Phil 270: "POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Transcription

1 Phil 270: "POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Instructor: Amy M. Schmitter Office: 2-70 Assiniboia Hall (Mailbox in main office) Office phone: / Department phone: Office Hours: T 2:00-3:00, Th 1:15-2:30 and by appointment (Note: some office hours will be rearranged because of conflicts) amy.schmitter@ualberta.ca (best form of contact) Class website: e-class under PHIL 270 Political Philosophy (LEC B1 Winter) Department website: This class is a survey of the history of political thought from the seventeenth century to the present, i.e., the "modern" era to post-modernism. Most of the survey concentrates on classic writings from western Europe and North America by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Mary Wollestonecraft, John Stuart Mill (and Harriet Taylor Mill), Karl Marx (and Friedrich Engels) and John Rawls. But at the very end, we will consider some current writings on contemporary political movements (e.g., Judith Butler on the Occupy Movement). The historical survey is designed to offer a (so to speak) in-depth introduction to modern, especially liberal, theories of human interaction and the institutions governing it (their nature, justifications, failings and possibilities) -- theories that in some cases influenced the founding of actual institutions of government and often influenced the political imagination. We will look particularly at how these accounts can help us understand how human institutions might be justified in the absence of religious authorization, while recognizing (and promoting) various kinds of human equality and autonomy. E-Class: Accessible through the University of Alberta s home-page as PHIL 270 (LEC B1 Wi12). You need a CCID and password to log in. Students registered for the course should be automatically enrolled. This is where all the on-line materials will be located including the class syllabus, assignments, assorted study aids and many of the readings. Books and Readings: Only one required book has been ordered for this class: D. Wooton, ed, Modern Political Thought (Hackett Publishing) is available in the University of Alberta Bookstore. This is an affordable volume with a selection of many excellent works (including some we will not read for this class). But it will need to be supplemented, so you will find additional readings on e-class. The reading list is mostly complete, but will have additional information as the term goes on. Requirements for Credit: The two most important (and I hope obvious) requirements are that you attend class and that you do the reading. There is a lot of reading; some of it is difficult. Some is less difficult, and some can be skimmed. However, you should be prepared to read actively and re-read. Do make sure you have read the assignment at least once before you come to class so that you have identified points that interest, confuse or annoy you that we can then discuss (see the requirement for posting questions below). Although we will try to follow the reading schedule in class discussion, some issues will surely generate more discussion than others, so we will probably fall behind at some point. You should, however, keep up with the schedule.

2 More Requirements for Credit: Short Papers: There will be 3 fairly short papers, for which you will be given a selection of questions. The questions will be made available well in advance of the due dates of 6 February, 8 March and 3 April. The papers will be fairly short: 3-4 pp. each. Note about due dates: these papers are due on days when we do not have class. If it is convenient for you, I can accept ed versions (preferably.pdf, or.doc files) sent to me by 4 p.m. on the due date. But I would like hard copies by the next class (at the latest). Note about papers and take-home exams: Writing counts! Philosophy puts a premium on clarity of analysis and rigor of argumentation. The assignments for this class are short, which makes it particularly important that your essays be clear, efficient, and error-free. You should be prepared to spend a fair amount of time editing your essays. Final: There will be a final exam offering a choice of essay topics. The final exam must be passed to get credit for the class. Posted questions for the class: Every student enrolled in class is required to post at least one question to the e-class website during the course of the term. The questions should be posted 2 days before the class (that is, Sunday evening for a Tuesday class, or Tuesday evening for a Thursday class). Questions will be scheduled to start for the January 22 class. There are several aims of this exercise: it helps to give me a sense of what interests, or confuses, or intrigues, or irks you; it helps you to learn the tricky art of formulating good questions; we can use them as a jumping off point for class discussion. The questions do not have to be fancy or clever, but they should be clear. It is your responsibility to note when you should post your question and to post it on time. Class participation: Regular class attendance is required, as are the posted questions. Discussion in class and on the website can only help your grade. Determination of Grade: Papers: 20% each (60% total; Final: 30%. Attendance, questions and participation: 10%. There is no curve; grades reflect individual achievement. It is not hard to pass this course, but an A indicates outstanding achievement, while a B is very good. Late exams and papers will be marked down one grade step/day overdue, except that every student (who wants one) will receive one and only one extension of up to two working days for the semester (so something due on Wednesday can be extended to Friday). Use it wisely. (Additional extensions require prior approval and overwhelmingly good reasons. If you are kidnapped by aliens, please have the aliens contact me before the due date.) Using Outside Sources: It is not necessary to use outside sources for the papers. Of course, if any are used, they must be acknowledged and all quotations and paraphrases cited (the format of citation is unimportant, as long as full identifying information is included, although works assigned for class can be cited simply by title and page number of the edition we use). The requirement for citation includes internet resources. But I do not recommended that you rely on material found on the web, since much of it is unreliable. (Although Wikipedia can be helpful for finding out obscure information about orks, it is not a good place to look for explanations of philosophical views.) Two exceptions are the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ( and Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (library subscription only at Outside sources, however, also require understanding, interpretation and evaluation every bit as much as what we read for class. There simply is no substitute for doing some philosophical thinking yourself.

