For jobs in national, state, and local governments, click here.
This course can be seen as a sequel to POLS 550, though POLS 550 is not a prerequisite for this course. By the time this course has ended, you should be able to detect the following changes in yourself: (1) a greater knowledge of what some of the major thinkers have said about politics; (2) increased appreciation of and interest in the enduring questions, as well as a greater commitment to good thinking and its consequence: acting rightly; and (3) improved ability in thinking, reading, writing, and argumentation (not to be confused with being argumentative). PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING ARE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS FOR RECEIVING A FAILING GRADE IN THE COURSE. For FHSU's policy on Academic Honesty, see pages 61 and 62 in the Fort Hays State University Catalog 1999-2002 Celebrating a Century of Excellence or click here for the web version. This syllabus is subject to change if that change is deemed by me to be warranted.
Required books
1. Tannenbaum and Schultz, Inventors of Ideas An Introduction
to Western Political Philosophy.
We will be using chapters nine through 19; chapters
one through eight were used in POLS 550.
2. The on-line version of The
Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels.
3. Kaufmann, The Portable Nietzsche. or Heidegger's translation?
4. Mukherjee, The Penguin Gandhi Reader.
Joseph Losco and Leonard Williams, 2003. Political Theory, Volume II: Machiavelli to Rawls, 2nd Edition. Roxbury Publishing Company. ISBN: 1-931719-03-9
Grading Scheme: There are a total of 4,025 points possible.
90%-100% of total = A; 83% - 89% of total = B;
73%-82% of total = C; 63%-72% of total = D
I will e-mail you a spreadsheet which will allow you to enter the grade
for each of your assignments, so that you can see how you are doing throughout
the semester. Please monitor messages to your e-mail address constantly.
By the way, if you read an average of 35 pages a day, starting on Thursday,
January 17, 2001, you will finish all of the readings way before the end
of the semester.
Books of interest
Jean Baudrillard (translated by Chris Turner), 2002. Screened Out Verso Books. ISBN: 1859846602
Assignments
You will be required to turn in one short reaction
piece every other Monday, starting January 28 (so your first reaction piece
will be due on that day). The reaction piece should be one or two
pages in length (longer if you find that necessary). It should be
double spaced with one-inch margins and regular font type and style (12-point
Times New Roman, for example). The grade for the least felicitous
essay -- except in the case where no essay was written -- will be replaced
with the same grade received by the best essay. A reaction piece may include
a summarization of an argument or point made in the readings or in class,
but the most important part of the reaction piece is the manner in which
you present your own reaction or thoughts on the argument or point.
You are certainly welcome to agree (or disagree) with an argument or point,
but you must explain why. Each reaction piece is worth 100 points.
You will also be required to write a major paper.
It will be worth 2,000 points. Here, you have two choices. THE
FIRST CHOICE. You have the opportunity to to develop your theory
of government, taking into consideration the ideas and proposals of the
writers we will cover this semester. You may, of course, draw on
other resources, but do not make this a research paper. In other
words, this choice requires you to articulate and defend a fully developed
political theory. Anything less than 35 pages will not be acceptable.
This assignment is due Friday, April 26, 2002. THE SECOND CHOICE.
You have the opportunity to write a research paper on any of the theorists,
issues, ideas, or controversies covered in the class. The research
paper should be more than a compilation of information; it should be weighted
heavily by your own analysis. You must have at least 20 outside sources,
not more than half of which come from the Internet. A research paper
less than 35 pages in length will not be acceptable. The research
paper will be due Friday, April 26, 2002. PLEASE NOTE: Whether
you choose the first or second option, it is imperative that you follow
the directions below on how to write a paper.
Finally, you can earn up to 75 points each week
through class participation. Starting on Friday, January 25, you
will be provided an opportunity each Friday to turn in an evaluation of
your class participation for that week. In order to participate intelligently,
it is a good idea to read the assignment for the day before coming to class.
The best approach is to complete a reading assignment a couple of days
before it will be discussed, so you have time to think it over and, if
you wish, ask me questions about the assignment prior to the day we consider
it in class.
Semester Lecture/Discussion Calendar
Day One: Introduction to the course
No reading assignment.
