What is controversial, however, is exactly what power actually means. What is power (as

opposed to, say, violence)? What kinds of power are there operating in a society? Can and

should we differentiate between political power and other forms? Who (if anyone) has

power, and how does it operate? This course serves as an introduction to some of the main

answers to these sorts of questions. Our approach will primarily be that of political theory,

though some empirical issues will inevitably emerge. Many of the people we read will be

looking at specific historical and social phenomena (the operation of capitalism, the

influence of religious ideas on social organization, the protests of the 1960s, and the

formation of sexual identity). In addition to understanding these cases, we’re also interested

in the conceptual frameworks they develop in examining the case at hand: We want to know

not just what Hannah Arendt has to say about the student protests of the 1960s, but also

how her conceptualization of power influences her analysis.