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Political Science 41/Classics 45/Philosophy 41 Western Political Thought I Tufts University Fall Semester 2011

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Political Science 41/Classics 45/Philosophy 41 Western Political Thought I Tufts University Fall Semester 2011 Political Science 41/Classics 45/Philosophy 41 Western Political Thought I Tufts University Fall Semester 2011 Socrates is said to have brought philosophy down from the heavens to examine “the human things.” This course will examine the revolution in Western thought that Socrates effected. In the process, we will study such topics as the manner in which political communities are founded and sustained, the claims for virtue, the various definitions of justice, the causes and ramifications of war, the relation between piety and politics, the life of the philosopher, and the relation between philosophy and politics. Finally, we will examine Machiavelli’s challenge to classical political thought when he charges that imaginary republics—some of which we will have studied—have taught people their ruin rather than their preservation. Office Hours Vickie Sullivan [email protected] Packard Hall 111, ex. 72328 Monday, 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, 1-2:30 p.m. Other times by appointment Teaching Assistants Nate Gilmore [email protected] Tuesday, 12-1:30 p.m. Packard Hall, 3rd-floor lounge Other times by appointment Mike Hawley [email protected] Wednesday, 12-1:30 p.m. Packard Hall, 3rd-floor lounge Other times by appointment Required Books Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, ed. Robert B. Strassler, Touchstone (Simon & Schuster). Plato and Aristophanes, Four Texts on Socrates, trans. Thomas West and Grace Starry West, Cornell University Press. 2 Plato, Symposium, trans. Seth Benardete, University of Chicago. Plato, Republic, trans. Allan Bloom, Basic Books. Aristotle, The Politics, trans. Carnes Lord, University of Chicago Press. Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. Harvey Mansfield, University of Chicago Press. Requirements A take-home midterm examination and a take-home final examination constitute the requirements for this course. Because I wish students to learn how to interpret philosophical texts for themselves, I have assigned only primary texts. There is no expectation for you to consult secondary sources in this course. Indeed, for the midterm and final examination, I discourage the consultation of outside sources. If, however, you do draw from the annotations and the interpretations of other scholars in your essays, you must provide full citations to your sources in notes. This policy includes references to the introductions, notes, and interpretative essays contained in our editions. I consider all of us as engaged in a scholarly endeavor. I value both the original insights of my students and of other scholars. When we build on the insights of others, proper scholarship demands that we acknowledge them. If you have any questions about when and how to cite outside sources, please consult the pamphlet “Academic Integrity for Graduate and Undergraduate Students.” It is available on the web here: < http://uss.tufts.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/Academic%20Integrity.pdf>. If you have additional questions or concerns on these issues, please feel free to consult me. All work will be submitted through turnitin.com. If you do not have an account on this website, you will need to create one. To do so, please visit this site: <https://turnitin.com/login_page.asp?err=1&lang=en_us>. Once you have an account, you may access the assignment page for Western Political Thought I by using the following information: Class ID: 4251860; Enrollment Password: Socrates. Please make sure that you have an account and that you know how to submit work to this site well before the due date for the midterm. Problems with your account on turnitin.com will not constitute an acceptable excuse for a late submission. Examinations submitted after the due date will be penalized for each day they are over due. No work will be accepted after the end of the semester. Final grades will be determined in the following manner: Midterm Examination 40% Final Examination 60% Class participation is encouraged and can improve a student’s final grade. Please bring the assigned book to class. 3 DATE ASSIGNMENT Wednesday, September 7 Introduction to the Course Monday, September 12 Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 1.1-1.23, 1.56-1.88, 1.139-1.146, 2.34-2.65, 3.36-3.50, 3.69-3.85 Wednesday, September 14 Peloponnesian War, 4.75-4.88, 5.13-5.24, 5.84-5.116, 6.8- 6.41, 6.72-6.93, 7.1-7.18, 7.42-7.59, 7.72-7.87 Monday, September 19 Aristophanes, The Clouds Wednesday, September 21 Aristophanes, Clouds, continued Monday, September 26 Plato, Apology of Socrates, 17a-28b Wednesday, September 28 Plato, Apology of Socrates, 28b-42a Monday, October 3 Plato, Apology of Socrates, continued Wednesday, October 5 Plato, Symposium Monday, October 10 Columbus Day; No Class Wednesday, October 12 Plato, Symposium, continued Thursday October 13, Plato, Symposium, continued Make-up session Midterm examination distributed Monday, October, 17 No assignment; professor out of town Wednesday, October 19 Plato, Symposium, continued Monday, October 24 Plato, The Republic, Book 1 Midterm examination due before class Wednesday, October 26 Plato, Republic, Book 2 Monday, October 31 Plato, Republic, Book 3 Wednesday, November 2 Plato, Republic, Book 4 Monday, November 7 Plato, Republic, Book 5 Wednesday, November 9 Plato, Republic, Book 6 4 Monday, November 14 Plato, Republic, Books 7 and 8 Wednesday, November 16 Plato, Republic, Books 9 and 10 Monday, November 21 Aristotle, Politics, Book 1 Monday, November 28 Aristotle, Politics, Book 2 Wednesday, November 30 Aristotle, Politics, Book 3 Monday, December 5 Aristotle, Politics, Book 5 Wednesday, December 7 Machiavelli, The Prince, Dedicatory Letter, ch. 1-14 Final examination distributed Monday, December 12 Machiavelli, Prince, ch. 15-26 Monday, December 19 Final examination due at noon .
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