School of
Arts and
Sciences
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Course Number POL 211 |
Course
Title Western Political Concepts II |
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Fall Semester |
Spring
Semester X |
Summer Semester |
Year 2012 |
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Name
of Instructor William Miller |
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Meeting
Day, Time, and Room Number Tuesdays-Fridays, 10:15, Ballston
201 |
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Final
Exam Day, Time, and Room Number The final exam will be given in
our regular classroom at the time listed in the University Final Exam
calendar: Friday, May 11th, 9:00am. |
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Office
Hours, Location, Phone Tuesdays
and Fridays my office hours at Ballston will be from 12:15 to 1:15 and 2:30
to 3:30 on the Ballston campus. On Wednesdays I teach POL 405 at 3:30 on the
Main Campus, and my office hours are 3:00 to 3:30pm and after class in Ireton
my office G107; other times by appointment. My Ireton office telephone number
is 703 284 1687, but always email ahead of time! |
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E-mail & Website wmiller@marymount.edu (Email is the
best way to reach me!) www.millerpolitics.info (All announcements and assignments are
posted here, not on Blackboard.) |
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UNIVERSITY
STATEMENTS
Academic Integrity
By accepting this
syllabus, you pledge to uphold the principles of Academic Integrity expressed
by the Marymount University Community. You agree to observe these principles
yourself and to defend them against abuse by others.
Special Needs and
Accommodations
Please advise the
instructor of any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester. If you seek accommodation based on
disabilities, you should provide a Faculty Contact Sheet obtained through
Disability Support Services located in Gerard Hall, (703) 284-1615.
Access
to Student Work
Copies of your work
in this course including copies of any submitted papers and your portfolios may
be kept on file for institutional research, assessment and accreditation
purposes. All work used for these purposes will be submitted anonymously.
Student
Copyright Authorization
For the benefit of
current and future students, work in this course may be used for educational
critique, demonstrations, samples, presentations, and verification. Outside of these uses, work shall not be
sold, copied, broadcast, or distributed for profit without student
consent.
University
Policy on Snow Closings
Snow closings are
generally announced on area radio stations. For bulletins concerning Marymount
snow or weather closings, call (703) 526-6888. Unless otherwise advised by
radio announcement or by official bulletins on the number listed above,
students are expected to report for class as near normal time as possible on
days when weather conditions are adverse. Decisions as to snow closing or
delayed opening are not generally made before 5:00 AM of the working day.
Students are expected to attend class if the University is not officially
closed.
1. BROAD
PURPOSE OF COURSE (Include the
catalog description)
This course
provides a study of various political theories and ideologies from early modern
to contemporary times. Topics include liberalism, conservatism, and political
ideologies. The different concepts and topics are presented in classic
readings designed to introduce students to some of the most important
literature of modern and contemporary political thought and to provoke inquiry
into the writers' fundamental conceptions about nature, reason, human nature,
good and evil, and government.
2. COURSE
OBJECTIVES (For core
courses, include writing, critical reasoning, and information literacy as
appropriate)
Upon
successful completion of this course students will be expected to:
1. be able to analyze
political writings and determine the authors' fundamental conceptions regarding (1) "nature" or the
structure of reality ("ontology" and "cosmology"), (2) the
processes of and capacity for human knowledge ("epistemology"), (3)
human nature ("philosophical anthropology" or "philosophical
psychology"), (4) the ultimate standards of right and wrong
("ethics"), and (5) the proper functions of government ("politics");
2. have a basic
understanding of the political concepts of "authority,"
"rights," "liberalism," "conservatism,"
"nationalism," "socialism," "communism," and
"positivism";
3. be familiar with
important writings by leading figures representing these approaches of modern
political theory;
4. demonstrate a basic
understanding of the nature of political “ideology” as a distinct form of
political thought and action;
5. demonstrate a basic
ability to read texts in political theory with critical understanding--i.e.,
to grasp the author's main points, to identify his supporting arguments and
rationales, and to offer cogent internal and external criticism of the
readings; and,
6. engage in the practice of
writing and critical reasoning by composing well organized, acceptably
written, logically argued essays and papers on issues of political theory.
3. TEACHING
METHOD (lecture, laboratory,
audio-visual, clinical experience, discussion, seminar, tutorial)
The course will consist
primarily of guided discussions of the readings and secondarily of lectures and
background information by the instructor.
