POLITICAL SCIENCE 3362
TWENTIETH CENTURY POLITICAL THOUGHT
This course analyzes the political implications of the problems of modern mass
society. The main focus is on those concepts most relevant to our world: alienation, mechanization of life, fear of political impotence.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Ball and Dagger, Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal, 6th ed., Longman
Boff and Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology, Orbis
Bork, Slouching Toward Gomorrah, Harper-Collins
Giddens, The Third Way, Blackwell
Hooks, Feminism Is For Evedrybody, South End
Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Signet
Reich, I’ll Be Short, Beacon
COURSE EXPECTATIONS:
1. PLSC 3362 meets from 1 to 1:50 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You are expected to be in class at those times. A pattern of non-attendance may lead to your separation from the course. You will be penalized 1.5 points for each unexcused absence. If you have what you consider a legitimate excuse to miss class you must present that excuse in written form.
2. You are invited to take advantage or office hours: my office is 208 Carr Collins Hall. Office hours are posted in a notebook in the Department’s entry.
3. There are other channels of communication as well. My telephone number is 214.768.2522. You may e-mail me at: . My website is http://faculty.smu.edu./bkcarter. Course material will be e-mailed to you from time to time.
4. Contributions to discussion will be noted; worthwhile contribution is remembered when final grades are set, especially in borderline cases.
5. You are expected to keep up with the assignments. Unannounced quizzes will be given.
6. In addition to those quizzes there will be three take-home essays. The third essay is a part of the final exam. These requirements are weighed: 15% for the quizzes; 15% for the first essay; 30% for the second essay; 40% for the final exam.
7. There will be two parts to the final examination. The first part, a take-home essay, will be worth 30 of the 40 exam points. It will be distributed on 12 April and will be due at 10 a.m. on Tuesday,11 December. The second part, the objective portion, will be worth 10 of the exam points. It will be administered from 10 to 11a.m.that same day.
8. Take-home essays are due in class on the day announced. Late papers can be turned in only in class and will be penalized one letter grade (10 points) per class meeting.
9. The last day to drop this class is Monday, 5 November.
10. If you need academic accommodations for a disability, you must first contact the Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities at 214.768.4563 to verify the disability and to establish eligibility for accommodations. Then you should schedule an appointment with me to make appropriate arrangements.
11. Please take note of two University policies.
*Religious Observance: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence. (See University Policy No. 1.9.)
*Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities: Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity should be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination or other missed assignment for making up the work. (University Undergraduate Catalogue)
12. This syllabus is in the nature of a contract. I will follow it; so should you.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
THE SETTING: THEORY AND MODERNITY
Aug. 24 Lecture: Introduction to PLSC 3362
Aug. 27 Lecture: Theory and Reality
Assignment: Ball, ix-17
Aug. 29 Discussion: The Craft of Theory
Assignment: Ball, 19–42
Aug. 31 Lecture: 20th Century Political Thought: New Battles,
Old Strategies?
Assignment: Ball, 43-85
Sept. 3 NO CLASS: LABOR DAY
Sept. 5 Discussion: Ball, Dagger, and Democracy
Assignment: Reich, vii-45
THE LIBERAL TRADITION RESTATED
Sept. 7 Lecture: The Liberal Heritage
Assignment: Reich, 49-87
Sept. 10 Lecture: Evolutionary Liberalism
Assignment: Reich, 91-121
FIRST ESSAY TOPIC DISTRIBED
Sept. 12 Discussion: Defining Liberalism
Assignment: Rand, vii-34
Sept. 14 Discussion: Modern Liberalism
Assignment: Rand, 44-62, 102-109
Sept. 17 Lecture: Neo-Classical Liberalism
Assignment: Rand, 122-166, 183-201
Sept. 19 Discussion: Liberalism and Capitalism
Assignment: Rand, 202-235, 297-337
Sept. 21 Discussion: Reich and Rand
Assignment: Ball, 87-114, Bork, xii-33
Sept. 24 Discussion: Review
No Assignment
PRESERVING THE CONSERVATIVE HERITAGE
Sept. 26 Lecture: The Conservative Mood
FIRST ESSAY DUE
Sept. 28 Lecture: Conservatism and Order
Assignment: Bork, 33-119
Oct. 1 Discussion: Thinking About Conservatism
Assignment: Bork, 120-192
Oct. 3 Discussion: Conservatism and Tradition
Assignment: Bork, 193-271
Oct. 5 Discussion: Bork in Context
Assignment: Bork, 272-343
Oct. 8 Discussion: Bork the Conservative
No Assignment
KEEPING THE LEFT ALIVE
Oct. 10 Lecture: The Left Restated
Assignment: Ball, 115-176
Oct. 12 Lecture: Humane Marxism
Assignment: Lenin (on web site)
ECOND ESSAY TOPIC DISTRIBUTED
Oct. 15 Lecture: Humane Marxism, continued
Assignment: 1945 Labour Party Manifesto (on web site)
Oct. 17 Discussion: Lenin on Politics
Assignment: Giddens, 1-68
Oct. 19 Discussion: Democratic Socialism
Assignment: Giddens, 69-98
Oct. 22 Discussion: Lenin and Giddens
Assignment: Giddens, 99-155
Oct. 24 Discussion: Review
Assignment: Work on essay
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NATIONALISM AND FASCISM
Oct. 26 Lecture: The Revolt Against Complexity
Assignment: Ball, 13-15, 274-276, 177-205
Oct. 29 Discussion: Nationalism’s Appeal
SECOND ESSAY DUE
Oct. 31 Discussion: Triumph of the Will
Assignment: Ball, 207-257
Nov. 2 Discussion: Alone and Afraid
Assignment; Mussolini (on web site)
THEORY AND EMPOWERMENT
Nov. 5 Lecture: Theory and the Quest for Wholeness
Assignment: Hooks, vii-30
(last day to drop this class)
Nov. 7 Discussion: Theory Y and Empowerment
Assignment: Hooks, 31-71
Nov. 9 Lecture: Feminism and Empowerment
Assignment: Hooks, 72-84, 100-118
Nov. 12 Discussion: Gender, Hierarchy, and Empowerment
Assignment: Guevara (on web site)
Nov. 14 Discussion: A Day With Che
THIRD ESSAY TOPIC DISTRIBUTED
Nov. 16 Discussion: Che’s Message
No Assignment
FALL BREAK AND THANKSGIVING VACATION
CHRISTIANITY AND EMPOWERMENT
Nov. 26 Lecture: The Christian Heritage
Asignment: Boff, 1-42
Nov. 28 Lecture: The Christian Imperative
Assignment: Boff, 43-77
Nov. 30 Discussion: Liberation Theology
Assignment: Boff, 78-95
Dec. 3 Discussion: Latin American Transformations
Assignment: Work on essay
Dec. 5 Discussion: Community, Justice, and Empowerment
Assignment: Work on essay
Dec. 6 Discussion: The Final Review
Assignment: Keep calm!