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Description: We consider the intellectual debates among modern political and moral philosophers on some of the foundational questions of politics. Why do individuals live under government? What gives government legitimacy and makes it worthy of our obedience? What powers should government have? If we are to be free must we have only minimal government? Or are extensive government and social constraints necessary if anyone is to be truly free? If social institutions are unjust, as many thought was the case of the institutions of feudalism, is revolution the best response? What are the costs of overthrowing long-settled traditions? In addressing these and related questions students will read classic texts of political and moral theory. This course has no prerequisites.
Requirements: Grading will be based on participation in class discussions (20%); two papers, each of which will be 6-7 pages in length (50%); and a final take-home essay examination (30%). One of the papers will be turned in twice, once as a draft, and then as a revision, with the grade calculated as an average of the grade for the draft and for the revision. Total writing will be at least 24 pages, satisfying the Gordon Rule Requirement. Each unexcused absence beyond 1 will result in a 1/3 letter grade reduction for participation. To receive an A for participation students must not only attend class but also give indication through their participation in class discussion that they have reflected on the readings. Part of the participation grade may be based on performance on quizzes (announced or unannounced), which may not be made up due to absences.
Students agree to adhere to the honor code, the text of which is at www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/academics_honor_code.htm. While you are encouraged to discuss the course material with each other, all assignments must be entirely your own work. You are not permitted to copy or borrow from the reading notes, drafts, or outlines of other students. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism or a violation of the honor code, consult with the professor beforehand.
Office Hours: Before and after class in HC 133, or arrange by phone at 6-8670 or email at tunick@fau.edu
Reading: The following books should be available at the bookstore: Rousseau, The Basic Political Writings (Hackett); Thomas Paine, Rights of Man (Dover); Melville, Billy Budd (Mass Market Paperbacks); Immanuel Kant, Grounding for a Metaphysics of Morals tr. Ellington (Hackett); Kant, Metaphysics of Morals (Cambridge UP); Hegel, Reason in History, tr. Hartman (Library of Liberal Arts) . In addition, a number of readings are online--most require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later, available free, as well as a password that will be distributed in class. You should be prepared to discuss each reading on the date under which that reading is listed. Be sure to bring to each class the reading for that day's class. You are strongly encouraged to take notes as you read.
8/22. Introduction
Outline
8/24. Rousseau and the Enlightenment
Reading: Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (Preface, Part One; and Notes 3, 6, 9, 15)
Video: 'Dawn of Man' from Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey
Outline
Bibliography
8.29. Rousseau
Reading: Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (Part Two)
8/31. Rousseau
Reading: Rousseau, On the Social Contract (Books 1 and 2)
9/5. No class: Labor Day
9/7. Rousseau
Reading: Rousseau, On the Social Contract (Books 3 and 4); and "Letter to the Republic of Geneva" (pp. 25-32)
9/12. The Enlightenment and the French Revolution
Reading: Begin Melville, Billy Budd
Recommended: video "The French Revolution" (History Channel): vhs and dvd on reserve in library
Outline
Billy Budd: discussion questions
Bibliography
9/14. Melville's Billy Budd and the French Revolution
Reading: Complete Melville, Billy Budd
For those interested: Mark Tunick, "Ethics, Morality, and Law," Oxford Companion to American Law (2002), online
9/19. Edmund Burke's conservativism; or, Why the English Revolution was good and the French Revolution was not
Reading: Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France , excerpts online
Outline
Bibliography
9/21. Burke (2): Is Burke consistent?
Reading: Burke, Reflections (cont.); excerpts from: Speech on Reform of Representation, online; Speech on Impeachment of Hastings, online
Recommended: Burke, "Letter to Langrishe" on Ireland and Catholic Emancipation, online
9/26. The Burke-Paine Debate
Reading: Paine, Rights of Man, Part 1 (pp. 7-24, 28-39, 65-78, 89-94); or online.
Video: Scene on intergenerational obligation from 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'
Outline
9/28. Thomas Paine's liberalism
Reading: Paine, Rights of Man, Part 2 (pp. 97-136, 188-196); or online.
