Individualism and personal liberty are central values in liberal political culture, and this course examines the liberal tradition and its critics. We will examine the historical emergence of the liberal tradition and how liberalism has shaped law and a culture of rights in the United States and globally. Students will be encouraged to engage big questions about liberalism: how it emerged in opposition to monarchy and theocratic rule; liberalism’s solutions to the problems of political order and political authority; the connections of liberalism to capitalism; the extent to which liberalism is vulnerable to criticism from Marx and Nietzsche; and the “reach” of liberalism and the extent to which it is compatible with social democracy. Topics include liberal philosophers; the culture of liberalism and it discontents in the United States; and debates about inequality.