Information Package / Course Catalogue
History Of Political Thoughts
Course Code: INT106
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: English
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 3
Prt.: 0
Credit: 3
Lab: 0
ECTS: 5
Objectives of the Course

The aim of the course is to inform students about the sociological, economic sources of political ideas, and give them the ability to resolve the psychological causes that contributes on the development of those ideas.

Course Content

In this course, the process of civilization and the political thinking will be examined from the beginning to the present of the civilization. Moreover, the reflection of political factors that affects the political purposes of political ideas which are being produced, which lead to political consequences will be resolved. In this context, the political thinking systematic of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, Augustine, St. Thomas, Thomas More, Machiavelli, Hobbes, John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau will be discussed and analyzed.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Assoc. Prof. Ali BİLGENOĞLU
Learning Outcomes
1.To be able to comprehend the relationship between modern political ideologies and thoughts that were generated in the early periods of the history of political thought.
2.o be able to comprehend the origins and diverse meanings of debated concepts of state, power, society, freedom and equality from the point of the history of political thought.
3.To be able to analyze the transition processes of Medieval era, Renaissance and Reformation which they study in diplomatic history courses.
4. Ability to reach and evaluate information sources
5. Ability to use, compare, interpret, draw and apply scientific data
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Coleman, J. (2000). A history of political thought. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers
2.Iain Hampsher Monk, A History of Modern Political Thought: Major Political Thinkers from Hobbes to Marx, 1993.
3.Andrew Heywood, Political Ideologies: An Introduction, 1992.
4.Faruk Yalvaç, International Relations and Political Thought, International Relations, 2016.
5.Plato, Republic, 2008.
6.Niccolo Machiavelli, Prince, 2005.
7.Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 2005.
8.John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 2000.
9.Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws, 2011.
10.Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, 2005.
11.Karl Marx, Capital, 2023.
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Introduction to the Political Thought of Ancient Greek: Democracy in Athens and Socrates
Week 2 - Theoretical
Plato and Search for Ideal State in Ancient Greek Philosophy
Week 3 - Theoretical
From City State to Empire: Introduction to Roman Political Thinking
Week 4 - Theoretical
Two Counter Thinker in Roman Philosophy: Cicero and St. Augustine
Week 5 - Theoretical
The Evolution of the Political Thinking in Post-Roman Europe: Introduction to the Middle Ages
Week 6 - Theoretical
Diversity of the Political Thinking in Pre-Renaissance Europe
Week 7 - Theoretical
Machiavelli and the Emergence of Absolutism in Renaissance Political Thinking
Week 8 - Intermediate Exam
Midterm Exams
Week 9 - Theoretical
Jean Bodin and the Emergence of the Idea of Sovereignty
Week 10 - Theoretical
The Climax of Absolutism: Thomas Hobbes and Leviathan
Week 11 - Theoretical
A Look at the Social Contract Theory: The Political Philosophy of Rousseau and Locke
Week 12 - Theoretical
Introduction to Enlightenment
Week 13 - Theoretical
Montesquieu and the Analysis of the Book On the Spirit of the Laws: The Emergence of the Separation of Powers
Week 14 - Theoretical
Classical Liberalism: Adam Smith and the Analysis of the Wealth of Nations
Week 15 - Theoretical
The Political Philosophy of Karl Marx: The Emergence of Communism
Week 16 - Final Exam
Final Exams
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Midterm Examination1%40
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory144398
Midterm Examination110111
Final Examination115116
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)125
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
OÇ-1
5
4
4
4
4
4
OÇ-2
3
3
3
4
4
4
OÇ-3
4
3
4
3
4
4
OÇ-4
3
3
3
3
3
3
OÇ-5
4
4
5
4
4
4
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026