This course is a survey of leading texts in 20th century political thought. This course blends a "great books approach" with a thematic approach. We will read the works of canonical political theorists and discuss their distinctive contributions, including concepts such as the original position (Rawls), the critique of the social (Arendt), disciplinary power (Foucault), gender (Bulter), postcolonialism (Fanon), and deliberative democracy (Habermas). At the same time, we will pay attention to the way that a debate about political obligation and civil disobedience, normalization and resistance runs through these different works.