The faculty members of the
Political Science Department at Butler University see our
discipline as connected to Liberal Arts which are about studying
and understanding ourselves, other peoples, different ways of being
and knowing, of developing tolerance and empathy, and learning to
use evidence and think critically. As political scientists we seek
to understand the causes of wars, social injustices, economic
disparities and uneven technological growth for the purpose of
alleviating suffering. Because a liberal arts education encourages
an activist disposition we look for ways to address problems such
as world poverty, inadequate health care, educational disparities
between neighboring communities and environmental degradation and
seek nonviolent solutions to human rights violations worldwide. The
Political Science Department at Butler University deliberately
challenges systems, institutions and leaders that dehumanize,
marginalize and oppress any persons and other living beings. We
seek to engage in intellectual practices that provide sustainable
solutions for the betterment of all.
The department is committed to teaching students how to effect
positive social change. In practicing citizenship skills that
include empathetic listening, moral reasoning, personal
responsibility and a greater awareness of one's responsibility to
the human polity, our students develop as active and engaged
citizens at the local, national and international levels. We offer
courses that include service-learning and community-based research
and that encourage students to accept responsibility for their
learning and to recognize that knowledge may be obtained from a
variety of different people and situations.