Modern Political Theory Fall 2004
3 hours Office Hours:
Phone: 859-622-4389(POL) M: 3:30-5
859-622-1299 (WMS) TR: 11-12, 2-3
859-264-1146(home)
Sara.Zeigler@eku.edu
Messages may be left with the department secretary (McCreary 113)
or on my machine at home. I do not mind being called at home, but please
limit such calls to reasonable hours. I check e-mail daily.
Course Objectives and Procedures:
The search for truth is more precious than its possession.
-Albert Einstein
All great truths begin as blasphemies.
-George Bernard Shaw
We will spend the semester struggling with the political questions that preoccupy modern political theorists, thus building a strong foundation in the key concepts and works of modern political thought. Through discussion and writing, students will acquire an understanding of the assigned texts, analyze the questions posed by the theorists and critically evaluate the answers provided. Active participation by students prepared to engage in rigorous (yet civil) discussions of the texts is a necessary component of the course. Students are encouraged to voice reactions and criticisms freely, regardless of whether their remarks coincide with the views ofclassmates, theorists, or the instructor.
The following required text is available in the bookstore or through online vendors..
Wootton, David (ed). 1996. Modern Political Thought: Readings from Machiavelli to Nietzsche. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing.
Any additional readings will be distributed by the instructor or madeavailable on the web page.
Students will be divided into four groups, A, B, C, and D. Each day, one group will be responsible for explaining and defending the text, while other class members pose questions and criticisms. Each class session will commence with a brief (5-10 minutes) overview of the key arguments made in the assigned reading. This overview will be provided by members of the group assigned to explain the text. Group members may divide the assignment among themselves for purposes of presentation or may alternate presentation responsibilities. Duties should be divided evenly among group members and members are strongly encouraged to discuss the texts and the overview outside of class.
On Fridays, class sessions will be conducted online. The group responsible for the presentation that day will be responsible for posing discussion questions in the forum on Blackboard. Each group member must pose at least one GOOD question no later than 1:25 on Friday. Each class member must respond to at least two discussion questions, posting responses online. The threaded discussions will begin on Friday Ð students will have until Monday at 1:25 (class time) to post responses. Participation in online discussions will be graded. Responses must meet a 400-word minimum.
Note
for students with disabilities:
If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with
Disabilities, please make an appointment with the course instructor to discuss
any academic accommodations you need. If you need academic accommodations and
are not registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with
Disabilities, please contact the office on the third floor of the Student
Services Building, by email at
disabilities@eku.edu or by telephone at (859) 622-2933 V/TDD. Upon individual
request, this syllabus can be made available in alternative forms.
Grading Scale: All students should read the ÒPhilosophy
of GradingÓ document posted in Blackboard under Òcourse documents.Ó
A= at least 90% of total points possible
B= at least 80% of total points possible
C=at least 70% of total points possible
D=at least 60% of total points possible
Course
Requirements:
1. 2 one-hour in-class examinations. (30 points each, 60 total)
2. One take-home final examination. (60 points)
3. Participation in class discussions, as described above. (30 points)
4. Participation in online discussions: Each session is worth five points, for a total of 60 points. 5. Paper Outline: 10 points
5. One 8-10 page paper. 40 points.
All exams will be in essay format and will be open-book, open-note. The take-home exam and the paper must be typewritten. Should you have questions regarding proper citation of sources, consult the instructor.
Graduate students will also prepare a research paper of approximately fifteen (15) pages in length, on a topic selected by the student in consultation with the instructor.
Graduate students will be help to a higher standard of performance on all assignments, in both presentation (organization, structure and clarity of writing, documentation of work) and content (mastery of material, quality of theorizing and argumentation).
Lucid, well-organized writing is essential to effective communication and will be considered in evaluating written work.
Policies,
Procedures, Admonitions and Advice:
1. Attendance Policy: The course is designed as a conference and the success of that format depends upon the presence of well-prepared conferees. Students who neglect to attend class demonstrate contempt for their classmates, the instructor and themselves. This will not be tolerated. More than eight unexcused absences may result in automatic failure of the course. Because I regard failure to fulfill responsibilities to one's group as a particularly egregious dereliction of duty, each unexcused absence on a day when your group is "on" will count as two absences. For the purposes of this course, "excused absences" include verifiable medical or family emergencies, university approved activities (accompanied by a university excuse), documentable illness (yours or your child's) and other unforeseen circumstances that the instructor deems to be reasonable excuses for an absence. Students who fail to attend class regularly should also expect such negligence to be reflected in their participation grades.
2. Preparation: Students who have not read the assigned texts are not welcome in class.
3. Make-up Examinations: Students who have an excused absence on the day of an in-class examination will be permitted to take a make-up exam, to be scheduled by agreement of the student and instructor. The make-up exam may differ from the exam given to the class at the scheduled examination time.
