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Revolutionary Ideas: Borders, Elections, Constitutions, Prisons
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 18 hours
  • Course by Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
  • Offered by

About

What is the purpose of government? Why should we have a State? What kind of State should we have? Even within a political community, there may be sharp disagreements about the role and purpose of government. Some want an active, involved government, seeing legal and political institutions as the means to solve our most pressing problems, and to help bring about peace, equality, justice, happiness, and to protect individual liberty. Others want a more minimal government, motivated, perhaps, by some of the disastrous political experiments of the 20th Century, and the thought that political power is often just a step away from tyranny. In many cases, these disagreements arise out of deep philosophical disagreements. All political and legal institutions are built on foundational ideas. In this course, we will explore those ideas, taking the political institutions and political systems around us not as fixed and unquestionable, but as things to evaluate and, if necessary, to change. We will consider the ideas and arguments of some of the world’s most celebrated philosophers, including historical thinkers such as Plato, Hugo Grotius, David Hume, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, and more contemporary theorists such as Michelle Alexander, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Bryan Caplan, Angela Davis, Ronald Dworkin, Jon Elster, John Hart Ely, H.L.A. Hart, Michael Huemer, Andrew Rehfeld, and Jeremy Waldron. The aim of the course is not to convince you of the correctness of any particular view or political position, but to provide you with a deeper and more philosophically-informed basis for your own views, and, perhaps, to help you better understand the views of those with whom you disagree.

Modules

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 4 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction to Part II

4 Readings

  • Syllabus
  • Networks
  • Grading
  • Argumentative Reflections

Introduction to Political Community and Borders

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 6.0: Political Community: An Introduction

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 1

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 6.1: Voluntarism & Political Community

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 6.2: Alternatives to Voluntarism: Rehfeld's Random Constituencies

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 6.3: Political Community, Cosmopolitanism & World Government

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 4

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Lecture 6.4.0: Immigration & Exclusion
  • Lecture 6.4.1: Immigration, Exclusion & Open Borders

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Political Community and Borders

Peer Review

    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • First Argumentative Reflection Assignment

Introduction to Representatives, Elections, and Lotteries

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 7.0: Representatives, Elections & Lotteries: An Introduction

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 1

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 7.1: The Case for Representatives

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 7.2: The Case for Elected Representatives

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Lecture 7.3.0: The Perils of Elected Representation: Part I
  • Lecture 7.3.1: The Perils of Elected Representation: Part II

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 4

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

3 Videos

  • Lecture 7.4.0: The Lottocracy
  • Lecture 7.4.1: The Promise of Lottocracy
  • Lecture 7.4.2: Concerns About Lottocracy

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Representatives, Elections, and Lotteries

Peer Review

    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Second Argumentative Reflection Assignment

Introduction to Constitutions

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 8.0: Constitutions: An Introduction

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 1

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 8.1: Constitutions as Limits

Lesson 2

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 8.2: The Mechanisms of Constitutional Limitations

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Lecture 8.3.0: Pre-Commitment & Constitutional Authority
  • Lecture 8.3.1: Pre-Commitment Revisited

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 4

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 8.4: Constitutions & Process Theory

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 5

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Lecture 8.5.0: Constitutions, Judicial Review, & Constitutional Interpretation
  • Lecture 8.5.1: Constitutional Interpretation

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Constitutions

Introduction to Crime & Punishment

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 9.0: Crime & Punishment: An Introduction

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 1

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Lecture 9.1.0: What is Crime? What Should be Criminalized?
  • Lecture 9.1.1: What Can be Criminalized? The Hart-Devlin Debate

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 2

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Lecture 9.2: Theories of Punishment

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 3

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Lecture 9.3.0: Theories of Punishment: Retributivism
  • Lecture 9.3.1: Retributivism Reconsidered

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Lesson 4

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lecture 9.4: Alternatives to Incarcerations: Restorative Justice

1 Readings

  • Relevant Readings

Review

    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Prisons and Punishment & Conclusions

Peer Review

    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Third Argumentative Reflection Assignment

Final Project: The Blueprints Project

    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • The Blueprints Project

Bonus Materials: Reflections on Revolutionary Ideas

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Reflections on Revolutionary Ideas: A Question & Answer Session with Prof. Guerrero

Auto Summary

"Revolutionary Ideas: Borders, Elections, Constitutions, Prisons" is a foundational course designed for those interested in delving into the philosophical underpinnings of government and political systems. This course, offered by Coursera, falls under the Health & Fitness domain and spans an extensive duration of 1080 minutes. It invites learners to critically examine the purpose and structure of government through the lens of renowned philosophers, both historical and contemporary, such as Plato, Thomas Jefferson, Angela Davis, and Kwame Anthony Appiah. The course encourages a deep exploration of political and legal institutions, challenging learners to evaluate and potentially rethink these systems. It covers a wide array of ideas surrounding active versus minimal government, the potential for tyranny, and the philosophical foundations that shape political communities. Rather than persuading participants to adopt a particular viewpoint, the course aims to enrich their understanding and help them form more philosophically-informed perspectives on political matters. This makes it an excellent fit for individuals looking to broaden their comprehension of political theory and engage in thoughtful debate about the role and purpose of government. Available through a "Starter" subscription, this course is designed to provide a robust entry point into political philosophy, suitable for anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge and engage with the core ideas that shape our political landscape.

Alexander Guerrero
Instructor

Alexander Guerrero