We human beings are strange animals…the one and only political animals. Why do human beings alone organize ourselves into political regimes and govern ourselves with laws? How should we order our political communities so as to encourage the flourishing of our distinctive nature? Explore questions such as these with the aid of great thinkers from Plato to Alexis de Tocqueville.
Politics and the Human Soul
Hear from the Students
In 2020-2021, Bella Dickenson, a student in the Politics and the Human Soul program, wrote an opinion piece for The Paladin student newspaper called “Engaged Living: A Welcome Source of Community During the Pandemic”.
Fall Course
FYW 1300: Politics and the Good Life
Have you ever asked yourselves the most profound questions about political life? For example: why do human beings alone organize themselves into political regimes and govern themselves with laws? Why do we argue about what is good, what is beautiful, what is holy? How can such arguments become enjoyable, ennobling, and useful rather than divisive, degrading, and stifling? How can thinking about these questions to help us recover the sense of common identity and purpose so lacking in our time?
In the fall course (FYW 1300, “Politics and the Good Life”), we will attempt to answer these questions by plumbing the depths of J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. A great way to learn how to write well and research with confidence is to explore themes, images, and character arcs in literature. Don’t remain satisfied with the films; enter a new world through the power of the written word.
Spring Course
POL 103: Introduction to Political Thought
POL 103 considers the comprehensive political questions: justice, the best regime, and the good human life. With the help of some of the great texts of political philosophy, this course explores the enduring philosophical problems – the meaning of virtue and happiness, the origins of legitimate authority – toward which our everyday political disagreements point. This class fulfills the “Ultimate Questions” GER.
Faculty Mentors
Rob L’Arrivee
Dr. L’Arrivee serves as faculty for Politics and the Human Soul and teaches FYW 1300: Politics and the Good Life. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and International Affairs. Dr. L’Arrivee began his academic career studying philosophy at the University of Winnipeg in the hopes of learning more about the relationship between theology and political life. There he encountered Islamic political philosophy through the works of Abu Nasr al-Farabi, a 10th century Muslim philosopher who was the first to unite a wide range of intellectual topics circulating in the Islamic miliue during his time. His particular focus centers on how al-Farabi brings together Greek philosophy and Islamic ideas into a systematic whole in order to explain the integration of theology, religion, and politics. After graduating from the University of Winnipeg, he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Notre Dame where he studied early Christian thought, political theory, and international relations. Since earning his PhD, he has taught at Colgate University, Skidmore College, and held a research position at the James Madison Program at Princeton University.
Robert L’Arrivee
Assistant Professor, Politics & International Affairs
Want to learn more?
Information sessions are great time to talk to faculty about the programs, courses, and out-of-class opportunities. You can also hear about the student experience and ask questions before applying!