POLITICS
213W(01): WRITING POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: INDIVIDUALITY & COMMUNITY
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Fall 2007 MWF 10:20a-11:20a SML 216 COURSE
SUMMARY |
Prof. Sammy Basu Office: Smullin 322 Hours: TTH 930-1130am or by appointment. |
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This writing-centered course
introduces students to the social sciences in general, and to the study of
politics and the approach of political philosophy in particular. Individuality and community are its
unifying themes. These themes will
be treated through the close reading and interpretation of selected
thinkers. These thinkers, drawn
from the Ancient and Renaissance periods of the history of Western political
philosophy, are original exponents of distinctive philosophical systems, and employ
distinctive literary genres. Their
contrasting conceptions of individuality and community will be discussed, and
the contemporary implications of these differences for ethics and politics
explored.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this course include
improving student's abilities to:
read: "Do not read, as
children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of
instruction. No, read in order to
live"
m Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880), Letter
to Mlle de Chantepie,
June 1857.
write: "True ease in writing
comes from art, not chance,
As
those move easiest who have learn'd to dance.
'Tis
not enough no harshness gives offence,
The
sound must seem an echo to the sense."
m Alexander Pope (1688-1744), An
Essay on Criticism (1711).
speak: "On
an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's
mind. It becomes a pleasure."
m Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), The
Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
think: "I think, therefore I
am."
m RenŽ Descartes (1596-1650), Discourse
on Method (1637).
PEDAGOGY
The teaching philosophy that animates
this course is:
"He
was sent, as usual, to a public school,
where a
little learning was painfully beaten into him,
and from
thence to the university,
where it
was carefully taken out of him."
m T.L. Peacock (1785-1866), Nightmare
Abbey, Ch.1.
"A little learning is a dang'rous thing;/
Drink
deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:/
There shallow
draughts intoxicate the brain,/
And
drinking largely sobers us again.
m Alexander Pope (1688-1744), An
Essay on Criticism,
215.
COURSE
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The grade is composed of two
components:
(1) daily participation in class
discussions (20%) -
includes any in-class writing tasks, and self-evaluations.
(2) four writing assignments (20%
each) - in which the
student interprets the texts under study, and responds with written arguments
in a variety of literary genres.
Students are encouraged to discuss
writing with the Professor, and Writing Center Consultants.
A passing grade must be received on
all assignments to pass the course.
Late assignments will be penalized.
If you believe that you may have a disability
requiring accommodation, please contact
Baxter Hall, Phone: (503) 370-6471, (TT)
(503) 375-5383.
Retroactive accommodation will not be
possible.
REQUIRED
COURSE READINGS
It is important that the student
complete the assigned reading and take the time to reflect on the meaning of
the reading before
coming to class. All required
readings are available at the WU Bookstore. Books can be purchased elsewhere; however, it is important
that the same edition be obtained.
Plato. The Republic.
(Trans.)
G.M.A. Grube. Revised by C.D.C. Reeve. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1992.
Epicurus. The Epicurus Reader.
(Trans.)
Brad Inwood and L.P. Gerson. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994.
More,
Thomas. Utopia.
(Eds. And
Trans.) David Wootton. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1999.
Montaigne,
Michel De. The
Complete Essays of Montaigne.
(Trans.)
Donald M. Frame. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1958.
COURSE
SCHEDULE
DATE SUBJECT
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F Aug
31 What is political philosophy? M Sep 3 No
Class, Labor Day W Sep 5 What is political philosophy? |
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[ 1 ] PLATO (428-348BC) The Republic
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F Sep 7 Plato,
Platonism, M Sep
10 what
is justice?: pp.1-43 W Sep
12 the
just state, who should rule, and how: pp.43-93 F Sep
14 myths,
happiness, and justice: pp.94-110, 118-121 M Sep
17 " "
Homer, Music and Ancient
Greek Music W Sep
19 women,
the family, and barbarians: pp.122-146 F Sep
21 the
philosopher and the cave:
pp.146-151, 156-176, 186-193,
210-212 M Sep
24 democracy
and decadence: pp.213-250 W Sep
26
just do it justly:
pp.250-292 F Sep
28 " " M Oct 1 are
we in the cave? |
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DUE:
W Oct 3
DRAFT
of WRITING ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
DUE:
F Oct 12
WRITING ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
SELF-EVALUATION
[ 2 ] EPICURUS (341-270BC) Writings and
Testimonia
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W Oct 3
Epicurus and
Epicureanism:
text 1. F Oct 5 No
class M Oct 8 only
if it makes sense: texts 2.34-63, 7, 27, 29, 30-34, 65-103. W Oct
10 Discuss
first draft of first Writing Assignment F Oct
12 God,
death, and free will: texts 2.64-82, 3, 14-18, 28, 104-14. M Oct
15 living
the good life: texts 4-6, 8-13, 19-26, 35-64, 115-49. W Oct
17 law,
politics, and friendship: " " values
auction Discuss
the second Writing Assignment |
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F Oct 19 No Class - Mid-semester Day
DUE: F Oct 26
SELF-EVALUATION
[ 3 ] THOMAS
MORE (1478-1535) Utopia
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DUE: M
Nov 19
WRITING ASSIGNMENT NO. 3
SELF-EVALUATION
[ 4 ] MICHEL
DE MONTAIGNE
(1533-1592) Essays
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DUE: M Dec.10, 11 am
WRITING ASSIGNMENT NO. 4
SELF-EVALUATION
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M Dec 3 Red and Blue Map
Film: "The Road Scholar" (1993) W Dec 5 " " F Dec 7 The
American Dream:
Individuality & Community |
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