4. GRADING
POLICY (i.e., number of graded
assignments, weight given to each)
The final grade is
based on a possible total of 100 points that includes grades for class
assignments (which includes answering questions in class and participating in
class discussion) and quizzes, two graded
papers, two mid-term essay exams, and a final essay exam: the final exam will count
30% of the final grade (a maximum of 30 points), each mid-term 20%, each graded
paper 10%, and the class assignments (including one ungraded practice paper
worth 5%) and quizzes will account for the remaining 10%. This is not a
distance learning class: active participation is required.
The
exams and the papers are all based on the primary readings of the course: not
on the class lectures, which are intended to help you understand the readings
and not to substitute for the readings. No grade of "I" or
"Incomplete" will be given. If
possible, papers and exams will be graded and returned within two weeks. All
papers must be handed in as hard copies, and no late papers will be accepted.
Attendance and
Make-up Exam Policies
Attendance: Beginning with the
second week of classes, students are allowed three unexcused absences. For each
additional unexcused absence, the final grade will be lowered by one point. To
be excused, an absence must be explained to and approved by me before it
occurs. Note: Occasionally coming to class late—even real late once or twice—is
not considered an absence. Coming to class without hard copies of the text
for the day or leaving class after taking an announced quiz without the prior
permission of the instructor, however, is considered an absence.
Merely informing me ahead of time that you will be absent from class does not mean I excuse the absence, though I appreciate your courtesy. I will not excuse your absence because you are simply not feeling well or because you choose to do something worthwhile other than come to class even if you inform me ahead of time. If you are coughing and sneezing and coming down with a cold or the flu, and you don't want to spread your virus to your classmates, I (and they) salute you! Staying home may be the right thing to do, but it is not an excused absence. You all get three unexcused absences to use as you see fit, and it is your decision to use them to stay home when you don't feel well or want to attend some other event or need to prepare for another class instead of going to my class. Use them for good reasons; that's what they are for.
Excessive
excused absences may also be a
problem, and you should discuss such situations with me well before the last
month of the semester. This is not a distance learning class. Any absence
prevents you from participating in the class, but if your job or an illness
keeps you away from class for more than a quarter of the semester, it will
significantly affect the class participation component of your grade and may be
a good reason to drop the course and take it another time. All of us find
ourselves in these situations from time to time and have to deal with them
appropriately. You also have an obligation to report this to a University
office (see page 34 of the 2011-2012 University Catalogue).
When
in doubt about any of these policies, please come and talk to me. They have
been formulated with our substantial commuter and working student population in
mind and are intended to be fair to everyone. You should also review the
University's policies on absenteeism on page 34 of the 2011-2012 University
Catalogue.
Make-up Exams: The same basic rules about excused absences apply to taking mid-terms (papers are always due on the due date—no exceptions). My policy of giving makeup exams on the same day as the final does NOT mean that you may choose to take the mid-term exam on that day rather than on the regularly scheduled day: it is not an alternative test date. To be eligible for a makeup, you must qualify for an excused absence, and this you should do a reasonable time before the day of the mid-term, if that is at all possible. You may be excused from taking a mid-term if you are certifiably sick or your job prevents you from attending class or you have a serious family or personal emergency on the day of the test. If one of these applies and I am informed in a reasonable time before the exam and you have written documentation to support your request, you may take the exam on the same day as the final exam. If none of these reasons apply, you may not take the exam at another time, and you will get a zero for the exam. If you are late for the exam because of events outside of your control, let me know immediately or as soon as possible that day, and I will let you take the exam later that same day if possible.
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5. CLASS
SCHEDULE (List topics to be covered
with approximate dates of presentation)
This schedule is
subject to changes because of weather and other factors: see the link to
"Western Political Concepts II (Spring 2011)" in the Weekly
Assignments section of the webpage each weekend and before each class for an
updated schedule and specific assignments.
Week I (1/17-20): Introduction to
the course; liberalism: the problem of authority and the soc ial contract solution. Introductory essays by Miller &
Lippmann (handouts and web links).
Week II (1/24-27): Classical and
Classical-Christian solutions; Machiavelli, Prince, ch. 15, 25; Hobbes, Leviathan,
ch. 13, 17, 21; "Modern Philosophers' Rejections of Classical
Philosophy;" Locke, Second Treatise
of Government, ch. 1 & 2.
Liberalism, Social
Contracts, and the Problem of Authority: Locke and Rousseau
Week III
(1/31-2/3): First Paper (ungraded) Due, January 31st. Locke and Rousseau.
Week IV (2/7-10): Locke and Rousseau.
Week V (2/14-17): Locke and
Rousseau. MID-TERM EXAM: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17th.
