Professor Dennis Teti will teach a new course this spring focusing on two pivotal texts in Western political thought: Aristotle’s Politics and The Federalist Papers (IWP 723).
This course analyzes Aristotle’s Politics, a foundational text of political science, alongside The Federalist Papers, regarded as the authoritative guide to the American Constitution.
The rationale behind studying these books is twofold. First, it is to encourage students to develop the habit of analyzing dense and subtle texts with care, precision, logic, and common sense—a habit essential for success in the practice of statecraft. Second, the study of these books will help students consider more seriously the political issues of our own time, beyond today’s narrow partisanisms and ideologies. This class will supply an invaluable lesson in the conduct of civil dialogue and debate among fellow citizens, without which self-government is simply not possible.
A professional with over 35 years of experience in the executive branch, legislative branch, and private sector, Prof. Teti has studied political philosophy and American politics with Allan Bloom, translator of Plato’s Republic and author of The Closing of the American Mind; Walter Berns, one of our greatest teachers of constitutional law; and Harry Jaffa, America’s premier Lincoln scholar, among others.
His new course may be taken as part of the Master of Arts in Statecraft and National Security Affairs, the Master of Arts in Statecraft and International Affairs, or several of IWP’s Certificate programs.