Bibliography
10/3. Jeremy Bentham's politics--against Burke and Paine
Rdg: Jeremy Bentham, The Book of Fallacies, excerpts online; Anarchical Fallacies, excerpts, online
Paper One due in class.
Outline
Bibliography
10/5. English rationalism (2): Bentham's utilitarianism
Rdg: Bentham, excerpts from: Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, online; Of the Influence of Time and Place in Matters of Legislation, online; Pannomial Fragments, online
10/10. Bentham and modern utilitarianism
Bibliography
10/17. Kant's political philosophy
Rdg: Kant, Metaphysics of Morals: 229-247 (pp. 23-37 up to sec. 4), 255-7 (pp. 44-6, sections 8-9), 264-7 (pp. 51-53, section 15), 307-8 (p. 86, section 42)
Bibliography
10/19. Kant's political philosophy
Rdg: Kant, Metaphysics of Morals: 311-355 (pp. 89-124, sections 43-62 and conclusion), 363 (p. 130, section 5)
10/24, 10/26, 10/31 classes cancelled due to Hurricane Wilma
11/2. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's conception of history
Rdg: Reason in History
For those interested: Hegel Society of America
Outline
Bibliography
11/7. Hegel's political philosophy: immanent criticism; Hegel's conception of freedom [Class extended to 4pm]
Rdg: Hegel, Philosophy of Right, excerpts online: read Preface; excerpts from 'Introduction'
Questions on the Preface and Introduction to PR
11/9. Hegel's critique of Kant; Hegel on our most meaningful commitments
Rdg: Hegel, Philosophy of Right: read excerpts on 'Moralitaet', 'Family', 'Transition from Family to Civil Society', 'The State'
Sunday, Nov. 13th, 7 pm: Akira Kurosawa's film Ikiru (1952, 2 hours 20 minutes): HC 114
11/14. Hegel and Kurosawa; Marx and the Young Hegelians; Marx's critique of Hegel and of capitalism [Class extended to 4pm]
Rdg: Marx, 'On the Jewish Question', excerpts online; Marx and Engels, Communist Manifesto, excerpts online
Outline
Feuerbach handout
Bibliography
For those interested: Marx, Theses on Feuerbach; Marx, "Alienated Labor" from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts; Peter Kropotkin, The State: its Historic Role, sec. IV-V (for the anarchist's positive view of feudal society)
11/16. Marx's critique of capitalism [class extended if needed]
Rdg: Marx, Das Kapital, excerpts online
For those interested: David Johnston, Richest Are Leaving Even the Rich Far Behind, in New York Times, June 5, 2005; "Excerpts from the Pope's Encyclical: On giving Capitalism a Human Face," in New York Times, May 3, 1991. Both available online at lexis-nexis; graph of income distribution online.
PAPER 2 DUE
11/21. John Stuart Mill: Like father like son?
Rdg: Mill, Autobiography, excerpts online ; Mill,"Wife Murder," Newspaper Writings, August 28, 1851, online
Outline
Bibliography
11/23. J.S. Mill on individuality and civilization
Rdg: J.S. Mill, "Civilization," online; On Liberty, chs. 1, 3, online
Recommended: J.S. Mill, Utilitarianism, available online
For those interested: Gretchen Ruethling, "Chicago Police Put Arrest Photos of Prostitution Suspects Online," New York Times, June 23, 2005--search news at lexis-nexis; Chicago Police website
11/28. Nietzsche's nonfoundationalism and the turn to interpretation
Rdg: Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, excerpts online
Outline
Bibliography
11/30. Nietzsche's critique of morality
Rdg: Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, excerpts online
For those interested: Voltaire, "Memory's Adventure" (1775)
Take-home Examination handed out.
Reading for the exam: Marquis de Sade, "Yet Another Effort, Frenchmen, If You Would Become Republican," in Sade's Philosophy in the Bedroom (online)
12/2. Final exam day (take-home exam due)
Bibliography
The following is a bibliography on the various topics/theorists we cover.
