Individual liberty and equality among all people are the ideals that drive nearly all modern political philosophy. These ideals raise for us the problem: By what right does any government have power over people? What could constitute legitimate political authority ? In this program, we will read classics of modern political pihlosophy, including works by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and Mill, as well as some contemporary sources that extend as well as challenge the views of earlier thinkers. Students will also engage in research into contemporary political issues in connection with a political theory we study. Credit will be awarded in political philosophy.