Social and political philosophy studies the nature of the relationship among society, government, and its citizens. It tries to answer questions such as these. “Why does society need a government?” “On what grounds, and to what extent can government be justified?” “Should individuals obey the state?” “What is a just distribution of economic resource?” This course will cover some of the historically prominent answers to these questions that combine theories of human nature, ethics, and social life. Special attention will be paid to some of the most important contemporary political philosophers such as Robert Nozick, John Rawls, and Michael Sandel.