Rousseau and the Enlightenment
Ernst Cassirer, The Philosophy of the Enlightenment
Maurice Cranston, Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2 volumes)
Peter Gay, The Enlightenment: An Interpretation
Norman Jacobson, Pride and Solace, ch. 4
Immanuel Kant, "What is Enlightenment"
James Miller, Rousseau: Dreamer of Democracy
Rousseau, Emile; Reveries of a Solitary Walker; The Confessions
Judith Shklar, Men and Citizens: A Study of Rousseau's Social Theory
Sheldon Wolin, Politics and Vision, ch. 9
Robert Wokler, Rousseau
Feudalism and the French Revolution
Hannah Arendt, On Revolution (for an interpretation of Billy Budd)
Reinhard Bendix, Nation-Building and Citizenship
M. Berman, The Politics of Authenticity
Marc Bloch, Feudal Society
Alfred Cobban, A History of Modern France
Arthur Hoage, Origins of the Common Law (pp. 83-113)
R. R. Palmer, The Coming of the French Revolution
Theda Skocpol, States and Social Revolutions, pp. 51-66, 118-127, 174-205
Edmund Burke
Burke, "Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful," "Speech on Fox's East-India Bill," A Vindication of Natural Society, Letter to a Member of the National Assembly
Carl B. Cone, Burke and the Nature of Politics
Don Herzog, 'Puzzling through Burke', Political Theory (August 1991)
Isaac Kramnick, The Rage of Edmund Burke, Portrait of an Ambivalent Conservative (psychobiography) (1979)
C.B. Macpherson, Burke (1980)
Harvey Mansfield, Statesmanship and Party Government (1965)
Frank O'Gorman, Edmund Burke, his Political Philosophy
J.G.A. Pockock, 'Burke and the Ancient Constitution', Historical Journal III (1960)
Peter Stanlis, Edmund Burke: The Enlightenment and Revolution (1991)
Thomas Paine
Paine, Common Sense, Age of Reason, The American Crisis, Dissertation on First Principles of Government
Eric Foner, Tom Paine and Revolutionary America
Jeremy Bentham
Bentham, A Table of the Springs of Action, Principles of Penal Law, A Defense of Usury, Panopticon; or, the Inspection-House
Charles Atkinson, Jeremy Bentham, His Life and Works
C.W. Everett, The Education of Jeremy Bentham
Elie Halevy, The Growth of Philosophic Radicalism
H.L.A. Hart, Essays on Bentham
D. Lyons, In the Interest of the Governed
Mary P. Mack, Jeremy Bentham, 1748-1792
B. Parekh, ed. Jeremy Bentham: Ten Critical Essays
Hanna Pitkin, "Slippery Bentham," Political Theory 18:1 (1990), online at jstor.
Utilitarianism (Contemporary)
Michael Bayles, ed. Contemporary Utilitarianism
R.M. Hare, Moral Thinking
John Rawls, "Two Concepts of Rules," The Philosophical Review 64:3-32 (Jan., 1955), online at jstor.
H. Sidgwick, The Methods of Ethics (1907)
J.C.C. Smart and Bernard William, Utilitarianism: For and Against
Kant's political philosophy
Christine Korsgaard, "Taking the Law into our own hands: Kant on the right to revolution," in Reath, Herman, and Korsgaard, eds, Reclaiming the History of Ethics: Essays for John Rawls (1997)
Kant, Perpetual Peace and other essays
Leslie Mulholland, Kant's System of Rights (1990)
Patrick Riley, "On Kant as the Most Adequate Social Contract Theorist," Political Theory vol.1, no. 4 (1973), online at jstor.
Liberalism, ed. Richard Arneson, Part 2 (1993), essays by Christine Korsgaard, Thomas Hill, Onora O'Neill
Susan Shell, The Rights of Reason (1980)
Mark Tunick, "Is Kant a Retributivist?" History of Political Thought (Spring, 1996).
