Introduction to Political Thought, Fall 2011
- Course syllabus here (updated 10/21/11)
- Paper formatting guidelines and tips here
- Archive of links here and here
- Links to date here
- Readings to date here
Course Description: This course is intended to provide a broad overview of Western political thought. The focus each class is on specific authors and their ideas, and one of the core learning objectives is to gain proficiency reading primary texts from a range of different cultural and political backgrounds. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of key political and ethical philosophies, including contractarianism, utilitarianism, deontology, liberalism, socialism, libertarianism, and anarchism.
Grading
Reading Response Guidelines: For each of the three modules, select one or more work/authors on which to write a reading response. Each reading response can be turned in anytime up to the end of the module in question, and should demonstrate both an understanding of the thinker’s key ideas and some critiques of their potential shortcomings. Each reading response should be 3-4 pages long; clarity is valued over length. Ideally, I would like you to compare and contrast the views of two of the authors discussed to date. If you choose to focus on only one author, I expect a greater level of detail and scrutiny. You are expected to learn from the comments and suggestions I provide on previous reading responses: in essence, what I am looking for is a balance between demonstrating that you've thoroughly read the works in question (and aren't just regurgitating the class notes) and an engagement with your critical views on those works--too much of your opinion and I can't tell that you've done the reading, and too much outlining the text and I don't get any sense that you've grappled critically with the text at all.
Student Upload Guidelines: (Due most Thursdays) You are expected to upload a relevant link, video, or other media source with a comment relating the ideas of the thinkers we are discussing to a pertinent current issue. The mechanism for logging on to the pbworks site will be explained in class, and are available in the syllabus. If in doubt, look at the course archives at the bottom of the main page to see how previous classes have done the uploads.
Relevant Assignment Dates
Date |
Session Name |
Assignment |
9/27 |
Focus on Inequality: Rousseau |
First reading response due |
10/20
|
Socialism(s) in the 20th and 21st centuries
|
Second reading response due |
11/29 |
George Orwell: Focus on Language
|
Third reading response due |
tbd |
Final Exam
|
Final Exam
|
Pbworks Upload Assignments (Due Most Thursdays - 10 of 12 required)
Date |
Session Name |
Assignment |
9/8 |
Plato: Universalism in the Western Tradition |
Fall 2011 Political Thought, First Upload
|
9/15 |
Machiavelli, The Prince
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Second Upload
|
9/22 |
John Locke: Focus on Property
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Third Upload |
9/29 |
Introducing Conservatism: Burke and Oakeshott
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Fourth Upload |
10/6 |
Upload due the evening after watching Examined Life
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Fifth Upload |
10/13 |
Owen and Marx: Socialism, Day 1 |
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Sixth Upload |
10/20 |
Orwell, OWS, and the Tea Party
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Seventh Upload |
10/27 |
Rawls, Kymlicka, and Parekh: Liberalism and Multiculturalism
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Eighth Upload |
11/3 |
Revisiting Animals: John Berger's "Why Look at Animals"
|
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Ninth Upload |
11/10 |
Fukuyama and Huntington |
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Tenth Upload |
11/17 |
On Anarchism: Goldman and Kropotkin |
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Eleventh Upload |
12/1 |
Focus on Uploads: Student Choice |
Fall 2011 Political Thought, Twelfth Upload |
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