Due Thur. Jan. 26 - What is 'Political Thought', and why does it matter?

• Roberts and Sutch, Introduction (1-20)  
  
• If you don't have the book yet, you can read most of the introduction (with a few pages omitted) on Google Books here
• Class notes here: Introducing Political Thought, Class Notes.pdf
  

Due Tues. Jan. 31 - Plato: Universalism in the Western Tradition - Focus on Justice

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 1 (25-45)

• Plato, The Republic, Book II (focus on 357-367, roughly the first third of the text from this link—the arguments of Glaucon and Adeimantus): http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.3.ii.html

• Class notes: Plato class notes, political thought.pdf 
• First pbworks upload due here: Spring 2012 Political Thought, First Upload

Thur. Feb. 2 – Aristotle: Aretē and Telos - Focus on Citizenship and Virtue Ethics 

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 2 (46-66)

• Aristotle, Politics: Book I, part 5 (justification of slavery); book II, part 5 (responding to Plato's Republic); book III, part 7 (on the three types of government). All are available here: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.html

• Short interview with Ronald Sandler on virtue ethics and environmentalism: http://cup.columbia.edu/static/Interview-Sandler-Ronald

• Class notes here: Political Thought, notes on Aristotle.pdf

Tues. Feb. 7 – Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince - Focus on Power Consequentialism 

• Gingell et al (1-21) [key passages from The Prince]

• Class notes here: Political Thought, class notes on Machiavelli.pdf 
• Second pbworks upload: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Second Upload

Thur. Feb. 9 – Focus on Law: Thomas Hobbes - Social Contract Theory, day 1

• Focus on R&S, chapter 3

• Roberts and Sutch, chapters 3 and 4, on Hobbes (69-83 and 103-110)

• Hobbes’ Leviathan in Gingell et al (43-64) [focus on chapter XVII]

• Class notes here: Political Thought, class notes on Hobbes and Kant.pdf
  

   

Tues. Feb. 14 – Focus on Property: John Locke. Social Contract Theory, day 2

• Roberts and Sutch, chapters 3 and 4, on Locke (83-92 and 110-116)
• Gingell et al (65-89) [Second Treatise on Government, on property and civil govt]
• Third pbworks upload due: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Third Upload

Thur. Feb. 16 – Focus on Inequality: Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Social Contract Theory, day 3

• Roberts and Sutch, chapters 3 and 4, on Rousseau (92-99 and 116-122)

• Gingell et al (134-154) [on the Dissertation on Inequality and The Social Contract – focus on the Dissertation on Inequality]

• Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality": http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/1972----.htm 

• Class notes here: Political Thought, class notes on Rousseau and inequality.pdf 

• First reading response due (email me if you want an extension until the following Tuesday)

Tues. Feb. 21 – Introducing Conservatism: Edmund Burke and Michael Oakeshott

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 9 (241-266)

• Gingell et al (174-193) [optional – a handout of key quotes to be distributed]

• Excerpted readings: Selected quotes from Burke and Oakeshott.pdf

• Final deadline for first reading response

• Fourth pbworks upload due here: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Fourth Upload

Thur. Feb. 23 – Jeremy Bentham and J.S. Mill: Utilitarianism, day 1

• We will be revisiting these readings next week--read as much of them as you can this time around

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 6 (153-180)

• Gingell et al (226-234) [Bentham’s Principles of Morals]

• Gingell et al (235-247) [Mill’s On Liberty]

• (assigned earlier...) Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality": http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/1972----.htm
• Class notes here: Political Thought, class notes on utilitarianism.pdf

Tues. Feb. 28 – Special Session on Technology and Society

• 5 book reviews

• On Tim Wu's The Master Switch:  Book Review - The Master Switch - By Tim Wu - NYTimes.com
• On Evgeny Morozov's The Net Delusion: Evgeny Morozov: How democracy slipped through the net | Technology | The Guardian
• On Jarod Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget: Books of The Times - Jaron Lanier’s ‘You Are Not a Gadget’ - Automatons of the Web - Review - NYTimes.com
• On Eli Pariser's The Filter Bubble: Book Review - The Filter Bubble - By Eli Pariser - NYTimes.com
• On Clay Shirky's Cognitive Surplus: Book Review - Cognitive Surplus - By Clay Shirky - NYTimes.com
• A blog post of mine on the topic - 'never-betters, better-nevers, and ever-wasers': http://ikesharpless.com/?p=96 
•  Class notes: Political Thought, class notes on technology and society.pdf
• Pbworks upload here: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Fifth Upload

