GVPT 241 Prof C Butterworth cebworth gvpt umd edu SPRING 2006 Office hours 5 00 6 30 Mon Wed Tydings 1149 tel 301 405 4110 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY WHAT IT IS HOW IT COMES ABOUT AND WHY IT MATTERS This is a survey course on the history of political philosophy ancient medieval and modern The subject will be approached by reading only primary sources namely excellent books written by philosophers representing the period in question 400 BCE 1860 CE Since it is impossible to read and discuss intelligently more than about 10 works in a semester the reading list will be limited accordingly The goal will be to understand each author to inquire how they talk to one another across the ages and to investigate what each one has to tell us about how we should live as responsible human beings and citizens Classes will be conducted according to two formats lecture plus small discussion Guiding both the lectures and the discussion sessions will be the assumption that the authors studied know what they are talking about and have something to teach us if we are willing to learn For success in this course it will be necessary to read the assigned reading before coming to class to attend every class and to be on time for class Requirements Evaluation for credit will be based on three very short essays 750 1000 words or 3 4 double spaced pages two essay type in class examinations and intelligent participation in the discussion sections The very short essays are to provide an answer to a question that will be given in lecture on the Monday before the essay is due and the essay must be handed in at the start of discussion section on the day noted on February 17 April 7 and April 28 Late papers will receive a deduction of 1 3 letter grade per day after due date e g from A to A No paper will be accepted seven days after the due date The first in class examination will be on March 10 and the second a final examination will be on May 16 1 30 3 30 University schedule Grades are assessed as follows 60 69 D 70 79 C 80 89 B and 90 A The essays and examinations count for 90 of the grade and intelligent participation in class for another 10 More than 3 un excused absences will result in a failing grade Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of office hours to make contact with the course instructor and TAs In addition to posted hours the instructor and TAs will make special appointments For the record 1 The UMD Code of Academic Integrity will be enforced In short no cheating 2 Students with documented disabilities should see the instructor Their needs will be accommodated 3 The UMD policy of respecting the religious observances of students or their participation in university activities will be followed Students must inform the instructor of these absences by February 13 2006 4 To be excused for absence due to illness or other compelling circumstance provide written documentation of the reason for the absence upon returning to class READING SCHEDULE CLASS 1 Jan 25 INTRODUCTION CLASS 2 3 Jan 30 Feb 1 Aeschylus Agamemnon CLASS 4 5 Feb 6 8 Plato Euthyphro CLASS 6 7 Feb 13 15 CLASS 8 Feb 20 CLASS 9 Feb 22 Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Book 1 Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Book 5 Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Book 10 CLASS 10 11 Feb 27 Mar 1 Alfarabi Book of Letters Part Two CLASS 12 13 Mar 6 8 Maimonides Eight Chapters CLASS 14 Mar 13 CLASS 15 Mar 15 Thomas Hobbes The Citizen Epistle Dedicatory Preface Thomas Hobbes The Citizen I IV Of Liberty SPRING BREAK NO CLASS CLASS 16 Mar 27 CLASS 17 Mar 29 CLASS 18 Apr 3 CLASS 19 Apr 5 Thomas Hobbes The Citizen V IX Of Dominion Thomas Hobbes The Citizen X XII Of Dominion Thomas Hobbes The Citizen XII XIV Of Dominion Thomas Hobbes The Citizen XV XVIII Of Religion CLASS 20 21 Apr 10 12 Jean Jacques Rousseau Letter to D Alembert Recommended Moli re The Misanthrope CLASS 22 Apr 17 CLASS 23 Apr 19 CLASS 24 Apr 24 CLASS 25 Apr 26 CLASS 26 May 1 Friedrich Nietzsche The Genealogy of Morals Preface Friedrich Nietzsche The Genealogy of Morals Essay I Friedrich Nietzsche The Genealogy of Morals Essay II Friedrich Nietzsche The Genealogy of Morals Essay III Friedrich Nietzsche The Genealogy of Morals Overview CLASS 27 May 3 CLASS 28 May 8 Martin Heidegger What is Philosophy Leo Strauss Liberal Education and Responsibility Recommended What is Liberal Education CLASS 29 May 10 CONCLUSION Books to Order Aeschylus The Oresteia intro and trans David Grene Wendy Doniger O Flaherty and Nicholas Rudall Chicago University of Chicago Press 1989 ISBN 0 226 00772 3 Paper 15 00 Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics trans Joe Sachs Newburyport MA Focus Publishing 2002 ISBN 1 58510 035 8 Paper 14 95 Maimonides Eight Chapters in Ethical Writings of Maimonides ed Raymond L Weiss with Charles Butterworth New York Dover 1983 ISBN 0 486 24522 5 Paper 11 95 Thomas Hobbes Man and Citizen De Homine and De Cive ed Bernard Gert Indianapolis In Hackett Publishing Company 1991 ISBN 0 87220 111 2 Paper 12 95 Jean Jacques Rousseau Politics and the Arts Letter to M D Alembert on the Theatre trans and intro Allan Bloom Agora Editions Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1968 ISBN 0 8014 9071 5 Paper 14 50 Friedrich Nietzsche The Birth of Tragedy and The Genealogy of Morals trans Francis Golffing New York Anchor Doubleday ISBN 0 385 09210 5 A81 Paper 9 95 Martin Heidegger What is Philosophy Available as xerox or pdf file Plato Euthyphro www perseus tufts edu Moli re The Misanthrope http www bibliomania com 0 6 4 1967 26182 1 frameset html Note click the next page link rather than the next chapter link to proceed through the text Alfarabi Book of Letters Part Two Leo Strauss What is Liberal Education and Liberal Education and Responsibility in An Introduction to Political Philosophy Ten Essays by Leo Strauss ed with an introduction Hilail Gildin Detroit Wayne State University Press 1989 pp 311 345 ISBN 0 8143 1901 7 http www ditext com strauss liberal html Note the paragraphing is not consonant with the printed text This needs to be corrected Martin Heidegger The Self Assertion of the German University The Rectorate 1933 34 Facts and Thoughts trans with an Introduction by Karsten Harries Review of Metaphysics 38 March 1985 467 480 and 481 502 Recommended Alternatives Aeschylus Agamemnon in Oresteia trans with notes Peter Meineck intro Helene P Foley Indianapolis IN Hackett Publishing Co 1998 ISBN 0 87220 390 5 Paper 9 95 Friedrich Nietzsche On the Genealogy of Morals Ecce Homo trans R J Hollingdale Walter Kaufmann New York