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MODERN POLITICAL (Autumn Term, 2014)

Tutor: Andrew Williams ([email protected])

This course examines the continuing relevance of some of the greatest or most influential figures in the of modern . To do so, it examines the answers their work suggests to various central questions that arise in reflecting on political life.

More specifically, we shall consider some of the main ideas of the following five historical authors: Thomas Hobbes; ; Jean-Jacques Rousseau; ; and . We shall also examine work by some contemporary Anglo-American that is inspired by, or related to, these historical precursors.

The questions we shall address include the following.

(1) Do we need a , and, if so, why? (2) Under which conditions, if any, do we have a moral duty to obey a ’s commands, (3) Under which conditions, if any, do we have a moral right to overthrow an illegitimate government? (4) Do individuals possess that the state has a moral duty to respect and protect? (5) How, if at all, can toleration be justified? (6) What’s wrong with ? (7) What’s so good about ? (8) Can private be justified? If so, how should it be distributed? If not, why not? (9) How do capitalism, , and differ? Are there good to favour one system over another?

Primary Texts

Thomas Hobbes, (ed. Richard Tuck) John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (ed. Peter Laslett) Jon Elster (ed.), Karl Marx: A Reader John Stuart Mill, On and Other (ed. John Gray) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, On the (ed. Roger Masters) , Lectures on the History of Political Philosophy

Other versions of many of these texts are available at many internet sites, including http://www.class.uidaho.edu/mickelsen/readings.htm.

Jonathan Bennett, a distinguished scholar working on early , has also produced less archaic versions of several texts, which are available at this site: http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/index.html.

The course will be taught via interactive lectures and seminars in which students make presentations and act as discussants. All students are required to attend all classes as well as read in advance the weekly primary reading mentioned below and to come prepared to make a comment or pose a question about the text under consideration. They are also recommended to read the text the presentation is based upon. Students will also write an assessed essay of between 2,000 – 2,500 words.

Program

Week One: Hobbes on Conflict in the State of

Primary Reading (to be read before the )

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, Chapters 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and “Review and Conclusion”

Background Reading

G. A. Cohen, “How to Do Political Philosophy?”, Michael Otsuka (ed.), The Currency of Egalitarian and Other Essays in Political Philosophy

Ole Koksvik, “Giving a Talk in Philosophy’ [http://www.koksvik.net/talk.html] The author supplies sound (but perhaps unnecessarily daunting) advice for anyone making a philosophy presentation.

Week Two: Hobbes on Legitimate Political

Primary Reading

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, especially Chapters 16 - 21 but see also 31, 35, 38, 42, and 43.

Presentation Reading

Joseph Raz, ‘Authority and Justification’, Philosophy and Public Affairs (1985)

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Week Three: John Locke on Natural Rights and

Primary Reading

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chapters I – V and sec. 54

Presentation Reading

Michael Otsuka, without Inequality, ‘Introduction’ and Chapter 1, the latter of which originally appeared in Philosophy and Public Affairs (1998): 65 - 92

Week Four: Locke on Legitimate Political Authority

Primary Reading

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chapters VII-XII, and XV-XVI

Presentation Reading

To Be Announced

Week Five: Rousseau on the

Primary Reading

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, Books 1 and 2

Presentation Reading

Thomas Christiano, ‘The Authority of Democracy’, Journal of Political Philosophy (2004)

Week Six: Rousseau on Democracy

Primary Reading

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, Books 3 and 4

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Presentation Reading

Frederick Neuhouser, ‘Rousseau’s Critique of Economic Inequality’, Philosophy and Public Affairs (2013)

Week Seven: Marx on Alienation, History, and Exploitation

Primary Reading

Karl Marx, in Jon Elster (ed.), Karl Marx: A Reader, Chs. 2, 5, 12, 13, 14, and 15

Presentation Reading

Philippe Van Parijs and Robert van der Veen, ‘A Capitalist Road to Communism’, Theory and (1986)

Week Eight: Marx and Rawls

Primary Reading

John Rawls, Lectures on the History of Political Philosophy, Lectures on Marx, I – III

Presentation Reading

TBA

Week Nine: John Stuart Mill on Freedom of Expression

Primary Reading

J. S. Mill, On Liberty, Chapters 1 and 2

Presentation Reading

Jeremy Waldron, ‘Dignity and Defamation: the Visibility of Hate’, Harvard Review (2009), Lectures 1 and 2 http://www.harvardlawreview.org/media/pdf/vol123_waldron.pdf

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Week Ten: John Stuart Mill on Well- and Paternalism

Primary Reading

J. S. Mill, On Liberty, Chapters III, IV, and V

Presentation Reading

David Velleman, “Against the Right to Die”, revised version available at [https://files.nyu.edu/crm281/public/L&D/H11.doc]

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