Day Two: The predecessors (in particular Plato, Aristotle, Augustine,
and Aquinas)
No reading assignment.
Day Three: discuss chapter nine in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapter nine in Tannenbaum and Schultz
and the "Introduction" in The Prince
Day Four: begin our reading and discussion of Machiavelli
Read chapters I-XII in The Prince
Day Five: complete our reading and discussion of Machiavelli
Read chapters XIII-XXVI in The Prince
Day Six: discussion of chapter ten and 11 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapters ten and 11 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Day Seven: discussion of chapters 12 and 13 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapters 12 and 13 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Day Eight: discussion of the paper assignment
No reading assignment
Day Nine: begin our discussion of Locke
Read "introduction" and pp. 1-46 in Locke
Day Ten: continue our discussion of Locke
Read pp. 47-98 in Locke
Day 11: complete our discussion of Locke
Read pp. 99-end in Locke
Day 12: discussion of chapters 14 and 15 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapters 14 and 15 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Day 13: begin our discussion of Wollstonecraft
Read pages 1-60 in Wollstonecraft
Day 14: continue our discussion of Wollstonecraft
Read pages 61-122 in Wollstonecraft
Day 15: complete our discussion of Wollstonecraft
Finish reading Wollstonecraft
Day 16: comparing Machiavelli, Wollstonecraft, and Locke
No reading assignment
Day 17: discuss progress of papers
No reading assignment
Day 18: discuss chapters 16 and 17 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapters 16 and 17 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Day 19: begin our discussion of Mill
Read pages 7-64 in Mill
Day 20: complete our discussion of Mill
Finish reading Mill
Day 21: discuss chapter 18 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapter 18 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Day 22: discuss the online version of The
Communist Manifesto
Read the online version
Day 23: comparing of Machiavelli, Mill, Wollstonecraft, Locke, and Marx
and Engels
No reading assignment
Day 24: follow-up on paper assignments
No reading assignment
Day 25: follow up on paper assignments
No reading assignment
Day 26: discuss chapter 19 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Read chapter 19 in Tannenbaum and Schultz
Day 27: begin our discussion of Nietzsche
Read the selections from "Human, All-Too-Human,"
"The Wanderer and His Shadow," "The Dawn,"
"The Gay Science," "Beyond God and Evil," and
"The Gay Science: Book V"
Day 28: continue our discussion of Nietzsche
Read the first part of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
Day 29: follow up on papers
No reading assignment
Day 30: continue our discussion of Nietzsche
Read the second part of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
Day 31: continue our discussion of Nietzsche
Read the third part of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
Day 32: continue our discussion of Nietzsche
Read the fourth part of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
Day 33: continue our discussion of Nietzsche
Read "Twilight of the Idols"
Day 34: continue our discussion of Nietzsche
Read "The AntiChrist"
Day 35: complete our discussion of Nietzsche
Read the selections from "The Wagner Case" and
"Nietzsche Contra Wagner," then "Ecce Homo"
Day 36: comparing Nietzsche and the others.
No reading assignment
Day 37: follow up on papers
No reading assignment
Day 38: preparing us for Gandhi
No reading assignment
Day 39: begin our discussion of Gandhi
Read pages 1-66 in Gandhi
Day 40: continue our discussion of Gandhi
Read pages 67-122 in Gandhi
Day 41: continue our discussion of Gandhi
Read pages 123-203 in Gandhi
Day 42: finish our discussion of Gandhi
Finish reading Gandhi
Day 43: comparing Gandhi and the rest
No reading assignment
Day 44: student evaluations and concluding lecture
No reading assignment
Final exam: Wednesday, May 15, 2002, 10:30pm. The final exam is
worth 200 points.
How to Write a Paper
Instructions for those selecting the first option.
Start early. Work on it continually. Consult with me often
(if you wish). Don't be afraid to revise. If you use material
from any of the books in the class, simply site the author {example: One
of Locke's main contentions was ...} -- unless you quote, in which case
use quotation marks, then include the author(s) and page number(s) in parentheses
after you end the quote {example: Locke said "labour [sic] makes
the far greater part of value [sic]" (Cox, 26).}. Make absolutely
sure to use quote marks when you are quoting. Failure to do
this will result in the grade of zero for the paper. Err on the safe
side: for any string of four words that you are using from someone else's
work, put them in quote marks. If you use outside sources, then for both
class sources and outside sources follow the 'citation directions' found
in the next section. If you have an initial version ready by April
5, 2002, then I will critique it and allow you to re-write and re-submit
it with no penalty.
