Social Sciences 2 - An und für sich



Shimer College

Social Sciences 2

The Western Political Tradition

Spring 2013

Adam Kotsko

Office: Room 219

Email: a.kotsko@shimer.edu

Course Description:

Social Sciences 2 is an introduction to the political philosophy of Western Civilization, beginning with the writings of classical antiquity. Some of the questions that have guided the selection of texts, and which might help to guide our shared inquiry, include the following:

• Why are there laws, and how can we judge whether particular laws are good?

• What does it mean to live in a state, and when is a state’s authority legitimate?

• Which people are and are not permitted to participate fully in the state according to various authors, and what are the justifications for these views?

• What are the meanings of the great words of our political discussion, words such as “freedom,” “liberty,” “equality,” “community,” “power,” and “responsibility”?

• How is the public sphere distinguished from the private sphere?

Course Objectives:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the basic categories and terms used in seminal texts in political theory.

2. Show understanding of the continuities and differences between classical and modern political theory.

3. Demonstrate how the Western political tradition informs the US political system.

4. Examine a topic or issue in political theory from multiple perspectives.

5. Demonstrate understanding of the meaning(s) of citizenship.

Texts:

Plato, Republic

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle, Politics

Machiavelli, The Prince

Hobbes, Leviathan

Locke, Second Treatise of Government

Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws

Spinoza, Theologico-Political Treatise

Rousseau, “Sophie” (photocopy)

Rousseau, Social Contract

Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women

The People Shall Judge

Douglass, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass

Schneir, Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings

Mann, Douglass, and Thoreau articles (photocopies)

Selected Supreme Court cases (photocopies)

Lincoln, selected speeches (photocopies)

Alexander Stephens, “Cornerstone Speech” (photocopies)

King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Evaluation:

Discussion: 60%

2 Essays: 40% (each worth 20%)

Discussion:

Good discussion happens when careful preparation has taken place – when participants come into class with respect for the text and for one another. Bring in questions as well as opinions; be ready to modify your opinions if you are offered persuasive contrary evidence. Try to identify your own prejudices concerning authors or their positions as you read. A good discussion is not about defending positions; it is about coming together to explore meaning. It may either confirm or change your position, and it should certainly clarify it.

A good discussion also depends on a group that learns, through the semester, to trust one another so that real intellectual and emotional risks can be taken. For this reason, discussion must go beyond any individual achievement and develop into a cohesive group activity. Empathic listening, thoughtful speaking, thoughtful questions, and openness to the opinions of others will help discussion flow. Good class participation presupposes, and should give evidence of, careful preparation.

Each student is expected to attend every class and arrive on time. If you must miss a class, please let your faculty member know in advance if at all possible. If you are absent more than three times, your grade will be adversely affected. If you miss more than four classes you will probably not be able to pass the course. Excessive late arrivals to, or early departures from, class will count as partial absences.

Written Work:

You will be expected to submit 2 essays (5-7 pages). The first essay is expected to bear significantly on at least one of the texts covered in the first half of the course, the second essay is expected to cover at least one of the texts covered in the second part of the course. The essays must be typed and double-spaced. Quotations and paraphrases must be referenced correctly. Students are expected to use gender neutral language. Please refer to Writing With Sources. You have the option to revise or rewrite both papers. You may revise/rewrite the first paper if it is handed in on time; you may revise the second paper if you hand in a draft early. If you do revise or rewrite, you will be expected to submit your original paper along with the rewrite. No written work will be accepted after the final day of classes (Friday, April 26).

Political Theory in Action:

You are strongly encouraged to attend Shimer College Assembly meetings. You also have many other opportunities for observing activities that relate to the material we will study in this course, such as city council meetings, zoning commission hearings, and local trials.

