PHL 234: Philosophy and Modern Society



PHIL 3400 Political Phil M/W: 1400-1515, A1045Peter Gratton, PhD Winter 2016Office Hours: M/W/F 12:00-1:00pm and by appointment, AA3102Course web site: grattoncourses.e-mail: pgratton@mun.ca?General Course Description: This course will provide you with an overview of the major trends in the history of political philosophy. While our readings will be broad (both temporally and spatially across a number of traditions), we will be reading each philosopher closely for their specific arguments regarding the fate of the political. This course will serve to prepare you, by way of close readings of the texts below, to provide a 14-16 page final paper, with short quizzes along the way on important material. The focus of this course will be on the writings of mid-20th-century German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt. Through her writings we will be able to detail the mainlines of the Western political tradition, explored through our own readings of Aristotle and Rousseau, as well as her own important contributions to Western political ideas. Those taking this course with good will will have no problem at its enddiscerning the arguments in a text and explaining them in one’s own wordsreflecting on and comparing different philosophical positionsarticulating one’s own default opinions about existenceresponding critically to different metaphysical ideassupporting an argument with citations and examplesreading and incorporating secondary sources on metaphysical textsRequirementsReading: You must read the assigned texts prior to class and it is highly recommended that you read any philosophical texts at least twice. Given the breadth of any survey course, but especially one in philosophy, it will be important for you to keep up with the readings and bring to class any questions you have about the text(s). Use a dictionary to look up words that you don’t understand, and come to class with any questions you have. Class Participation: You will be expected to attend each class having read the relevant materials and able to comment upon them to other members of the class. Your participation grade will be assessed with the following in mind: (1) attendance (no more than three absences during the semester, no exceptions) and (2) level and quality of participation. Each student is required to write a two page, single-spaced protocol for one of the days’ reading assignments listed below. The handouts can be a summary of the material, a response to one of the ideas contained in the reading, or some combination thereof. Since you will be writing these handouts on readings that we have not gone over, you are not expected to have mastered the material. Rather, it is more than fair to raise in your handout any passages that were particularly difficult and that we need to go over. You should send it to me via email so that I can put it up on the front projector. This assignment is worth ? of your participation points in the course.Evaluation:Short Writing Assignments/quiz 30%Mid-Term Paper20%Participation15%Final Paper35%Class Cancellations: If class is cancelled for any reason, the cancellation will be posted under the cancellations section of the main page of the Memorial University website.Intellectual Honesty: Students are reminded of the University policy on intellectual honesty, especially that part which pertains to plagiarism and self-plagiarism (see the Memorial University Calendar). Plagiarism and self-plagiarism are forms of academic fraud; complaints or allegations of such are subject to the adjudication of the Senate Discipline Committee. Cheating includes but is not limited to allowing another student to copy from your work, presenting someone else’s work as your own including through failure to credit the source of ideas, consulting electronic devices such as mobile phones, and/or interacting with others while a test is ongoing. Any submission in this course that is similar to another author’s work, beyond chance, will be treated as plagiarism. Information about procedures and penalties for academic misconduct is outlined in the University Calendar.Statement on Students with Special Needs: Students with permanent or temporary disabilities who would like to discuss classroom accommodations are asked to see the instructor. If you suffer from any disabilities, such as a social phobia and/or a physical or mental condition, which you believe may impede your progress and participation in the course, either with regard to the class itself or quizzes and exams, please let me know as soon as possible. I have worked with students with special circumstances before and I will be glad to do so again to make this classroom as inclusive as possible.Books ordered:Aristotle,?Politics, ISBN?0140444211, PenguinRousseau,?Social?Contract, ISBN?087220068X, HackettArendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, ISBN?0156701537, Mariner BooksArendt,?On Revolution, ISBN?0143039903, PenguinArendt,?Human Condition, ISBN 0226025985, U of Chicago PressArendt,?On Violence, ISBN?0156695006, Mariner Books*Please note that the readings for Aristotle will be available online. Also online will be secondary sources, podcasts, and other helpful aids for understanding the material.DateReadingJan 6Course introduction: Aristotle’s PoliticsJan 11Aristotle, Politics, I, chapters 1-5Jan 13Aristotle, Politics, I, chapters 6-end.Jan 18Aristotle, Politics, III, 1-4; Book IV 1-4 Jan 20Aristotle, Politics, VII, 1-3, 8-10Jan 22Rousseau, Social Contract, Book IJan 25Rousseau, Social Contract, Book IIJan 27Rousseau, Social Contract, Book IIIJan 29Rousseau, Social Contract, Book IV 1, 2, 8, 9.Feb 1Arendt, Essays in Understanding, “Mankind and Terror,” and “On the Nature of Totalitarianism: An Essay in Understanding” (online) Feb 3Arendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, all prefaces, 3-10. Feb 5Arendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, 54-88.Feb 8Arendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, 123-157.Feb 10Arendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, 158-184.Feb 12Arendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, 267-304.Feb 15Arendt,?Origins of Totalitarianism, 460-482. Feb 17Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part I Feb 19Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part II, 22-49 Feb 22Winter BreakFeb 24Winter BreakFeb 26Winter BreakFeb 29Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part II, 50-end Mar 2Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part III, 79-100, 126-end. Mar 4Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part V, 175-211 Mar 7Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part V, 212-end. Mar 9Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part VI, 248-288 Mar 11Arendt,?The Human Condition, Part VI, 288-end. Mar 14Arendt, On Revolution, “War and Revolution,” “The Meaning of Revolution” Mar 16Arendt, Arendt, On Revolution, “The Social Question” Mar 18Arendt, On Revolution, “The Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure,” 207-250. Mar 21Arendt, On Revolution, “The Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure,” 251-end.Mar 23Arendt, On Violence, Part IIMar 25Good Friday. No classMar 28Arendt, On Violence, Part IIIMar 30Arendt, Responsibility and Judgment, “Personal Responsibility under Dictatorship” and “Collective Responsibility” (online)Apr 1Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem, “Epilogue” (online)Apr 4Arendt, The Promise of Politics, “Introduction into Politics,” 93-150. (online)Apr 6Arendt, The Promise of Politics, “Introduction into Politics,” 150-end. (online)Final Exam: T/B/A ................
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