Critics
of the Social Contract Argument; Conservatives, Social Democrats.
Week VI (2/21-24): Gerhart Niemeyer, "Meditation on Authority and
Alienation"; David Hume, selected essays.
Week VII
(2/28-3/2):
Edmund Burke, Joseph Mazzini.
Week VIII
(3/13-16): Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill. Graded Paper Due Tuesday,
March 13th.
Week IX (3/20-23): John Stuart Mill, Ferdinand Lassalle, Herbert Spencer.
Week X (3/27-30): T.H. Green. MID-TERM EXAM: FRIDAY, MARCH 30th.
Political Ideologies: Marx, Hitler,
Mussolini, Jaggar, Ellis
Week XI (4/3): Introduction to Ideology; Marx, Communist Manifesto
Week XII (4/13): Marx, Communist
Manifesto.
Week XIII (4/17-20): Hitler on the Aryan cosmology.
Week XIV (4/24-27): Mussolini on the Fascist theory of
politics; August Comte, Positivism. Graded Paper Due Tuesday, April 24th.
Week XV (5/1-4): Allison Jaggar
on feminism; Richard Ellis on radical environmentalism.
The final exam will
be given only at the date and time prescribed by the University Final
Exam Schedule: Friday, May 11th, at 9:00am. Also, any permitted
make-ups of mid-term exams will take place on the 11th, after the
final. Make your travel plans accordingly!
6. REQUIRED
TEXTS
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan: Parts One and Two. Edited by Herbert W. Schneider. Library of
Liberal Arts edition.
Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government. Library of Liberal Arts edition.
Edited by Thomas P. Peardon.
Marx,
Karl, and Friedrich Engels. Communist Manifesto.
Edited by Samuel Beer.
Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism, On Liberty, Considerations on Representative
Government. Everyman Edition. Edited by Geraint
Williams.
Rousseau,
Jean-Jacques.
The Social Contract and Discourses. Everyman
edition. Edited by J.H. Brumfitt
and John C. Hall.
All of the assigned
readings from these texts are available in other editions on the Internet.
Other assigned materials will be made available either on reserve, on the
internet, or, pending copyright permissions, in handouts.
7. RECOMMENDED
OR SUGGESTED READINGS OR AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS
Crick, Bernard. In Defence of Politics,
2d ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1972.
Ellis, Richard J. Dark Side of the Left: Illiberal Egalitarianism in
America..
Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1999.
Lippmann, Walter. Public Philosophy.
Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books, 1955, 1989.
Jaggar, Alison. "Political Philosophies of Women's Liberation." In Society and the Individual, ed. Garner and Oldenquist. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1990.
Kramnick, Isaac, and Frederick Watkins. The Age of
Ideology: Political Thought, 1750 to the Present. 2d ed.
Niemeyer, Gerhart. Within and Above
Ourselves: Essays in Political Analysis. Wilmington, Delaware:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1996.
Strauss, Leo, and Joseph Cropsey. History of Political Philosophy.
Useful Reference
Works:
Nelson, Brian. Western Political Thought: From Socrates
to the Age of Ideology.
Sabine, George H. A History of
Political Theory.
Stumpf, Samuel E. Socrates to Sartre: A History of
Philosophy. 4th (or later) ed. New York:
McGraw Hill, 1988.
A
FEW FURTHER RULES
For
the benefit of the class and your classmates, the following rules regarding
electronic devices also apply to this course:
1. Turn your cell
phones off during the class. If you are expecting an important call, put your
phone on “Vibrate,” sit near the door, and, when the call comes, answer it
outside the classroom.
2. It follows from
the foregoing rule, but it must be separately stated: no talking and no texting
on cell phones during class. If you do not follow this rule, I will publicly
ask you to leave the room for the remainder of the class, give you a zero for
the class participation component of the final course grade, and do my best to
have you removed from the course for the rest of the semester.
3. No open lap-top or other computers are allowed in class without my prior permission. Devices such as tablets, Ipads, Kindles, and Nooks that lie flat on the desk and onto which the readings can be loaded are permitted, but hard copies of the readings are better. You can mark them up and take notes on them in class. Again, if I find you are accessing websites other than those that are displaying the class readings, I will publicly ask you to leave the room for the remainder of the class, give you a zero for the class participation component of the final course grade, and do my best to have you removed from the course for the rest of the semester.
These
rules are necessary to foster a suitable learning environment in the classroom
during class. There are enough distractions with lawnmowers, air conditioners,
and other outside forces to combat during lectures and discussions without
these controllable distractions within the room.