POLITICAL SCIENCE 101: THE QUEST FOR JUSTICE Kenyon College, Fall 2007 MWF 8:10-9:00

Transcription

1 1 POLITICAL SCIENCE 101: THE QUEST FOR JUSTICE Kenyon College, Fall 2007 MWF 8:10-9:00 Professor Gabriel Bartlett Office: Acland 25 Tel: (773) (cell) Office hours: MWF 9:10-10:10; TTH 4:00-5:00 (and by appointment). I. Class Objectives The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the study of politics and political life, and to the perennial political and moral questions which we confront in our lives as citizens and human beings. The texts we study in this course plays, histories, philosophic dialogues and treatises, political manifestos, court cases and works of literature all, in one way or another sometimes more, sometimes less directly take up seemingly simple yet profoundly important questions, such as, What is justice? What is human nature? What is virtue or excellence? What is the relationship between politics and other human endeavors? and above all, What is the right or best way to live? II. Readings (Be SURE to purchase the correct editions/translations) Sophocles, Three Tragedies (Grene and Lattimore translation) Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War (Crawley translation, revised by T.E. Wick) Plato and Aristophanes, Four Texts on Socrates (West) Aristotle, Politics (Simpson translation) John Locke, Second Treatise of Government John Locke, A Letter concerning Toleration J. S. Mill, On Liberty Henrik Ibsen, Four Major Plays Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (Mansfield and Winthrop translation) George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier Course Packet, The Quest for Justice (hereafter abbreviated as CP). This is available online at (enter your Kenyon user id and password). III. Requirements and Grades Attendance and Participation: This is a discussion, not a lecture, course, and you are expected to attend every class prepared to discuss the assigned reading. Lateness and unexcused absences will bring a reduction in the attendance/participation portion of your grade. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class. As a way of ensuring that you complete the readings and read carefully, I will occasionally give unannounced quizzes. You will find them fairly easy if, that is, you put the appropriate time into doing the readings and preparing for class. If I find that the level of discussion/participation reflects the need to give quizzes more than occasionally, I also reserve the right to do that. Papers: There will be four papers (4-5 pages each) assigned this semester. There will be no final exam for this semester. Late papers will be graded down one mark per day (e.g. an A paper becomes an A- if one day late, a B+ if two days late, etc.). A paper that is

2 2 never handed in gets a double F. When writing, be sure to pay attention to the Student Handbook s policy on academic honesty. Plagiarism of any kind whatsoever will not be tolerated. This, however, does not mean that you should refrain from discussing your papers with me and/or with your fellow classmates: Indeed, you are encouraged to do so. I, for one, will be happy to give you whatever advice I can. Paper topics will be distributed in class. Papers should be analytical and not simply summaries of the readings. They must be typed, double-spaced, and in Times New Roman, 12 point. They should be well-organized and well-written. I expect that you proofread your papers before handing them in. A good guide on clarity and concision of expression in writing is Strunk and White s The Elements of Style, which I suggest you purchase, although it can actually be found online at Your first semester grade will be calculated as follows: Papers: 20% each Quizzes, Attendance, and Participation: 20% Your first and second semester grades will each count for 40% of your final grade. The final exam at the end of the course will count for the remaining 20%. Grade Dispute Policy: If you wish to contest a grade you have received on a paper, you must submit a memo to me of no more than 2 pages double-spaced in length explaining your reasons for contesting a grade. After receiving your memo, I will arrange a meeting with you to discuss your claim. III. Disabilities If you have a disability that will affect your participation in class, please let me know and also contact Erin Salva, Coordinator of Disability Services, at ext

3 3 IV. Course Outline and Assignments August September 27: Introduction (1) The Ancients on the Problem of the Individual and the City 29: Sophocles, Antigone (the whole play) 31: Sophocles, Antigone continued 3: Plutarch, Lycurgus (CP = Course Packet) 5: Thucydides, Pericles Funeral Oration, The Peloponnesian War, Book II, paragraphs : Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue, The Peloponnesian War, Book V, paragraphs : Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue, The Peloponnesian War, Book V, paragraphs : Plato, Apology of Socrates, in Four Texts on Socrates 14: Plato, Apology of Socrates FIRST PAPER ASSIGNED 17: Plato, Apology of Socrates 19: Plato, Crito, in Four Texts 21: Plato, Crito 24: Aristotle, Politics, Book I, chs. 1-7; FIRST PAPER DUE 26: Aristotle, Politics, Book I, chs. 1-7; Book III, chs : Aristotle, Politics, Book III, chs. 1-5, 6-9 October 1: Aristotle, Politics, Book III, chs : Aristotle, Politics, Book III, chs : Aristotle, Politics, Book III, chs : READING DAYS (2) The Modern Liberal Solution 10: Locke, Second Treatise, chs : Locke, Second Treatise, ch. 5; SECOND PAPER ASSIGNED 15: Locke, Second Treatise, chs. 5-9, 11, and 19

4 4 Toleration 17: Locke, Second Treatise, chs. 5-9, 11, and 19; A Letter Concerning 19: Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration (3) American Liberal Democracy 22: Declaration of Independence (CP); Federalist 10 (CP); SECOND PAPER DUE 24: Federalist 10 and 51 (CP) 26: Federalist 10 and 51 (CP) 29: Lincoln-Douglas Debates (CP); 31: Thoreau, The Law of God and the Law of the Land (CP) THIRD PAPER ASSIGNED (4) Liberal Democracy's Friendly Critics November 2: Mill, On Liberty, chs : Mill, On Liberty, chs : Mill, On Liberty, chs. 1-4; Ibsen, An Enemy of the People 9: Ibsen, An Enemy of the People 12: Ibsen, An Enemy of the People THIRD PAPER DUE 14: Tocqueville, 3-15, , [NOTE: Tocqueville readings may be modified later] 16: Tocqueville, , , : THANKSGIVING VACATION 26: Tocqueville, , : Tocqueville, , , : Tocqueville, , , FOURTH PAPER ASSIGNED December 3: Tocqueville, , , , : Catch-up class (an overview of Tocqueville) (5) Liberal Democracy and Capitalism 7: Adam Smith, selections from the Wealth of Nations (CP) 10: Smith

5 5 FOURTH PAPER DUE 12: Conclusion NOTE: Please read Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier, Part 1, over the break.