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Political Science 489: Problems in Political Theory Analysis and Interpretation

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Political Science 489: Problems in Political Theory Analysis and Interpretation Political Science 489: Problems in Political Theory Analysis and Interpretation Instructor: Jeffrey C. Herndon 162 Ferguson Social Sciences [email protected] Office Hours: 8:00-9:30 Tuesday and Thursday 8:00-10:00 Monday and Wednesday And by appointment. Course Description: A proseminar in political science serves several purposes. First it is intended to introduce students to one of the primary subfields in the discipline. Secondly, proseminars are usually comprehensive in that the intention to is make students aware of the breadth and scope of that particular subfield. Third, in this particular seminar students will gain an understanding of the ways in which human existence in political and civil society are expressed and examined within political theory. Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students wil be able to:: Distinguish between Classical, Modern and Post-modern political theory. Identify differences and similarities between Classical, Modern and Post-modern political theory. Describe some of the seminal works in political philosophy—specifically The Orestaeia, The Republic, The Prince, Leviathan, Beyond Good and Evil, Groundwork for a Metaphysics of Morals, and The Human Condition. Required Texts: The following books have been ordered by the book store and are also available on- line. The editions assigned are the required editions for this class—substitutions will not be accepted. Aeschylus. 2013. Aeschylus II: The Orestaeia,3rd ed. Edited and translated by David Grene, Richard Lattimore, Mark Griffith, and Glenn Most. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 978-0226311470 Arendt, Hannah. 1998. The Human Condition, 2nd ed. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 978-0226025988 Hobbes, Thomas. 1996. Leviathan, revised student edition. Edited by Richard Tuck. New York. Cambridge University Press. 978-0521567978 Immanual, Kant. 2012. Groundwork for a Metaphysics of Morals. 2nd ed. New York. Cambridge University Press. 978-1107401068 Machiavelli, Niccolo. 1985. The Prince. Translated by Harvey C. Mansfield. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. Nietzsche, Friedrich. 1989. Beyond Good and Evil: A Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future. Translated by Walter Kaufmann. New York. Vintage. 978-0679724650 ----------. 1991. The Republic, 2nd ed. Translated by Allan Bloom. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 978-0465069347 In addition to the above books, materials will be placed on reserve in the Gee Library and you will need to access the links listed in the syllabus to acquire certain materials for the course. Grading: Students in this course will write a series of short papers that critically engage with the material assigned to each week of the course. You will be assigned your writing assignments at the appropriate time by your instructor. In addition to the five short papers you will take a final exam. The examination will be a take home test and will be structured as if it were part of a comprehensive exam. Finally, this class requires your participation. For this reason, there is a percentage of your grade assigned to it. You are responsible for all the readings for a given class—regardless of whether or not you are actively engaged in presenting. It will become apparent fairly quickly and easily if you have not done the readings. Failure to do the readings and contribute to the class will have an adverse effect on your overall grade in the course. Values for each are: Critical Essays 50 points Final Exam 40 points Participation 10 points Total 100 points Attendance: This class meets only 14 times this semester. You are not allowed to miss any of them. Your attendance is essential for two reasons: (1) your participation grade begins with merely showing up (although merely showing up is not enough); (2) this is a seminar—that means that you will be teaching one another through the engagement with the material and with each other. This cannot happen if you are not here. Let me clarify the attendance policy: You may not miss. Students with Disabilities Notice: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti- discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact: Office of Student Disability Resources and Services, Gee Library, Room 132 (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835 phone (903) 468-8148 fax Email: [email protected] Conduct Notice: “All students enrolled at the university shall follow the tenets of common decency and acceptable behavior conducive to a positive learning environment.” (See current Student Guidebook).” Ultimately for this course your instructor is the arbiter of