3 Appointments and Office Hours: I am more than happy to discuss readings, class, papers or life in general with any of you. That s what my office hours are for, and we can meet at other times by appointment. You are also encouraged to give me any suggestions or comments you may have about the progress of the course. Accommodations for Special Needs: Students who require accommodations in this course owing to a disability affecting mobility, vision, hearing, learning, or mental or physical health are advised to discuss their needs with Specialised Support & Disability Services, SUB, (phone), (TTY). I will do my best to make the course as accommodating as possible. * * * * Official Statements: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. [Unofficial Addendum: And plagiarism makes me really, really cranky. If you have any questions about what constitutes an offense, see the website above, or ask!] Recording is permitted only with the prior written consent of the professor or if recording is part of an approved accommodation plan. Policy about course outlines can be found in 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.

4 Reading List for Political Philosophy (1=Tuesday, 2=Thursday) Each reading assignment is to be completed by or before the date given on this plan. (Discussion may not always follow the reading plan exactly, but keep up with it unless instructed otherwise.) Note: page numbers for Modern Political Thought are from the first edition; the numbering may have changed (sorry for any inconvenience!). Week of 8 January 1. Introduction 2. Hobbes, Leviathan, Introduction; chap. 1-7, 8 ( 1-3, 11-20), 9-11 in Modern Political Thought, pp , , [Note: you can skim chap. 1-7, 8 ( 1-3, 11-20), 9, but be sure to read chap. 6: 1-13, 55-59, as well as the Introduction and chap ] 15 January 1. Hobbes, Leviathan, chap.12-14, 15 ( 1-15,40), 16 in MLP, pp , [Note: you can skim chap. 12 quickly, but read the rest carefully.] 2. Hobbes, Leviathan, chap , pp January 1. Hobbes, Leviathan, chap , "Review and Conclusion," pp , [Note: Chapters 30 and 31 are particularly important.] 2. Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Preface, Chapters 1-VI ( 1-76), in MLP, pp January 1. Locke, Second Treatise, Chaps. VII-VIII ( ), pp Locke, Second Treatise, Chaps. IX-XV, XIX ( , ), pp , February 1. Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (including Letter to the Republic of Geneva, Preface and Notes) in MLP, pp FIRST PAPER DUE 6 FEBRUARY 2. Rousseau, Social Contract, Books I, II, in MLP, pp February 1. Rousseau, Social Contract, Books III, IV (chap. i-iii), pp Selections from Rousseau, Emile, and Wollestonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Available on e-class February READING WEEK [No classes] 26 February 1. Mill, On Liberty, Chapters I-III in MLP, pp (useful background can be found in the selections from Bentham, 1-10; pp ). 2. Mill, On Liberty, Chapters IV-V, pp (start reading "On the Subjection of Women," Chapter I).

5 Reading List for Political Philosophy (cont.) Week of 5 March 1. Mill (& Taylor Mill), "On the Subjection of Women," in MLP, pp Marx (Civil Society and politics), "On the Jewish Question," in MLP, pp SECOND PAPER DUE 8 MARCH 12 March 1. Marx (Philosophy and Politics), selection from "Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right," "Theses on Feuerbach," "Communist Manifesto," sec. I, II.. 2. Marx, (Human Being and History), "Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844," selections. 19 March 1. Marx (History), selections from "Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, and German Ideology. 2. Marx (Economics), selections from Wage Labour and Capital (available on e-class) 26 March 1. Marx (Economics), selections from Grundrisse, Capital I, Chapter 1, pp , Selections from Rawls, A Theory of Justice (available on e-class). 2 April 1. Selections from Rawls, A Theory of Justice (available on e-class). THIRD PAPER DUE 3 APRIL 2. TBA (theorizing participatory democracy and resistance in the Occupy Movement, or the Quebec ( Maple ) Spring, or Idle No More ) 9 April 1. TBA. 2. TBA and CONCLUSIONS 17 April FINAL EXAM (9:00) [check exam schedule] ********************** Texts in the U of A bookstore: D. Wooton, ed, Modern Political Thought (Hackett Publishing) All other readings will be available through e-class.