Liberty and Responsibility: the Ethical Dimensions of Freedom

DUKE UNIVERSITY

PS 175FS//Phil 123FS

Freedom and Responsibility: The Ethical Dimensions of Liberty

Fall, 2016 Prof. Gillespie Visions of Freedom Focus Program 204G Gross [email protected] Office hours: W: 1-3 Skype: mgillesp (althought I prefer Google hangout) 919-660-4308 (o) Facebook: Michael Allen Gillespie 919-604-2149 (c) TA: Michael Hawley [email protected]

The modern age has been called the age of freedom but what freedom means for modernity is far from clear. For ancient and medieval societies human beings for the most part were understood as parts of a larger community and were bound by law and custom in almost every aspect of their lives. The authority of the ancestors, of written and unwritten law was overwhelming. The modern world by contrast begins with the rejection of traditional authority and seeks to liberate the individual from the dead weight of the past. There is little agreement about the nature this liberation should assume. Luther, for example, sees this as a liberation from the decadent traditionalism of Catholic Christianity and a return to the primacy of individual faith and religious feeling. To be free for him means to be free from the tyranny of our sinful desires through our slavery to God. Hobbes and Locke, by contrast, see this liberation as the triumph of natural reason over the religious authoritarianism of the Middle Ages. For them, freedom is the right to determine the grounds of our own happiness and to pursue it as far as we are able and as long as we do not infringe on the rights of others. In opposition to this view Rousseau and Kant see the satisfaction of mere desire as slavery to nature and see freedom as the general will of society or the rational will of a self-conscious being. The debate that characterizes early modern thought and that continues to characterize the thought of later modern thinkers such as Mill, Marx, and London thus turns on the question of the relation of freedom and desire. Is freedom essentially the liberty to do what one wants, to follow ones desires wherever they may lead? Or is this the highest form of unfreedom, the tyranny of desires that enslave our better, rational, and more humane selves? From this perspective, freedom seems to be possible only when one subordinates desire to a socially, divinely, or rationally determined will. But isn’t such a subordination at the heart of the totalitarian impulse of our times? To avoid becoming licentious freedom seems to require strict rational limits, but these limits themselves seem to subvert freedom in a more general sense. Liberty seems to require responsibility but responsibility, however determined and defined, seems to limit liberty. This course will investigate this apparent contradiction at the heart of the modern idea of freedom and will seek to come to terms with the rival versions of liberty that characterize and determine the dimensions of our moral and political lives.

Requirements for the course are three five page papers and a final. The first paper will count 15% of the grade and the second paper 20%, and the third papers will count 25% of the grade; the exam 25%; and participation and editing 15% of the final grade. The exam will cover the entire course, will last 90 minutes, and will require you to answer two out of four possible essay questions. There will also be several extra credit opportunities.

Assigned tests (available at the Duke Testbook store). Most of these texts are available on line at the Library of Liberty and other places. I would suggest buying at least the Russeau, and Kant since translations vary considerably.

Hobbes, Leviathan Locke, Second Treatise of Government and the Essay Concerning Toleration Rousseau, Basic Political Writings Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals Marx, Communist Manifesto Mill, On Liberty London, The Call of the Wild

Schedule of Readings and Assignments:

Aug. 29 Introduction

31 Luther, Concerning Christian Liberty

Sept. 2-5 Pre-exam (extra-credit)

5 Hobbes, Leviathan, Introductory Letter, Introduction, chps 1-5

7 chps. 6-10

12 chps. 11-14

14 chps. 15, 17-18

19 chps. 19-21, 30

21 Locke, Two Treatises of Government, pp. 137-39, + Second Treatise, chps. 1-4 First Draft of Paper #1 due in class 17 Edited drafts returned to authors in dorm

26 chp. 5

28 chps. 6-7

29 Final draft of paper emailed to me by 8 pm

Oct. 3 chps. 8-12

5 chps. 13-16

10 Fall Break No Class

12 chps. 17-19

17 Rousseau, The Social Contract, Prefactory Note and bk. 1

19 bk. 2

24 bk. 3, chps. 1-7

26 bk. 3, chp. 8-18 First draft of paper #2 due in class

27 Edited drafts returned to authors

31 bk. 4

Nov. 2 Final drafts of paper emailed to me by 8pm

7 Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, pp. 3-38

9 pp. 38-80

14 Marx, Communist Manifesto

16 Marx, Communist Manifesto

21 Mill, On Liberty, chps. 1-2

23 Thanksgiving- No class 28 chp. 3

30 chps. 4-5 First drafts of paper #3 due in class

19 Edited drafts returned to authors

Dec. 5 London, The Call of the Wild, pp.1-31

7 pp. 31-62

9 Final drafts of papers emailed to me by 8 pm

12 Review

16 Official Exam Time 2-5 (We will offer several alternative times but this is the latest it can be completed.

The Duke Community Standard

Duke University is a community of scholars and learners, committed to the principles of honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and respect for others. Students share with faculty and staff the responsibility for promoting a climate of integrity. As citizens of this community, students are expected to adhere to these fundamental values at all times, in both their academic and non-academic endeavors.

The Pledge Students affirm their commitment to uphold the values of the Duke University community by signing a pledge that states: 1. I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors, nor will I accept the actions of those who do. 2. I will conduct myself responsibly and honorably in all my activities as a Duke student.

The Reaffirmation Upon completion of each academic assignment, students will be expected to reaffirm the above commitment by signing this statement: .I have adhered to the Duke Community Standard in completing this assignment. [Student Signature]

Students' Obligation to Report Potential Cases of Academic Dishonesty Under the Duke Community Standard, students affirm their commitment not to lie, cheat, or steal in academic endeavors, nor accept the actions of those who do.

Thus, a student who has direct knowledge of a potential case of academic dishonesty is required to:  Provide a signed written statement of the observed behavior to the appropriate faculty member and/or to the Dean of Students Office within one week of the alleged occurrence; and  Provide the name or identity of the person(s) alleged to have committed the violation(s). The observing student is encouraged first to confront the person(s) alleged to have committed the violation(s) for at least two reasons: 1) to correct any misassumption about alleged act(s), and 2) to let the accused student(s) know that the situation is being reported so that accused student(s) might choose to self-report as well. (Accepting responsibility to the faculty member and/or the Dean of Students Office prior to the reporting of an alleged offense will be considered as a positive factor in the determination of an appropriate sanction.)

Students who knowingly do not fulfill this obligation are themselves subject to sanctions.