LIB566
The Philosophy of Power: Why Does Anyone Rule—and Why Do Others Obey?
How have people understood and used power? We’ll trace the evolution of political power from ancient Greece to the 21st century. Through influential thinkers including Plato, Augustine, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Burke, Marx, Weber, Gramsci, Bourdieu and Foucault, we’ll examine how ideas of authority, legitimacy, sovereignty, elites, institutions and democracy developed across history. We’ll explore how power operates through governments, religion, economics, bureaucracy, culture, education and knowledge, revealing that political authority extends far beyond rulers and laws. We’ll conclude by examining how data, digital technology, surveillance, artificial intelligence and new forms of influence are reshaping political power, raising fresh questions about freedom, democracy, citizenship and the future of democratic societies.
This course is offered in person.
A $50 discount is available during check-out for adults 55+.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180 plus GST
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Tue, Oct 27, 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Tue, Nov 3, 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Tue, Nov 10, 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Tue, Nov 17, 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Tue, Nov 24, 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Tue, Dec 1, 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
Aug 19, 2026
Course outline
- Week 1: Power, order and the ancient world
We’ll explore how Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, the Sophists and Thucydides debated authority, justice, leadership and legitimacy, establishing the foundations of Western political philosophy. - Week 2: Sacred power, moral authority and the medieval world
We’ll examine how Christianity transformed political authority through Augustine, Gelasius I, Aquinas and Marsilius, reshaping law, legitimacy, church-state relations and medieval government. - Week 3: Sovereignty, fear and the modern state
We’ll discover how Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu and Burke redefined political authority through sovereignty, rights, constitutional government, liberty, tradition and consent. - Week 4: Capital, class and elite rule
We’ll investigate how Marx, Weber, Gramsci, Durkheim, Tocqueville, Mills and Bourdieu revealed the hidden influence of economics, institutions, culture, elites and socialization. - Week 5: Power, knowledge and the making of reality
We’ll explore Foucault's theory that knowledge and power shape reality, identity and institutions, alongside later thinkers who challenged and expanded his understanding of modern power. - Week 6: The future of power—democracy, technology and the new sources of authority
We’ll examine how culture, data, identity, algorithms and artificial intelligence reshape political power through Joseph Nye, Shoshana Zuboff, Byung-Chul Han and Francis Fukuyama.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Understand that power lasts only when people believe it is justified, not just when they are afraid of it
- Recognize the ways elites influence decisions and outcomes even when most people don’t notice or acknowledge it
- Consider how, in modern societies, power usually operates through shared assumptions, yet it can quickly be challenged when those assumptions are no longer accepted
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in class discussions
- Supplementary readings and resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, 911³Ô¹Ï’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents