PL 331 - Natural Law and Natural Right

(3.00 cr.)

Prerequisite: PL 201 and one additional PL 200-level course. An examination of the foundation and arguments for rights doctrines as developed from the natural law or natural rights traditions. The difference between the two traditions is illustrated through a study of the political philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Locke. Close attention is given to the writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas and their pragmatic influence on numerous papal encyclicals. IC