The Federalist is a complex political work comprised of arguments about war, economics, national unity, and liberty (among other things) based on appeals to human nature, history, reason, and prudence. In this course we will examine and discuss The Federalist as fully and as deeply we can, aiming to understand how (or whether) its parts fit together in a coherent whole and its enduring contribution to our understanding of politics.
Instructor: David Foster is Associate Professor of Political Science and Chairman of the Department of History and Political Science at Ashland University. He has published on Mark Twain, John Locke, and on issues of higher education.