Just War Revisited
The purpose of this course is to understand the evolution of the doctrine of the just war across the history of Western political thought, the importance of the changes in the doctrine, and whether it is still applicable in the modern world. We begin with a discussion of traditional just war theory, tracing the evolution from the medieval Christian thinkers through the changes incurred with the advent of the law of nations. To compliment the philosophical aspects of the course, we examine through the use of case studies in international relations whether just war theory still relevant today

Philosophy of the Other
The purpose of the course is to examine critically the notion of the ‘other’ by looking at the philosophical challenges difference poses in the context of the European ‘discovery’ of the New World. The goal is to understand the naissance of the concept of human rights as a tension laden concept, as well as the importance of tolerance and the potential explosiveness of difference in a world in which interaction with the ‘other’ is an inevitable and fundamental component of our existence. The course explores early human rights discourses, debates about colonialism, and the voices of the Other to challenge common understandings of human rights.  We also explore this theme in relation to the plight of Native American population in local southern California and current events.

Introduction to Political Theory
The purpose of the course is to explore the history of political thought through the lens of the writings of Michel de Montaigne. Montaigne’s Essays are seen as an exploration of the human condition in which the author grapples with the political, religious, and personal drama of his life in sixteenth century France by engaging the works of philosophers past and present. Drawing from ancient sources and reflecting on the fortunes of history, he challenged some of the dominant philosophical paradigms of the West (notably Christian Aristotelianism), offering an alternative way of thinking that had a marked influence on his philosophical heirs. Each week, we will read of collection of key essays grouped around a specific theme, paired with influential texts from the ancients (his sources), his contemporaries (those he challenged), and/or his intellectual heirs (those influenced by him). The goals of the course are multi-fold: to garner a deeper understanding of the history of political thought; to gain a better grasp of how ideas were transmitted – accepted, doubted, challenged, recovered, renewed, altered, rejected, forgotten – over time; to learn how to read texts; to discover Montaigne; and to explore the human condition.

Middle East Narratives
This course explores the various and multi-faceted narratives of peoples living in the Middle East. We look at how their identities were formed and altered across several millennia through the lenses of empire, religion, exodus, war, democracy, and diasporas. The focus of the course is philosophical (understanding how identities are formed and changed) and historical (garnering a deeper understanding of the cultural impact of past events on the peoples still living there today). In order to maximize learning, a series of experts from the campus and surrounding area have been invited to share their expertise.

War and Humanism
This course explores the place of war in humanist thought. As a point of departure, the course places the humanist turn in conversation with contemporary methods of thinking about war found in the just war tradition. What questions does the humanist turn raise that are different from those asked by the just war tradition? How can a return to humanist thinkers help us understand why, when and how we wage war? What can humanism teach us about the duties of soldiers in times of war? These questions are explored by paying particular attention to notions of virtue and vice, education and character formation, civilization and barbarism. The course proceeds by setting the context of the humanist turn in the late fifteenth century/early sixteenth century, before returning to the ancient Greek and Roman texts that inspired these humanists. Then the course returns to early modernity to explore how humanism framed European encounters with the “New” World and to study the ideas of key sixteenth century humanist thinkers whose legacies resonate in different ways compared to the thinkers heralded by the just war tradition. The last part of the course turns to contemporary concerns about instilling virtue and ethics in the modern day warrior, and contemplates how the rise of technology (particularly drones) marks a problematic post-humanist turn in modern warfare.

International Studies Public Forum
The International Studies Public Forum (ISPF) is a lecture series hosting speakers from around the world working on international and global issues of public importance. The course is designed to expose students to issues of international importance, to enhance their practical understanding of global issues, and to develop their ability to analyze and write about these topics. The online version uses archived talks and a wide range of interactive assignments to engage students on issues of global importance