Introduction to Political Philosophy: From Ancient to Modern TimesGVPT 241 Section 0201 – Winter 2007Course Description and ObjectivesRequired Texts Recommended Websites for Improving Writing Skills: Assignments and Grade Distribution “Netiquette”:Other Course Issues and PoliciesCourse OutlineJan. 2 Introduction and Course OverviewIntroduction to Political Philosophy: From Ancient to Modern Times GVPT 241 Section 0201 – Winter 2007 Instructor: Özgüç Orhan E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 301-474-9151 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 This course is a very brief introduction to the history of moral and political philosophy. But what is political philosophy? Political philosophy is the activity of philosophers thinking through recurring trans-historical political questions and presenting these reflections to their contemporaries and future generations. Our guiding motif for this course is the relationship between “morality” or “ethics” and “politics.” We are going to engage with questions such as the following: How does “morality” fit into politics? Are “morality” and “politics” autonomous spheres of human activity? Can we engage in politics without “morality”? What does it mean to “politicize” an issue? Why does the accusation of someone’s being “politically motivated” deserve blame? We will seek the answers to these questions by getting into dialogue with past thinkers. We will have three guests of honor: Cicero from antiquity, Machiavelli from early modern times, and Nietzsche from late modernity. The objective of 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. This course is only an introduction to the history of political philosophy. For this reason, the reading list cannot 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 fundamental reading list at the end. Required Texts The format of this course consists of threaded discussions of the assigned texts. To benefit from this course, or for that matter to pass it, you have to read the assigned texts in a timely and careful manner. If you find some passages hard-going, refer to the study questions that are provided on the 1course website to guide you through the rough spots. These questions can draw your attention to some of 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 as passages referred to in discussions can be easily located by page or section number. Links to alternative translations from the internet are listed below as a reference. Harvey Mansfield, A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy (ISI Books) Cicero, On Duties (Cambridge University Press) Machiavelli, The Prince (The University of Chicago Press) Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality and Other Writings (Cambridge University Press) Cicero http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/HTML.php?recordID=0265Machiavelli http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/HTML.php?recordID=0302Nietzsche http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/Nietzsche/genealogytofc.htm Recommended Websites for Improving 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%): Each brief will address a study question (which will be posted on the course website) in 200-250 words. You may submit only one brief for each daily reading. You may submit more than five briefs throughout the semester in which case I will count the highest five grades you receive towards your final course grade. Due by 6pm of the day for which the particular text you have selected is assigned. • One Short Analysis Paper of 2-3 pages (20%): This paper must include a brief summary of a specific argument or passage from the text followed by student commentary. The commentary could take several forms some of which are as follows: (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; (4) a possible application of the argument to an issue not considered by the author. The analysis papers serve two general purposes. First, they encourage students to carefully examine and understand the underlying logic of separate arguments presented in the text. Second, they can (but don’t have to) serve as a proposal or starting point for the longer medium-length paper. Due on Jan 14th. • One medium-length paper of 5-7 pages (30%): You will either further develop the ideas that you discuss in your short paper or write a completely new one along the same guidelines. Due on Jan. 23rd. 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. Good participation involves raising questions to generate class discussion, responsiveness to questions and comments, as well as sharing critical ideas and perspectives. More specific criteria for participation in discussion threads will be available through the course website. For now, see “netiquette” below. • Writing assignments will be evaluated with respect to coherent arguments, clarity of expression, accuracy of representation of the texts, and fairness in presentation of and response to counter-arguments. Details are