Pages within POSC150

Introduction to Political Theory

How should society be governed?
Who should rule?
What are our rights and do we have obligations to the larger community?
How do we resolve the tension between valuing the individual and supporting the collective?
Who should get what and why?
Are people basically good? Evil? Selfish? Reasonable?

These are some of the great questions that have occupied the minds of some of the great thinkers of time. This is the stuff of political theory. Through an understanding of how different theories and ideologies grapple with these questions we will come to a better understanding of our own conceptions of how things should be.

Catalog Description:

A comparative and conceptual analysis of the principal ideological and philosophical approaches to government. This course surveys the important political ideas and alternatives which have been suggested from ancient to modern times.

Required Text and Readings (you must buy and read):

Schumaker, Kiel, and Heilke. Great Ideas/Grand Schemes: Political Ideologies in the 19th and 20th Centuries. McGraw-Hill, 1996.
Ball and Dagger. Ideals and Ideologies: A Reader. 4th edition. Longman, 2002.
Additional readings will be assigned throughout the semester. These will be available either on-line or on reserve at the library.
Occasionally films and videos will be shown in class. These are to be considered texts for this class and information from these sources may appear on exams accordingly.

Recommended Text:

Bell and McGrane. This Book is Not Required. Revised Edition. Pine Forge Press, 1999.

Course Requirements/Methods of Evaluations

Points
Students will be required to complete all reading assignments by the date on which they are assigned. Since the course will be run as a seminar, active participation in the forms of listening, discussing, asking questions (respectfully), challenging others, and submitting your own ideas to scrutiny by others is a central ingredient of this course. Twice during the semester you will be asked to evaluate your own participation including how well you have kept up with the readings. These self-assessments will serve as the basis for your final participation grade.	50
Short papers (1-3 pages) will be assigned periodically. Late papers will be accepted, but will be downgraded precipitously (in other words, turn your papers in on time).	100
In addition to our primary text, we will read the work of some of the greatest political theorists of all time. You will be responsible for introducing to the class the main ideas of one of these selections during the semester. Your presentation must include: -a brief overview of the reading and how it relates to the course -some additional insight, information, “value-added”, etc. -question(s) or topic(s) for class discussion -some type of visual aid (handout, power point, whiteboard, poster, etc.) -a typewritten outline of the presentation for the instructor	50
Midterm exam. Exams will consist of selections from the readings. You will have to identify the theorist and explain the theory.	100
Final exam. Total Points	100 400

Your final grade is not curved and will be assigned according to the following table:

A = 90%+	(outstanding work)
B = 80%-89%	(very good work)
C = 70%-79%	(average, satisfactory work)
D = 60%-69%	(below average, marginal work)
F = 0 –69%	(very unsatisfactory work)

Expectations:

Plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.

Be on time, let me know if you will have to leave early, turn off your cell phone.

Do the readings before the class. You will be tested on this information

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S) early in the semester so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. Students may contact DSP&S in person in room 110 or by phone at 619-644-7112 (voice) or 619-644-7119 (TTY for deaf).

On-Campus Resources:

Academic Counseling, Rm. 118, x7208

Transfer Center, Rm. 100, x7215

Writing Lab, Rm. 571, x7516

Reading Center, Rm. 546, x7464

Tutor Center, LRC Rm. 711J, x7387

Writing Guidelines

Writing Resources

How not to do well in this class

An Optimistic Course Outline and Readings:

Week	Schumaker, Kiel, Heilke	Ball and Dagger	Assignment/ other readings	Presenter
1. Introduction Plato	Preface and Chapter 1	pp. 1,2	“The Allegory of the Cave”
2. Classical Liberalism	Chapter 2	pp. 69-71 12. Hobbes “The State of Nature and the Basis of Obligation” 13. Locke “Toleration and Government” 15. Declaration of Independence of the United States 7. Bill of Rights of the United States		Jose Orosco
3. Classical Liberalism – The Free Market		17. Smith “Private Profit, Public Good” 19. J.S. Mill “Liberty and Individuality”	Churchill press release	Will Breen Lindsay Everett
4. Traditional Conservatism	Chapter 3	pp. 143-144 25. Burke “Society, Reverence, and the “True Natural Aristocracy”” 29. Oakeshott “On Being Conservative”	Locke and Burke assignment due Tue 2/22	John Shippam Jack Ross
5. Anarchism	Chapter 4	41. Bakunin “Anarcho-Communism v. Marxism” 42. Goldman “Anarchism: What it Really Stands For”	Thoreau "Civil Disobedience" "The Anarchists Next Door"	Nickie Bergvall Scott Schulman
6. Marxism	Chapter 5	pp. 195-196 34. Owen “Address to the Inhabitants of New Lanark 35. Marx and Engels The Communist Manifesto 36. Marx “On the Materialist Conception of History”	Other information on Marxism	Liz Meihaus
7. Communism	Chapter 6	pp. 215-216 38. Lenin “Revision, Imperialism, and Revolution” 40. Mao “On the People’s Democratic Dictatorship”		Nick Rodenberg Jim Griffin
8. Democratic Socialism	Chapter 9	43. Shaw “Fabian Socialism” 10. Walzer “Town Meetings and Workers’ Control” 45. Gould “Socialism and Democracy”	Marx assignment Midterm 3/17/05	Alma Acevedo Barrett VanTieghem
9. Neo-Marxism			Marcuse Chapter One of "One Dimensional Man	Jorge Martinez
10. Contemporary Liberalism and Contemporary Conservatism	Chapter 8 Chapter 10	21. Green “Liberalism and Positive Freedom” 24. Spragans 31. Bork “Modern Liberalism and Cultural Decline” 32. Reed “A Religious Conservative Vision for America”		Michael George Vince Tursi Sabrina Macilvaine Lindsay Osborn
11. Fascism	Chapter 7	48. The Political Theory of Fascism, Alfredo Rocco.	Bowling for Columbine assignment	Devan Heuther Adam Medlin
12. Political Islam	Chapter 11	64. “Secularism and the Civil Society,” Bernard Lewis. 65. “The Neglected Duty,” Abd al-Salam Faraj.		Ahmad Kiyam Jaryd Davis
13. Political Economy Week			Political Economy Week Schedule
14. Feminism	Chapter 13		Political Economy Week assignment Gordon Rush Ad	Mary Nelson
15. Liberation Ideologies		50. King “Letters From Birmingham City Jail” 56. Corvino "Homosexuality: The Nature and Harm Arguments"	Gay Tolerance at Grossmont Union H.S.?	William Lake
16. Green Ideology	Chapter 12	59. Singer “All Animals are Equal” 60. Leopold “The Land Ethic” 61. Berry “Getting Along with Nature” 62. Foreman “Putting the Earth First”	http://www.themeatrix.com/ Free Range at Last Global Warming Liberation Ideology assignment	Steve Marshall Carlo Emami
Final		Tu 5/24 11:30-1:30

Last Updated: 11/16/2014