Instructor: M. Hornquist
Recent geopolitical developments have brought the notions of empire and liberal imperialism to the fore. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of Western imperialism, including the ancient empires of Athens and Rome, the Republica Christiana, Europe’s overseas expansion during the Early Modern period, Western colonialism and twentieth-century totalitarianism.
Our focus will be on how these developments are reflected and conceptualized in the works of leading political theorists like Aristotle, Machiavelli, Tocqueville and Arendt. Particular emphasis will be placed on the dual theme of liberty and empire, and the classical republican idea of liberty at home and empire abroad. In a contemporary context, the course will touch on questions concerning national sovereignty, religious universalism, identitarian politics, the doctrine of human rights, and American exceptionalism.
From a normative perspective, we will addresse a series of interrelated questions of great current import: Is empire compatible with liberal and democratic values broadly defined? What, if any, are the alternatives to empire and Western hegemony? And what is the price political, economic, military, and social of empire? To gain a more in-depth understanding of how these theoretical issues are played out and experienced on a more personal level, we will turn to literary and cinematographic works of fiction.
