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This course provides an introduction to Liberalism as a diverse and centuries-old political philosophy with strong French roots.

Students will discover thinkers from the Enlightenment age to today, addressing a wide range of issues from freedom of speech to taxation.


The purpose of this course is to ground students’ economic vision into a broader set of principles, and to encourage them to continue their intellectual journey.

Students will also be given the analytical and critical tools necessary to interpret contemporary events and political discourses through the prism of political philosophy.

Each session will be associated with a particular author, even if many others will be encountered and discussed while the course progresses.

  1. Introduction to Liberalism: Michel Foucault
  2. Freedom of Speech: John Stuart Mill
  3. Private vices, public benefits: Bernard Mandeville
  4. The idea of a basic income: Milton Friedman
  5. What is an Open Society? Karl Popper
  6. The Age of Giving: Peter Sloterdijk.