Course Calendar:

|Wednesday |January 16 |Plato, Republic, Book 1 |

|Friday |January 18 |Plato, Republic, Books 2 |

| | | |

|Monday |January 21 |MLK Day—NO CLASS |

|Wednesday |January 23 |Plato, Republic, Book 3, 405a-417b; Book 4 |

|Friday |January 25 |Plato, Republic, Book 5 |

| | | |

|Monday |January 28 |Plato, Republic, Book 6, 497b-511e; Book 7, 514a-521c |

|Wednesday |January 30 |Plato, Republic, Book 8 |

|Friday |February 1 |Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book I |

| | | |

|Monday |February 4 |Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, Book X, ch. 9 |

|Wednesday |February 6 |Aristotle, Politics, Book I, chs. 1-13 |

|Friday |February 8 |Aristotle, Politics, Book II, chs. 1-5; Book III, chs. 1-13, 17-18 |

| | | |

|Monday |February 11 |Aristotle, Politics, Book VII, chs. 1-4, 9, 13-15 |

|Wednesday |February 13 |Machiavelli, The Prince, chs. 1-16 |

|Friday |February 15 |Machiavelli, The Prince, chs. 17-26 |

| | | |

|Monday |February 18 |Hobbes, Leviathan, Ch 13-15, 17-18 |

|Wednesday |February 20 |Hobbes, Leviathan, Ch 19, 21, 22 |

|Friday |February 22 |Montesquieu, Spirit of the Laws (photocopy) |

| | | |

|Monday |February 25 |Spinoza, Theologico-Political Treatise, preface, chs. 1, 3-4, 7, 12-15 |

|Wednesday |February 27 |Spinoza, Theologico-Political Treatise, chs. 16-20 |

|Friday |March 1 |Dean’s Break—NO CLASS |

| | | |

|Monday |March 4 |Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chs. 1-6 |

| | |FIRST PAPER DUE IN CLASS |

|Wednesday |March 6 |Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chs. 7-14 |

|Friday |March 8 |Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chs. 15-19 |

| | | |

|Monday |March 11 |Rousseau, “On the Origin of Inequality,” pp 37-81 |

|Wednesday |March 13 |Rousseau, Social Contract, Book 1; Book 2, chs. 1-7 |

|Friday |March 15 |Rousseau, Social Contract, Book 3, chs. 1-4, 6, 15-16; Book 4, chs. 1-2 |

| | | |

|Monday |March 18 |Rousseau, “Sophie,” first 10 pages (photocopy); Wollstonecraft, A Vindication…, Author’s |

| | |Introduction and chs. 1-3; ch. 5, section 1 |

|Wednesday |March 20 |Wollstonecraft, A Vindication…, chs. 6, 9-12 |

|Friday |March 22 |Spring Break—NO CLASS |

| | | |

|Monday |March 25 |Spring Break—NO CLASS |

|Wednesday |March 27 |Spring Break—NO CLASS |

|Friday |March 29 |The People Shall Judge: Thomas Paine, “Common Sense” (pp. 181-200); Thomas Jefferson et al., |

| | |“The Declaration of Independence” (pp. 200-204) |

| | | |

|Monday |April 1 |The People Shall Judge: “Articles of Confederation” (pp. 239-244), Debates in the Federal |

| | |Convention (starts pg. 256): A, B, C, D, G, H, I |

|Wednesday |April 3 |“The Constitution of the United States” (see complete amendments in course pack) |

|Friday |April 5 |The People Shall Judge: Federalist (starts pg. 286): A, B, C, G, H, I, J |

| | | |

|Monday |April 8 |The People Shall Judge: Anti-Federalist Opposition to the Constitution (pp. 327-344) |

| | |Last day to hand in a draft of final paper |

|Wednesday |April 10 |“Selected Readings in American History” (photocopied packet): Mann, “Public Education” (pp |

| | |588-594); Thoreau, “On Civil Disobedience” (pp 646-659) |

|Friday |April 12 |Dred Scott v. Sanford (pp 719-726); Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” (pp |

| | |1-12); Plessy v. Ferguson (pp 792-797) |

| | | |

|Monday |April 15 |Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (entire book) |

|Wednesday |April 17 |Lincoln, “Cooper Union Speech,” “Gettysburg Address,” “Second Inaugural Address”; Alexander |

| | |Stephens, “Cornerstone Speech” |

|Friday |April 19 |Schneir, Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings, pp 2-4, 35-48, 62-98 (Abigail Adams, Sarah|

| | |Grimke, Margaret Fuller, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth) |

| | | |

|Monday |April 22 |Schneir, Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings, pp 99-142, 155-159 (Lucretia Mott, Lucy |

| | |Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ernestine Rose, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony) |

|Wednesday |April 24 |Brown v. Board of Education; King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” |

|Friday |April 26 |FINAL PAPER DUE |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download