The main purpose of this course is to introduce students to the main paradigms of contemporary political philosophy. Students are going to reflect critically on those concepts, learning to argue for and against. Moreover, students learn to think through crucial political issues of our time, both at the domestic and global level.

Knowledge and understanding: - Comprehension of major contemporary philosophical texts. - In-depth knowledge of the main political theories. - Understanding the foundations of political debates. - Forming an opinion and taking a stance on questions of justice. Applying knowledge and understanding: - Apply theories to real world politics and case studies. - Learn to organize philosophical presentations in group work. - Learn to do philosophy and write philosophical essays. Making judgments: - The course is organized in a discursive manner, asking students at each step to provide their critical thoughts. - The course always provides argumentation for and against, helping students to form their opinions. - The course seeks to engage students in discussions among themselves, contributing to critical thinking among peers. Communication skills: - Communicate in an effective and comprehensible manner complex philosophical concepts. - Students learn to use simple language to address complex philosophical questions. - Students learn to present a thesis and arguments in favor it. Learning skills: - Students learn to become able and effective critical thinkers, developing the skill of continuous questioning. - Students are stimulated to be curious and engage in in-depth analyses of problems. - Students learn to organize their thoughts, distinguish between a problem, thesis and argument, becoming able speakers and writers.

The course will introduce students to the main issues and authors of contemporary political thought: democracy, liberalism, utilitarianism, republicanism, feminism, global justice, multiculturalism, postcolonialism, Rawls, Habermas, Foucault, Sen, Marx and comparative political thought.

Sebastiano Maffettone, Politics (forthcoming) Other readings will be indicated during the course. Assigned readings, which are not available online at LUISS library, will be provided on the platform LUISS Learn.

Each course topic is covered in one week. The Tuesday lesson is devoted to a general explanation by means of a frontal lecture. The online lesson on Wednesday includes a summary and a discussion of the topic with the students. Friday's lessons are divided between four intermediate written tests (dates will be communicated on Learn), guest lectures, and student presentations. Details will be provided on Learn.

There are three or four intermediate written tests (multiple choice tests and short essays) and weekly in-class presentations by students. Full details on assessment will be provided on Learn.

The thesis will be on one of the topics covered during the course. It is important to agree on the topic with the professor.