Information Package / Course Catalogue
History of Political Thought I
Course Code: KAY301
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 3
Prt.: 0
Credit: 3
Lab: 0
ECTS: 6
Objectives of the Course

The main purpose of the course is to explore the main ideas related to state or power starting from Ancient Greek

Course Content

This course examines and discusses the political issues and approaches addressed by political thinkers who have shaped Western political thought from ancient Greek political thought to the modern era. It investigates the figures and ideas that constitute the sources of Western thought. Western political thought is explained by dividing it into periods: Ancient Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, and the modern era.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Assoc. Prof. Belgin TARHAN
Learning Outcomes
1.In Political Science classes, students learn the place and function of concepts and themes, which are explained conceptually, within the history of thought
2.By learning about the issues addressed by thinkers who shaped political culture and life, students gain a perspective that enables them to evaluate current developments.
3.It understands the changes that fundamental issues of political philosophy, such as justice and power, have undergone throughout the history of thought.
4.To be able to comprehend the changes of Political Philosophy of justice, the fundamental issues of power.
5.It critically evaluates political ideas within their philosophical, sociological, and socio-economic contexts.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Ağaoğulları, Mehmet Ali (ed.) (2011). Political Thought in the West from Socrates to the Jacobins. Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları.
2.Donald G. Tannenbaum & David Schultz, A History of Political Thought, Translated by Fatih Demirci, Ankara: Liberte Publications.
3.Tunçay, Mete (2004). History of Political Thought in the West: Selected Writings I (Ancient and Medieval Periods). Istanbul: Bilgi University.
4.Alaaddin ŞENEL, History of Political Thought, Science and Art Publications, Istanbul, 2010.
5.Jeffrey Abramson, Minerva's Owl - A History of Political Thought in the West, Ankara: Dipnot Publications.
6.TÜBA Open Course, Bican Şahin (Ed.) History of Political Thought I, https://acikders.tuba.gov.tr/course/view.php?id=63
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Information about the History of Political Thought
Week 2 - Theoretical
Society and Political Structure in Ancient Greece
Week 3 - Theoretical
The Beginnings of Political Thought: The Sophists and Socrates
Week 4 - Theoretical
Classical Political Thought and Plato
Week 5 - Theoretical
Classical Political Thought and Aristotle
Week 6 - Theoretical
Society and Political Institutions in the Roman Empire
Week 7 - Theoretical
Roman Political Thought: Polybius, Cicero, and Seneca
Week 8 - Theoretical
Society and Political Structure in the Middle Ages: The Church and Feudalism
Week 9 - Theoretical
Political Thought in the Middle Ages, Christian Thought, and St. Augustine
Week 10 - Theoretical
Political Thought in the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas
Week 11 - Theoretical
Modern Political Thought, Reform Movement
Week 12 - Theoretical
Martin Luther and Jean Calvin
Week 13 - Theoretical
Modern Political Thought, Utopianism, and Thomas Moore
Week 14 - Theoretical
Modern Political Thought, Sovereignty and the State, Jean Bodin
Week 15 - Theoretical
Term Evaluation
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Midterm Examination1%40
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory130339
Individual Work130452
Midterm Examination127128
Final Examination131132
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)151
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
PÇ-13
PÇ-14
PÇ-15
OÇ-1
2
4
3
2
3
5
5
5
4
2
5
3
5
5
5
OÇ-2
2
3
3
2
4
5
5
4
4
2
4
3
5
5
5
OÇ-3
2
4
3
2
3
5
4
5
4
2
5
3
5
5
5
OÇ-4
2
4
3
2
4
5
5
5
4
2
5
3
5
5
5
OÇ-5
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026