.), Oxford History of Western Philosophy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994) (Hillman reference B72 O8 1994b), pp. 275-79