what constitutes “common decency and acceptable behavior” while meeting as a class. Respect your university, your classmates, and your own education and the opportunities that the state of Texas has given you and there should be no problem. People tend to forget that there is no “right” to a university education. It is a gift and should not be squandered or disrespected. Nondiscrimination Notice: “A&M – Commerce will comply in the classroom, and in online courses, with all federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination and related retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information or veteran status. Further, an environment free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression will be maintained.” Course Calendar (This represents a “best estimate,” dates and readings are subject to change.) January 19: Introduction to the course January 26: Analysis, Interpretation and Political Philosophy Leo Strauss, “On Classical Political Philosophy" from The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism: Essays and Lectures by Leo Strauss. Edited by Thomas L. Pangle. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989. Leo Strauss, “Persecution and the Art of Writing” from Persecution and the Art of Writing. Glenco, Ill.: The Free Press, 1952. http://thenewschoolhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/strauss_persecutionartwriting.pdf Eric Voegelin, "Equivalences of Experience and Symbolization of History" from Collected Works, Volume 12. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1990. Eric Voegelin, “Reason and the Classical Experience,” from Collected Works, Volume 12. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1990. Barry Cooper, “Reason and Interpretation in Contemporary Political Theory,” Polity, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Spring 1979), 387-399. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3234315?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Hannah Arendt, “Philosophy and Politics,” Social Research, 71:3, 2004, 427-454. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=944b6248-808b-4bbf-b8e5- 3f0c67b4a54f%40sessionmgr4002&vid=3&hid=4210 J. G. A. Pocock, “Virtues, Rights, and Manners: A Model for Historians of Political Thought,” Political Theory, Volume 9, Issue 3 (August 1981), 353-368. http://www.jstor.org/stable/191094?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Jurgen Habermas, “Public Space and Political Public Sphere – the Biographical Roots of Two Motifs in My Thought.” http://www.inamori-f.or.jp/laureates/k20_c_jurgen/img/lct_e.pdf Hans Georg-Gadamer, “The Hermenutics of Suspicion,” Man and World, 17, Volume 3-4 (September 1974), 313-323. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01250456 Review of Politics, Political Philosophy in the 20th Century, Volume 71, #1, Winter 2009. See relevant articles by Zuckert, Sandoz, Smith, Villa, & Fuller. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=210cf5b2-d780-40d6-993d- 6051a4354afa%40sessionmgr4003&vid=4&hid=4210 February 2 and 9: The Classical View Aeschylus, The Oresteia Plato, The Republic Plato, Phaedrus February 16 and 23: Reflections on Modernity Machiavelli, The Prince Harvey Mansfield, Jr. “Strauss’s Machiavelli,” Political Theory, Vol. 3, Issue 4 (November 1975), 372- 384. http://www.jstor.org/stable/i209869 J.G.A. Pocock, “Prophet and Inquisitor: Or a Church Built Upon Bayonets Cannot Stand: A Comment on Mansfield’s ‘Strauss’s Machiavelli. Political Theory, Vol 3, Issue 4 (November 1975), 385-401. http://www.jstor.org/stable/i209869 Harvey J. Mansfield, Jr., “Reply to Pocock, Political Theory, Vol. 3, Issue 4 (November 1975), 402-405. http://www.jstor.org/stable/i209869 Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan Michael Oakeshott, Hobbes on Civil Association. http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/668 March 1 and 8: Hegel and the Response to the Modern G.W.F. Hegel, Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit Steven . B. Smith, “Hegel’s Idea of Critical Theory,” Political Theory, Volume 15, Issue 1 (February 1987), 99-126. http://www.jstor.org/stable/191722?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents G.W.F. Hegel, The Philosophy of Right Cecil L. Eubanks, “Subject and Substance: Hegel on Modernity,” Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law (Fall 2004), 101-125. http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=240081 March 15: Spring Break March 22 and 29: Postmodernism: Nietzsche and Beyond Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols http://www.handprint.com/SC/NIE/GotDamer.html Edmund Husserl, “Philosophy and the Crisis of European Man” http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/husserl_philcris.html Martin Heidegger, Nietzsche’s Fundamental Metaphysical Position. E. Levinas, “The Contemporary Criticism
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