Introduction to Political Philosophy: From Ancient to Modern TimesGVPT 241 Online – Summer 2007Course Description and ObjectivesRequired Texts Recommended Websites for Writing Skills: Assignments and Grade DistributionOther Course Issues and PoliciesCourse OutlineJuly 16 Course Introduction & Mansfield (pp. 1-8)Introduction to Political Philosophy: From Ancient to Modern Times GVPT 241 Online – Summer 2007 Instructor: Özgüç Orhan Class Days Mon-Wed-Fri E-mail: [email protected] One thing is necessary above all if one is to practice reading as an art…something which has been unlearned most thoroughly these days…something for which one must almost be a cow and in any case not a “modern man”: rumination. Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality Course Description and Objectives The format of this course consists of threaded discussions of the assigned texts on the course website. This course is a very brief introduction to the history of moral and political philosophy. But what is “political philosophy”? Simply put, political philosophy is the activity of philosophers thinking through recurring trans-historical and trans-cultural questions of human life and presenting these reflections to their contemporaries and future generations. Our guiding motif for this course is the relationship between “morality” and “politics.” We are going to engage with questions of the following kind: How does morality relate to politics? Are morality and politics autonomous spheres of human life? Is politics essentially amoral or immoral? Why does politics have a bad name? For instance, what does it mean to “politicize” an issue? Why does someone’s being “politically motivated” imply blame? We will seek answers to these questions by getting into conversation with past thinkers who reflected on the relationship between morality and politics. We will have five guests of honor for this course and a few supplementary readings: Plato and Cicero from antiquity, Machiavelli from early modern times, Kant and Nietzsche from late modernity. Our objective in this course is to (1) gain an understanding of the persisting questions of politics and morality, and the varying responses given by philosophers; (2) think independently about the nature of political life; (3) be able to read philosophical texts critically (see the opening quote from Nietzsche); and (4) be able to express and defend our thoughts coherently in writing. Please remember that this course is only an introduction to the history of political philosophy. For this reason, the reading list does not include all the important authors or texts in the Western tradition of political philosophy. If your intellectual appetite is whetted by the end of the semester, you should not hesitate to further explore the philosophers and texts excluded from the reading list. Harvey Mansfield’s A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy provides a basic reading list at the end. 1Required Texts To benefit from this course, you need to do the readings in a timely and careful manner. If you find some passages hard-going, refer to the study questions that are provided on the course website. These questions can help you think through the critical aspects of the text. You will be at an advantage if you use the editions listed below which are ordered through the campus bookstore. Harvey Mansfield, A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy (ISI Books) David M. Johnson, Socrates and Alcibiades: Four Texts (Focus Publishing) Cicero, On Duties (Cambridge University Press) Machiavelli, The Prince (The University of Chicago Press) Kant, Political Writings (Cambridge University Press) Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality and Other Writings (Cambridge University Press) Václav Havel, “Politics, Morality & Civility” (Available on the course website) Recommended Websites for Writing Skills: The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing: http://nutsandbolts.washcoll.edu/University of Texas Writing Center: http://projects.uwc.utexas.edu/virgil/ Assignments and Grade Distribution • Five Briefs (25%): Students will respond to the study questions posted on the course website in 400-500 words. There is more than one question to choose from for each class day. To get full credit for this requirement, you need to submit five briefs in total. Each one must be written on a different author (Plato, Cicero, Machiavelli, Kant, and Nietzsche). You may submit one extra in which case I will count your highest five grades towards the final course grade. Students must submit their brief on the day of the course reading that the study question is assigned for. No late briefs (after 11:59pm EST) will be accepted. • One Short Analysis Paper (20%): This paper (1000-1250 words) must include a brief summary of a specific argument or passage from Plato’s Alcibiades or Cicero’s On Duties followed by student commentary. The commentary can take one of the following form: (1) analysis of a passage or an argument to enhance understanding of the whole text or a considerable part of it; (2) interpretation of an initially puzzling passage to render it more intelligible; (3) criticism or defense of the author’s argument through a new argument of your own. The analysis papers are intended to encourage students to carefully examine and understand the underlying logic of separate arguments presented in the text. • One medium-length paper (30%): This paper (1500-1750 words) will be written in response to an essay question on one of the following authors: Machiavelli, Kant, or Nietzsche. The questions will be available on the course website beforehand. Both writing assignments will be due by midnight EST on the announced due date (see the Course Schedule below). 2• Discussion Thread Postings (25%): Your participation score will be determined according to your general level of preparation and the quality of your postings to the discussion board. You need to post your comments/questions between 9am-9pm on each class day. Specific instructions on this requirement will be available on the course website. • Writing assignments will be evaluated with respect to content (coherent arguments & accuracy in representation of the texts), style (clarity of expression & concision), grammar, spelling, and format. More details will be available on the course website. Secondary sources can be consulted to clarify readings but should not be used