This course will engage with the emerging sub-field of comparative political theory (CPT), as we consider what it means to take seriously a wide range of (mostly) non-Western traditions of political thinking and what methodologies might be appropriate for this endeavour. The readings and discussions will pay particular attention to understanding different traditions on their own terms, and probing the limits of mutual intelligibility. The project of "comparison" is broadly interpreted, to include comparisons between and within different traditions of political thought as well as interpretive projects that consider the work of individual thinkers. In addition to engaging in-depth with several non-Western traditions, we will consider the prospects for the broader de-parochialization of the discipline of political theory and the pedagogical implications of CPT.