2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses

Political Science B

Academic unit or major: Humanities and social science courses
Instructor(s): Ryoto Sato
Class Format: Lecture
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms)
Class: -
Course Code: LAH.S203
Number of credits: 200
Course offered: 2026
Offered quarter: 4Q
Syllabus updated: Mar 5, 2026
Language: Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

This course examines the foundations the politics from the perspectives of political thought and political theory.In each section, we will consider not only the theoritical content of the arguments in question, but also social/historical contexts in which they emerged and the problems to which they sought to respond. In doing so, we will explore what kinds of problem political theory can adress, and which it cannot.
In recent social conditions, there have been increasing occations to confront others with whom we may feel we can hardly reach any mutual understandings. This course proceeds on the premise of pluralism, understood as the idea that the coexsitene of diverse values and forms of life is desirable, and examins the conditions, practices, and theories required to achieve such coexistence.

Course description and aims

Students will learn the following skills from taking this course.
1) To understand and be able to explain fundamental concepts and terminology in the politics.
2) To understand modes of thinking necessary to identify and respond to political issues.
3) To develop the ability to identify and analyse issues independently.

Keywords

Liberalism, Theory of Justice, Democracy, Populism, Sovereignty(Power), Affect Theory, Feminism, Ecology

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

The course will be conducted in a lecture format using slides. Necessary materials, including handouts and outlinse, will be distributed to acompany the lecture.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Introduction: What are Political Thought and Political Theory?	Explain the directions of political thought and political theory.
Class 2	What is Liberalism?	Explain the emergence and core claims of liberalism.
Class 3	What is Theory of Justice?	Explain Rawl's theory of justice.
Class 4	Dmocracy I: Radical Democracy	Explain the background and core claimes of radical democracy.
Class 5	Democracy II: Deliberative and Agonistic Democracy	Explain the background and core claimes of deliberative and agonistic democracy.
Class 6	Democracy III: Populism	Explain the background to the rise of populism and the different ways of understanding it.
Class 7	Democracy IV: Lottocracy	Explain the background and core claimes of lottocacy.
Class 8	Power I: Disciplinary Power and Biopolitics	Explain the Foucault's theory of disciplinary power and biopower.
Class 9	Power II: Neuropolitics, Affect and Fascism	Explain how politics relate to body and affect.
Class 10	Feminism and Politics I: Fundamental Issues	Explain the history and basic claims of feminism.
Class 11	Feminism and Politics II: The Ethics of Care	Explain the aims and core claimes of the ethics of care.
Class 12	Ecology and Politics I: The Anthropocene and the Planetary	Explain the background and debates surrounding the emergence of the discource on the Anthropocene and the planetary.
Class 13	Ecology and Politics II: New Materialism and Politics	Explain the coneption of politics grounded in the claims of new materialism.
Class 14	Summary and Questions
Class 15	Final Examine

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to reference books and other course materials.

Textbook(s)

Nothing.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Materials will be distributed as appropriate.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Comment paper: 40%, final examine: 60%

Related courses

LAH.S103 ： Political Science A
LAH.S304 ： Political Science C
LAH.S409 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences9:Political Science

Prerequisites

None required.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

marchglider05 [at] gmail.com
Replace [at] with @.

Office hours

Before and after class; e-mail; via zoom (prior contact required).