4. Late Papers: A five-point per day penalty may be imposed on late papers. The take-home final may not be submitted after the deadline, except in emergencies (as defined by the instructor). If it is necessary for a student to submit a final exam after the deadline, the student may receive an Incomplete so that the submission of other students' grades will not be delayed.
5. Plagiarism: Academic dishonesty will result in automatic failure of the assignment or of the course. The definition of academic dishonesty includes quoting from other works without attribution, making use of concepts from other works without attribution, relying on secondary interpretations/summaries of the readings rather than reading them yourself and submitting any work that is not your own, while representing it as your own. All sources should be cited in the text (footnotes) and in a bibliography. Should you have doubts as to what constitutes plagiarism, please consult the instructor. Ignorance is no defense.
6. Use of Books and Notes during Examinations: All examinations are open-book, open-note. Guides such as ÒCliff NotesÓ or ÒEncartaÓ (or anything in the genre) shall darken neither your door nor that of the classroom. Ever.
Student
Learning Objectives and Assessment
Methods:
This course addresses the following Political Science Student Learning Objectives:
Critical Thinking: Students will become more discerning critical thinkers and observers of political events, personalities, messages and processes by applying theories and methodologies of political science and through effective oral and written communication. Students will demonstrate an understanding of major modern political thinkers through successful completion of a term paper and examinations focusing on the works of major theorists and the applicability of those theories to contemporary political problems. Students will demonstrate communication skills through competent and skillful writing on all essay assignments.
Substantive Knowledge: Students will acquire political literacy and will understand the institutions process and values that underpin political behavior and events. By successfully responding to essay questions on examinations, students will demonstrate a substantive understanding of the theoretical works of modern political theorists, thus exhibiting knowledge of political institutions and values, as analyzed in theorectical works.
Aug 25: Introduction, review of syllabus and requirements
Aug 27: Machiavelli, Discourses, pp. 59-81. (A)
Aug 30: Machiavelli, Discourses, continued, pp. 81-91.( (B)
Sept 1: Introduction to section, Calvin, pp. 93-121(C).
Sept 3: ONLINE. Hobbes pp. 121-132. (D)
Sept 6: Labor Day
Sept 8: Hobbes, pp. 132-158.(A)
Sept 10: ONLINE Hobbes, pp. 159-172. (B)
Sept 13: Hobbes, pp.173-187 (C).
Sept 15: Hobbes, pp. 187-204. (D)
Sept 17: ONLINE Hobbes, pp.204-222 (A)
Sept 20: Hobbes, pp. 222-248 (B).
Sept 22: In-class examination.
Sept 24: ONLINE Locke, pp.303-316. (C)
Sept. 27: Locke, pp.316-334. (D)
Sept 29: Locke, pp. 334-349. (A)
Oct 1: ONLINE Locke, pp. 349-363. (B)
Oct 4: Locke, pp. 363-386. (grad students)
Oct 6: Hume, pp. 387-396. (C).
Oct 8: Rousseau, 397-415 (D)
Oct 11: Fall Break
Oct
13: Rousseau, pp. 415-448. (A)
Oct 15: ONLINE Rousseau, The Social Contract, pp.464-490. (B)
Oct 18: Rousseau, The Social Contract, pp.490-514. (C)
Oct 20: Rousseau, The Social Contract, pp.514-534 (D)
Oct 22: ONLINE, Burke, pp. 551-572 (A).
Oct. 25: Kant, pp. 573-577(B)
Oct. 27: Bentham, 579-588. (C)
Oct. 29: ONLINE Bentham, 589-604 (D)
Nov 1: Mill, pp. 605-636(A). Paper outline due in class.
Nov 3: Mill, 636-648(B)
Nov 5: ONLINE, Mill, 648-672(C)
Nov 8 :Mill, 672-701 (D)
Nov 10: Mill, 701-719. (A)
Nov.
12: Papers due. No new reading
Nov.15 : Mill, 719-733. (B)
Nov. 17: Marx, 735-741, 790-797 (C).
Nov. 19: ONLINE Marx, 826-846 (D)
Nov.
22: Second in-class examination.
Nov 24: Thanksgiving holiday
Nov 26: Thanksgiving holiday
Nov. 29: Marx, pp. 865-873 (A)
Dec 1: Nietzsche, pp;. 895-906(B)
Dec 3: ONLINE Nietzsche, pp. 906-924(C).
Dec. 6: Nietzsche, 924-946 (D).
Dec. 8: Anarchism, Emma Goldman (web reading)
Dec. 10: Review, distribution of take-home final exam
The take-home final examination is due at the scheduled exam time for this class in the instructor's office or box. Students may, of course, return exams earlier than the deadline. The take-home exam is not intended to be a research paper - students should rely on course materials, discussions and their own intellectual abilities to respond to questions. Exams must be typed or word-processed.