Thur. Mar. 1 - Focus on Animals [cancelled bc. of snow day - to be rescheduled for 'revisiting animals' class]

• Peter Singer, "Animal Liberation at 30", available here: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2003/may/15/animal-liberation-at-30/
• Martha Nussbaum, The Moral Status of Animals.pdf  
• And read this blog post here ('Animal Ethics 101'): http://ikesharpless.com/?p=279 
• Class notes here: Political Thought class notes, animal ethics.pdf

Tues. Mar. 6 – In-Class Video: Examined Life

• I'll be out of town (visiting UCSD's graduate program...), and you have the choice of writing your signature for attendance or sending me a written summary of the film (of at least one page), if you choose to watch it on your own. It's on Netflix Watch Instantly. The Film is Astra Taylor's Examined Life (2008)

• Sixth pbworks upload (to be completed after class on Tuesday, on the film Examined Life, or on one of the following two lectures. Alternatively, you can post on utilitarianism or animal rights/welfare): Spring 2012 Political Thought, Sixth Upload

• For this upload you're welcome to comment on one of these two talks, if you'd prefer.
• Lecture by neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, "Are Humans Just Another Primate?": http://fora.tv/2011/02/15/Robert_Sapolsky_Are_Humans_Just_Another_Primate
• A Fora.tv lecture on Steven Pinker's new book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: http://fora.tv/2011/11/01/The_Better_Angels_of_our_Nature \

Thur. Mar. 8 - Socialism, day 1

• Roberts & Sutch, Chapter 5
• Gingell et al (250-254)
• Class notes here: Political Thought class notes, Marx and socialism day 1.pdf 

Tues. Mar. 20 – Marx in depth: Socialism, day 2 – focus on primary texts

• Gingell et al (254-287), passages from Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, The Communist Manifesto, and Capital]

• Seventh pbworks upload: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Seventh Upload

• Key excerpts here: Political Thought, key passages from Marx.pdf 

• 3x5s to be distributed for course comments and free class suggestions: there are two free spots for student choice at the end of the semester—come to class prepared to write down the names of any thinkers or topics you feel we are not adequately discussing in this class, and I will tabulate your choices for a later voting session. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: electoral systems and reform, transhumanism/posthumanism, The Federalist Papers, deliberative democracy, and queer political theory and LGBT issues.

Thur. Mar. 22 – Special Focus on Religion and Society

• (focus on this) IEP entry, religion and politics: http://www.iep.utm.edu/rel-poli/ 
• "Should religion play a role in politics?": http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/should-religion-play-a-role-in-politics/ 
• "Whither Political Islam": http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/60445/mahmood-mamdani/whither-political-islam?page=show 
• Class notes:  Political Thought, class notes on political theory and religion.pdf
• Second reading response to be pushed back one class day, to Tues. Mar. 27

Tues. Mar. 27 – John Rawls et al: Distributive Justice

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 7 (181-208)
• Vote on 3x5 submissions to be conducted in class: responses here
• Three choices - electoral systems/reform, LGBT issues, The Federalist Papers
• You'll each get one in-class vote, and whichever gets the most wins
  
• Eighth pbworks upload:  Spring 2012 Political Thought, Eighth Upload

Thur. Mar. 29 – Rawls, Kymlicka, Parekh: Liberalism and Multiculturalism

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 8 (209-236)
• Extra credit offered (3% or so, for signing an attendance sheet) if you come see John Prendergast next Tuesday, April 3rd, right after class. Info here.
• Class notes here: Political Thought, class notes on liberalism and multiculturalism.pdf  

