Discussions about ethical, social, and political issues often break down because the participants are unable to arrive at any consensus about basic underlying principles and consequently find themselves arguing in circles. This course therefore begins by laying a philosophical groundwork based on simple, logically persuasive reasoning. Certain universal laws that govern human action and that determine whether such action will effectively improve human lives are then identified. These natural laws are then applied to an investigation of the social, economic, and political relationships among human beings. The course concludes with a comparative analysis of political systems and policies. Many interesting historical and contemporary examples are used to help the student develop precision in thinking about society and politics.     Continue...