Tunick, Practices and Principles, chapter 2 (1998)
Hegel's political philosophy
Hegel, Early Theological Writings, Natural Law, Propaedeutik, Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Mind (Vol. 3 of the Encylopaedie), Phenomenology of Spirit, Political Writings (especially the essays "The German Constitution" and "The English Reform Bill")
Shlomo Avineri, Hegel's Theory of the Modern State
Michael Hardimon, "The Project of Reconciliation: Hegel's Social Philosophy," Philosophy and Public Affairs (Spring 1992)
Z. Pelczynsky, ed. Hegel's Political Philosophy (collection of essays, see esp. Ilting's and Schklar's)
Hugh Reyburn, The Ethical Theory of Hegel (1921)
Steven B. Smith, Hegel's Critique of Liberalism (1989)
Robert Solomon, In the Spirit of Hegel (commentary on the Phenomenology)
Mark Tunick, Hegel's Political Philosophy (1992)
Tunick, "Are there Natural Rights?--Hegel's Break with Kant," in Collins, ed. Hegel and the Modern World (1994)
Tunick, "Hegel's Justification of Hereditary Monarchy," History of Political Thought, vol. 12, no. 3 (1991) .
Tunick, "Hegel on Justified Disobedience," Political Theory 26:514-535 (August 1998), online at jstor.
Allen Wood, Hegel's Ethical Thought (1990)
Marx, Marxism, and Left Hegelianism
Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, Capital
Shlomo Avineri, The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx
Isaiah Berlin, Karl Marx
Terrell Carver, Engels (1981); Marx and Engels (1983)
R.P. Wolff, Understanding Marx (1984)
Smith and Evans, Marx's Kapital for Beginners (1982)
Blumenberg, Karl Marx (1962)
G.A. Cohen, Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence
Engels, Origin of Family, Private Property, and the State
Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity
Leszek Kolakowski, Main Currents of Marxism, 3 vols.
John Toews, Hegelianism (1980)
Lawrence Stepelevich, ed. The Young Hegelians: An Anthology (1983)
John Stuart Mill
Mill, Autobiography, On Liberty, Utilitarianism, Considerations on Representative Government, Principles of Political Economy
R.J. Halliday, John Stuart Mill
Gertrude Himmelfarb, On Liberty and Liberalism
David Lewis, ‘Mill and Milquetoast’ in Gerald Dworkin, ed. Mill’s On Liberty: Critical Essays (1997)
J. Robson, The Improvement of Mankind: The Social and Political Thought of John Stuart Mill
C.L. Ten, Mill on Liberty
Dennis Thompson, John Stuart Mill and Representative Government
Mark Tunick , John Stuart Mill and Unassimilated Subjects, Political Studies (forthcoming in December 2005), online
Nietzsche
Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals; Thus Spoke Zarathustra; Gay Science; Twilight of the Idols
R. Hayman, Nietzsche: A Critical Life
Robert Holub, Friedrich Nietzsche
Walter Kaufmann, Nietzsche
Alexander Nehemas, Nietzsche: Life as Literature
Richard Schacht, Nietzsche
Tracy Strong, Friedrich Nietzsche and the Politics of Transfiguration
Post-Nietzschean critiques of rationality
William Barrett, Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy (1958)
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and its Discontents (1930)
Erich Fromm, Escape from Freedom (1941)
Martin Jay, Dialectical Imagination: A History of the Frankfurt School
Herbert Marcuse, Reason and Revolution
Lev Shestov, In Job's Balance
Additional notes:
Policy on Accommodations: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students who require reasonable accommodations due to a disability to properly execute coursework must register with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) -- SR 110 (561-799-8010) – and follow all OSD procedures.
Academic Integrity Policy:Students at Florida Atlantic University are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards. Academic dishonesty is considered a serious breach of these ethical standards, because it interferes with the university mission to provide a high quality education in which no student enjoys an unfair advantage over any other. Academic dishonesty is also destructive of the university community, which is grounded in a system of mutual trust and places high value on personal integrity and individual responsibility. Harsh penalties are associated with academic dishonesty. For more information, see University Regulation 4.001 and http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/students/honorcode.html
Classroom Etiquette Policy: In order to enhance and maintain a productive atmosphere for education, personal communication devices, such as cellular telephones and pagers, are to be disabled in class sessions.
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Updated Nov. 14, 2005