Tues. Apr. 3 – Okin, Gilligan, Tronto, Rorty: Feminism (and Antifoundationalism)

• Roberts and Sutch, chapter 10 (267-294)

• Extra credit offered (3% or so, for signing an attendance sheet) if you come see John Prendergast next Tuesday, April 3rd, right after class. Info here. 
• Class notes here: Political Thought, class notes on feminism and antifoundationalism.pdf

• Ninth pbworks upload: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Ninth Upload

Thur. Apr. 5 - Focus on Animals [same readings as cancelled class, not Berger as the syllabus states]

• Peter Singer, "Animal Liberation at 30", available here: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2003/may/15/animal-liberation-at-30/
• Martha Nussbaum, The Moral Status of Animals.pdf  
• And read this blog post here ('Animal Ethics 101'): http://ikesharpless.com/?p=279 
• Class notes here: Political Thought class notes, animal ethics.pdf

Tues. Apr. 10 - Vandana Shiva and Global Environmental Politics

• Here are two Google Books previews of Shiva's works - read them both online
  
• Earth Democracy (read the opening chapter, 'principles of earth democracy'): http://bit.ly/EarthDemocracy 
• Staying Alive: Women, Ecology, and Development (read ch. 1): http://bit.ly/ShivaBookCh1 
• Class notes: Political Thought, class notes on Vandana Shiva.pdf
• Class notes: Political Thought, class notes on Vandana Shiva.pdf
• Pbworks upload here: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Tenth Upload
• Although the readings for this class are on Shiva specifically, feel free to post an upload on environmental politics more generally, as long as it pertains to class material so far.

Thur. Apr. 12 – Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington: “The End of History?” and

“The Clash of Civilizations?”

• Francis Fukuyama, "The End of History", available here: http://www.wesjones.com/eoh.htm 
• Samuel P. Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations?”
• Class notes: Political Thought, Fukuyama and Huntington.pdf

Tues. Apr. 17 – Capitalism’s champions: Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman

• Milton Friedman, "The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits": http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/libertarians/issues/friedman-soc-resp-business.html

• Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness (read the Introduction and ch. 1, "the Objectivist Ethics". If you have time, also read "the "Conflicts of Men's interests" [4], "The Cult of Moral Grayness [9], "Collectivized Ethics" [10], and "the Nature of Government" [14] -- most of these are quite short, with the exception of "The Objectivist Ethics"): AynRand-TheVirtueofSelfishness.pdf

• Class notes: Political Thought, Friedman and Rand.pdf
• Eleventh upload here: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Eleventh Upload

Thur. Apr. 19 – On Anarchism(s): Peter Kropotkin and Emma Goldman

• Start by browsing this Wikipedia overview of different schools of anarchist thought: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_schools_of_thought

• Stephen Jay Gould, "Kropotkin was no Crackpot": http://libcom.org/library/kropotkin-was-no-crackpot

• Emma Goldman, "Anarchism and Other Essays" (read "Anarchism: What it Really Stands for", but peek at other essays if you want): http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/goldman/toc.html

• Class notes: Political Thought, Anarchism.pdf 

Tues. Apr. 24 – Special Session on Just War Theory

• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy overview: http://www.iep.utm.edu/justwar/
• (The server is back up, but if it goes down again, read the section on just war here): http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/#2 
• Excerpts from Michael Walzer’s Just and Unjust Wars (skim as much of the preview as you can, but read from 34 to the end of the preview (on the rules of war): http://tinyurl.com/ykrdkz8
• Class notes: Political Thought, class notes on just war.pdf
• Last pbworks upload: Spring 2012 Political Thought, Twelfth Upload

Thur. Apr. 26 - Special Session on Food Politics

• Michael Pollan, "Farmer in Chief": http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?_r=1

• "The Omnivore's Delusion: Against the Agri-Intellectuals": http://www.american.com/archive/2009/july/the-omnivore2019s-delusion-against-the-agri-intellectuals/article_print

• (Optional, but recommended) David Foster Wallace, "Consider the Lobster": http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2004/08/consider_the_lobster
• class notes, food politics.pdf  
• Third reading response due