Instructions for those selecting the second option.
Start early. Work on it continually. Consult with me often
(if you wish). Don't be afraid to revise. If you have an initial
version ready by April 5, 2002, then I will critique it and allow you to
re-write and re-submit it with no penalty. Citation directions:
Whenever you use material from a source, make sure to cite the source.
Make sure the citation comes immediately after your use of that material.
If you are quoting, use quote marks. Err on the safe side: for any
string of four words that you are using from someone else's work, put them
in quote marks. A quote should be followed IMMEDIATELY by a citation
(including the page number on which the quote is found). Every source
listed on your "References" page must be cited in the paper; every source
cited in the paper must be listed on your "References" page. Failure
to follow these 'citation directions' will result in a grade of zero for
the paper. Make sure the sources listed on your "References" page
are complete and correctly ordered.
Links for POLS 550, History of Political Thought
Hammurabi The
Code of Hammurabi
The
Laws of Manu (Hindu)
OTHER NON-OCCIDENTAL WRITERS OF INTEREST
Bhagavad-gita
(not "political thought" as typically understood)
Lao Tzu Tao
Te Ching (not "political thought" as typically understood)
Confucius Analects
(not "political thought" as typically understood)
Buddha The
Gospel (not "political thought" as typically understood)
Buddha The
Word (not "political thought" as typically understood)
The
Egyptian Book of the Dead (not "political thought" as typically understood)
Olivelle, trans., "Dharmasutras:
The Law Codes of Ancient India" (can be found on amazon.com)
Plato Republic
Aristotle Politics
Epicurus Principal
Doctrines
Epictetus Discourses
- perhaps the following chapters may be of more direct interest
Book 1 chapters 9, 10, 13,
15, 28; Book 3 chapters 4, 7, 9 ( and 23?);
and Book 4 chapters 1, 5,
7
Seneca -see "Moral and Political Essays" published
by Oxford University Press (can be found on amazon.com)
Cicero De
Officiis
Shirazi The
Gulistan of Sa 'di
see chapter I, "The Manner
of Kings" and also
Chapter VII, "On the Effects
of Education"
Chapter VIII "On Rules for
Conduct in Life"
Augustine City
of God
Aquinas Summa
Theologica
William of Ockham shorter
bio
Marsilius of Padua Defender
of the Peace (summary) - also look at this
site for an overview of the book and his life
Magna
Carta
Ibn Kaldun, author of "Maqaddimah" shorter
bio longer
bio
Links for POLS 551, Recent Political Theory
Machiavelli Prince
Bodin Six
Books of the Commonwealth - also check out this longer
bio
More Utopia
Hobbes Leviathan
Bentham Principles
of Morals and Legislation
Mill On
Liberty
Mill The
Principles of Political Economy
Mill Representative
Government
Mill The
Subjection of Women
Mill Utilitarianism
Montesquieu The
Spirit of Laws
Locke Second
Treatise on Government
Burke on peace
with America
Burke Reflections
on the Revolution in France
Rousseau on inequality
Godwin on anarchism
Wollstonecraft Vindication
of the Rights of Women
Marx Capital
Simone de Beauvoir The
Second Sex
Nietzsche - click here
for links to many of his works
Derrida What
is Ideology?
Click here
for a web site on Habermas
Click here
for a variety of 'feminism' sites
Click here
for a web site on fascism and nazism
Links for POLS 553, American Political Thought
Paine Common
Sense
Paine The
American Crisis
Paine The
Rights of Man
The
Declaration of Independence
Madison, Hamilton, Jay The
Federalist Papers
Toqueville Democracy
in America, volume two
Click here
for a web site on Reinhold Niebuhr
Click here
for a web site on John Rawls
For web sites that provide links relating to a large number of
thinkers, click here
or here or here
or here
or here.