GVPT 241: History of Political Theory—A Political Theory of Civil SocietySungmoon KimCOURSE DESCRIPTIONCOURSE REQUIREMENTSPART 1: The Ancient Ideal of Civil Society and the Hobbes ProblemPart 2: The Modern Reconstruction of Civil SocietyGVPT 241: History of Political Theory—A Political Theory of Civil Society Summer 2006 Session II: July 17 – August 25 Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00am-12:20pm Sungmoon Kim Ph.D. Candidate Department of Government and Politics University of Maryland, College Park Tydings Hall, 5115 301-405-4144 [email protected] Office Hour: Tue1:30pm-2:30pm, Thur 1:30-2:30pm, and by appointment. COURSE DESCRIPTION The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the history of political theory by examining the writings of major ancient and modern political theorists. Specifically, this course will focus on major themes of the history of political theory: the human nature and its relation to civil society. Students will be expected to learn how the collapse of the ideal of human nature in classical political philosophy troubled many modern political theorists and in what ways they wrestled with creating a stable and sociable civil and political society. Aristotle (Arendt), Hobbes, Locke, Smith, Rousseau and Mill will be the theorists covered in the course. The summer session will be divided into three parts: Part 1 examines the ancient ideal of civil society (polis) and how its breakdown has resulted in what we will call the “Hobbes Problem.” In Part 2, we will study the modern theory of civil society by reading John Locke’s two complementary books (Second Treatise and Some Thoughts Concerning Education) and Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiment. Particularly, we will focus on how the emerging commercial republic (or the market) has impacted on human nature and the idea of civil society. Part 3 looks at how some later modern theorists took issue with the earlier modern idea of civil society by investigating two different political theorists—Rousseau and Mill. Rousseau raised the question of the importance of “legitimacy” in constituting civil society and Mill countered the Lockean framework of civil society by emphasizing the inalienable/sovereign individuality and providing a different vision of civil society. It is imperative that all should be carefully read, and notes should be taken. All reading assignments should be completed BEFORE the meetings for which they are assigned. 1COURSE REQUIREMENTS Attendance: Attendance is crucial since class meets only twice a week. It is assumed that students will attend every session unless a serious illness or emergency happens. IMPORTANT! More than three absences will result in a failing grade. Class Discussion: In every meeting, the last one hour will be saved for group discussion. Students will discuss each week’s discussion questions on syllabus for the week. Every week, I will choose a couple of discussion leaders who will lead the remaining class. Since we have total 12 weeks, students will be assigned this position at least once. Students are welcome to meet with me prior to the day they lead the discussion. Short Papers: Students will be asked to write 2 short critical papers (4-5 double-spaced pages). Since there will be NO WRITTEN EXAMS in this course, these two essays will be critical in determining your final grade. The first paper is due on August 15 and the second is on August 24. The paper is expected to be turned in on due dates. Late papers will receive a deduction of 1/3 grade letter grade per day after due date (e.g., A→A-). No paper will be accepted after the due date. Evaluation: Your final grade will be calculated on the following basis: Class discussion participation and attendance –20% Presentation – 20% First essay – 30 % Second essay - 30% Grades are assessed on an absolute (that is NO CURVE) scale according to which 60-69 = D, 70-79 = C, 80-89 = B, and 90+ = A. Again, no more than three absences will result in a failing grade. ASSIGNED READINGS Hannah Arendt, On Human Condition (seclections) Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (selections) John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government (entire), Some Thoughts Concerning Education (entire) Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiment (sections) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The First and Second Discourses (entire) J. S. Mill, On Liberty (entire) Recommended Reading: J. S. Mill, The Subjection of Women 2PART 1: The Ancient Ideal of Civil Society and the Hobbes Problem Meeting 1 (7/18): The Ancient Ideal of Civil Society and Its Breakdown Reading: Hannah Arendt, On Human Condition (Chapters 1, 2 and 5) -- Polis (the public) vs. Oikos (the private) -- Vita Activa vs. Vita Contemplativa -- Modernity: a rise of “the social” -- Modernity, market, and human nature Meeting 2-3 (7/20, 725): The Hobbes Problem Reading: Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (Books I-17) -- Human being as a Machine -- Christian ontology vs. Modern epistemology -- Self-love, state of nature and fear of death -- Sovereign state and absolutism Part 2: The Modern Reconstruction of Civil Society Meeting 4 (7/27): Natural Law, Market, and Social Contract Reading: John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government (entire) -- Two interpretations of the state of nature: natural law or the market -- Transcendental individualism vs. Possessive individualism -- The political implications of social contract -- A labor theory of value Meeting 5-6 (8/1, 8/3): Civility and Liberal Traditionalism Reading: John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Human Understanding (entire) -- Nature vs. Nurture (the value of education) -- Mastery of others, self-mastery, and individuality -- Desire for reputation and the virtue of civility -- A dialectic of unsociability and sociability -- Civil Society and the market Meeting 7-8 (8/8, 8/10): Strangership as Citizenship Reading: Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiment (Books I-III) 3-- The neutrality of the concept, “sympathy” -- Self-command through moral psychology -- Impartial spectator and the constitution of conscience -- Cool strangership or warm civic friendship? -- Civil Society, Gesellschaft or Gemeinschaft? -- The complexity of modernity Part 3: The Critical Reformulation of Civil Society Meeting 9 (8/15): Self-love (amour-propre) and the Origin of Art and Science Reading: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The First Discourse (entire) -- Civilization as