Office hours: --Monday/Wednesday:
11-12; 2:30-3:30
--Thursday: 11-12
--Gladly by appointment
You are more than welcome to see me during office hours for any
reason.
If you have a question, concern, complaint, or even if you just want to
chat, feel free to drop in.
.
Required Texts:
--Jean Hampton, Political Philosophy.
--Robert Nozick. Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
--John Rawls. Justice as
Fairness Restated.
--Michael Walzer. Spheres of
Justice.
Course Description and Objectives:
This course will aim to live up to its name, providing you with a solid introduction to political philosophy. Political philosophy concerns itself with philosophical issues and problems that arise in connection with our political or social existence. Human beings tend to live in societies, rather than simply on our own, and this raises important philosophical questions: What is the proper relationship between the individual and society (or the state)? Why should I obey the laws of the society in which I live? What justifies the existence (especially the coercive power) of any kind of state at all? (What is the source of its authority?) What does it mean to say that individuals have rights (like the right to life or liberty), and what rights must the state respect? How should wealth and other social goods be distributed in societies?
In tackling these questions, we will be focusing especially on historical and contemporary theories in the Social Contract tradition. We will examine critically the answers these theories provide to the above questions and (more importantly) the arguments they offer in defense of those answers. One aim of the course, then, will be to allow you to gain a thorough familiarity with some of the most important political philosophers, along with the most important problems they have struggled with. At the same time, you'll have the chance to develop your own philosophical skills by criticizing their views and struggling with their problems yourself. At the end of the course you should have a good idea of what political philosophy is and has been, and also a good idea of how to do it (well).
Grading
For better or worse, one of my duties in this class is to give you a grade. Your grade will be determined by your performance on the following assignments:
Assignments: % of Final Grade
--Critical Summaries and Critiques
15
--3 Short Essays
20 each = 60
--Final Exam
25
Late work:
In fairness to other students, essays and exams that are handed in less than a week late will be penalized one letter grade. Essays and exams handed in more than one week late will not receive a grade higher than ‘C’.
Rewrite policy: Any essay that receives less than a 'C' may be rewritten for a grade of no higher than 'C'.
Tentative Schedule of Weekly Readings and Assignments
Weeks 1-6: Introduction, Hobbes, and Locke
Jan. 8 --No reading
Jan. 10 --Hampton, Chpt. 1
Jan. 15 --No Class (Martin
Luther King Jr. Holiday)
Jan. 17 -- Hobbes, Leviathan
Chpts. 6, 10, 11, and 13 (available on reserve and online)
--Hampton, pp.
39-52 in Chpt. 2
Jan. 22 --Leviathan
Chpts. 14, 15, and 17
Jan. 24 --Leviathan Chpts.
18, 19, and 21
Miscellaneous Announcements
Disabilities
It is important to me that each of you has the opportunity to participate fully in every aspect of the class. If you have a disability that might hinder your full participation, please see me as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Plagiarism
The university views plagiarism as academic dishonesty, a very serious offense that can quickly bring an end to your college career. In writing papers for this class, please make sure that you document appropriately all quoted and paraphrased passages from other authors. I am not picky about how you do it, and I am not going to crucify you for an innocent mistake; but if you decide to turn in a paper which tries to hide a number of quotes from other texts, you are playing a very dangerous game: minimum penalty for intentionally plagiarized work is an ‘F’ in the course.