GVPT 241 Political Philosophy Ancient Modern Draft final version to be distributed on First Day of Class Alison Staudinger Office 5115 Tydings Hall Phone 206 412 7456 Email Astaudinger gvpt umd edu T Th 9 00 12 30 am Office Hour T Th 12 30 3 00pm by appointment Course Objectives Description This course introduces students to major themes and figures in political philosophy approaching the history of discourse about politics as an ongoing conversation where thinkers of the past can teach us about their own times and open up our conceptions of current political problems We will begin with a discussion of political obligation through the lens of Sophocles Antigone how can citizens sort our their duties to self family and state We will then move to selections from Plato s Republic taking up the questions of citizenship from a different angle and asking what the limits are or should be on the reach of the state Is for example the state justifying in censoring art or poetry and why might a state wish to control or ban poetry How can citizens respond to these demands This interest in the relationship between the people and the government is reformulated in Machiavelli s Prince through which we will attempt to tease out the development of constitutional thinking as well as understand shifts from ancient to modern theorizing From Machiavelli and his nascent view as the people as check on the state we will take up the social contract theorists asking how Hobbes Locke attempt to solve problems of political legitimacy We will ask among other things how well there theories explain our own relationships to each other society and the nation state Rousseau will help us in this questioning providing a radical liberalism with a divergent view of political citizenship belonging Rousseau also ushers in a discussion of the potential for political systems to become totalizing a problem which will enchant the political theorists of the 19th 20th century especially in the wake of mass violence Tocqueville will help us think about majority tyranny and the potential for democratic systems to eviscerate political life and Hannah Arendt will ask whether political life is already dead a concern shared by the work of critical theorists and conservatives alike After a brief discussion of some of these critics of modernity we will close the class reflecting on the changing or enduring models of citizenship legitimacy and tyranny explored by all the political theorists we ve encountered over the semester Required Texts The Burial at Thebes A Version of Sophocles Antigone Sophocles trans Seamus Heaney ISBN 0374530076 The Republic Of Plato Second Edition Plato trans Allen Bloom ISBN 0465069347 The Prince Machiavelli trans Harvey Mansfield ISBN 0226500446 Leviathan Hobbes with C B Macpherson ISBN 0140431950 Second Treatise of Government Locke with C B Macpherson ISBN 0915144867 Basic Political Writings Rousseau Hackett ISBN 0872200477 The Human Condition Hannah Arendt ISBN 0226025985 All Other Readings will be available via Electronic Course Reserve Class Policies Participation Speaking with others about political problems is part of a political science education therefore attendance and participation are necessary It is highly unlikely that anyone will be able to pass this class without regular attendance and participation I expect you to come to seminar having read the material hopefully twice prepared to discuss both its content and possible connections to the course themes or other works If it appears that students are not prepared I reserve the right to use draconian measures like pop quizzes or shame Participation grades can also be raised through meeting with me at office hours and occasional group work so that shy students are not overly disadvantaged Presentations On the first day of class each student will choose two readings for which he or she is responsible Each member of the class must still do the reading and come prepared to discuss the presenter s job is to begin the class with questions of interest to him or her The goal of this requirement is to develop our ability to speak publicly about complex topics as well as isolate interesting themes in the text Feel free to work with me closely on your presentation Essays Writing is an essential part of both a liberal arts education and this course There will be three short 4 5 pages essays I will distribute a list of questions prior to each assignment and you will need to answer the question of your choice in an argumentative style utilizing textual evidence We will also frequently use writing exercises in class to stimulate thinking I will distribute details and a grading rubric for each assignment as the date nears Papers will be graded for grammar and style as well as content I expect writing that is polished communicative and even beautiful and am happy to work with students on their papers The Writing Center is also a great on campus resource Please consult university policies on academic integrity disability services religious observation all of which apply fully to this course Grading 10 Participation In class exercises 20 Presentations 15 Essay 1 25 Essay 2 30 Essay 3 A 98 A 93 A 90 0 B 88 B 83 B 80 0 C 78 C 73 C 70 0 D 68 D 63 D 60 0 Course Schedule Week 1 The Limits of Political Obligation July 14th Sophecles The Burial at Thebes July 16th Plato The Republic Books 1 2 Week 2 The Limits of State Action July 21st Plato The Republic Books 3 6 July 23rd Plato The Republic Books 7 10 Week 3 Princes Peoples July 28th Machiavelli The Prince FIRST PAPER DUE July 30th Machiavelli The Prince Discourses on Livy Week 4 Legitimacy Fear August 4th Hobbes Leviathan selections August 6th Locke Second Treatise of Government Week 5 Legitimacy Popular Sovereignty August 11th Rousseau Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts Discourse on the Origins of Inequality SECOND PAPER DUE August 13th Rousseau On the Social Contract Week 6 Tyranny Totalitarianism August 18th Hannah Arendt s The Human Condition selections August 20th Sheldon Wolin Inverted Democracy August 21st FINAL PAPER DUE to be distributed in class