Department of Government

Political theory has long played a central role in the graduate program of the Department, and that traditions continues. The courses offered in this field are designed to serve the needs of minors as well as majors, and they cover a wide range of different topics, extending all the way from ancient Greek and early Christian political thought to quite recent developments. The program is designed to acquaint students in some depth with the history of the Western political tradition while at the same time also equipping them with the tools necessary to bring the resources provided by that tradition creatively to bear on issues of current interest.

In its treatment of historical sources the Department pays particular attention to: Classical and Medieval Political Philosophy (Gerald Mara, Joshua Mitchell, James Schall, S.J., and Patrick Deneen), Early Modern Political Thought (Mitchell and Bruce Douglass), Continental Political Thought, and American Political Thought (George Carey and Deneen). In its treatment of contemporary topics the Department currently emphasizes: Liberalism (Douglass), Religion & Politics (Douglass, Mitchell and Schall), Social Theory and the Philosophy of Social Science (Douglass and Mara), and Democratic Theory (Carey and Deneen). The Department also makes use of adjunct, visiting and associated faculty to offer courses on such other subjects as, the role of psychoanalytic thought in political theory (James Glass) and the ethics of international relations (Marilyn McMorrow, S.M).

Georgetown also offers a wide variety of other resources that are of value in the study of political theory, and the Department encourages its students to take advantage of those resources. The Department of Philosophy, the Public Policy Institute, the Law Center, and the Kennedy Institute all have faculty who regularly teach and write on subjects of interest to theorists, and members of the theory faculty themselves play an active role in such other programs as the Center for Democracy and Civil Society and the Program for Jewish Civilization.

In addition, the Department also has a number of faculty in other fields who share the interests of theorists, and theory students are encouraged to make use of the resources they provide as well. The graduate program in international relations, e.g., is known for its emphasis on international law, and the faculty in both the American government and comparative politics fields routinely offer courses that are directly relevant to the interests of students who want to explore democratic theory. Increasingly the same is also true for political economy and political behavior. We also have a long-standing tradition of working closely with individual graduate students.

For more information about our Political Theory Ph.D., please contact the Field Chair or or our Graduate Program Officer.