and most fundamental part of political science.

且最重要的政治科学部分
Its purpose is to lay bare, as it were,the fundamental problems,

它的一贯追求是要提出最基本的问题
the fundamental concepts and categories

最基础的概念和门类
which frame the study of politics.

以为政治研究建立架构
In this respect it seems to me

从这个角度切入
much less like just a branch of political science

它并不仅仅是政治科学的分支
than the foundation of the entire discipline.

而是整个学科的基石
The study of political philosophy often begins

政治哲学研究的开始
as this course will do

往往就像这门课的做法
also, with the study of the great books

常始于研究巨作
or some of the great books of our field.

或者是我们领域的一些著作
Political philosophy is the oldest of the social sciences,

政治哲学在社会科学中最为古老