Current Political Thought

1

Mark Brown, Ph.D.
Department of Government
CSU, Sacramento
Fall 2015 / Office: Tahoe Hall 3124
Office Hours: T-Th 12-1:00, 3-4:00 PM,
and by appointment
Office Tel.: 916-278-6430

Current Political Thought

GOVT 112TuTh10:30 AM –11:45AM, ARC 1007

Course Description

Political theory offers conceptual resources that can help us better understand and respond to the challenges of our time. This course examines how selected twentieth-century political theorists have thought about—and might help us think about—several of these challenges. The first part of the course examines various theories of power and the state, including early-twentieth-century accounts of anarchism, communism, and libertarianism, as well more recent theories of power and the public sphere. The second part of the course turns to theorists of anti-colonialism, feminism, and multiculturalism. We will explore how various thinkers both draw upon and challenge traditional modes of thought and action. The third part of the course considers recent debates over the liberal political tradition. We will examine various criticisms and defenses of liberal ideals of individual rights and human equality. Throughout the course, we will also consider recent debates over selected public policy issues, ranging from taxation to health care to military intervention. The aim will not be to mechanically “apply” political theories to policy debates, but to bring theory and policy into conversation with each other, using each to illuminate the other. This will also involve us in considering different views on what political theory is and how it relates to contemporary public problems. Students in this course will improve their understanding of twentieth-century political thought, as well as their ability to develop and articulate their own ideas about the key political challenges of our time.

Learning objectives

Students who successfully complete this course will have:

• learned about the key ideas and political contexts of selected authors in twentieth-century political thought;
• learned about the value, purpose, and limits of political theory;
• improved their ability to read, discuss, and write about politics and political theory;
• improved their capacity to analyze and evaluate difficult texts in both writing and discussion.

Required Texts

The below texts areavailable at the campus bookstore. You may also order it at a local bookstore or online. A few additional readings, videos, and other resources are posted on SacCT.

• Andrew Bailey, et al, eds., The Broadview Anthology of Social and Political Thought: Volume 2: The Twentieth Century and Beyond. Broadview Press, 2008.

ISBN: 9781551118994

• James Baldwin,The Fire Next Time.Vintage International, 1993.

ISBN: 0-679-74472-X.

Requirements and Grading

Attendance, preparedness, participation (10%): You may miss two classes without penalty, so please plan carefully. Each additional absence, unless excused, will reduce your attendance grade by one full grade. I will only excuse absences for serious reasons (e.g., doctor visit, family emergency, military duty, jury duty, religious holiday), and only with documentation. Please do not email me about your absence. If you want me to excuse an absence, then when you return to class, give me a written statement with the date(s) of your absence, the reason, and documentation. If you accumulate more than six unexcused absences, you will most likely fail the course. If you arrive to class late, please enter quietly and take a seat.

Much of the reading assigned in this course is quite difficult, so you will need to take an active approach to understanding the texts. I expect students to attend class having read (and sometimes re-read) all of the assigned reading, prepared to ask questions and engage in discussion. For most students, taking careful notes on paper or on a computer works better than the “highlighter” method. Because we will often look up specific passages in the course texts during class, you must bring the appropriate text to every class. Students will occasionally be divided into discussion groups for in-class exercises that will contribute to your grade.

Ten surprise quizzes (10%): On ten occasions during the semester, at the beginning of class, we will have a quiz that will ask you to respond to one or more questions about the main ideas from the reading assigned for that day. The quizzes will not ask you to recall minor details, and if you have completed the reading and given it some thought, they will be relatively easy. Missed quizzes cannot be made-up. I will drop your lowest score for the final quiz grade.

Three analytical essays (20% each). Students will analyze and evaluate key issues from the course in three 5-page essays (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12-point font). Your essays should show that you have thought deeply about the course texts and that you can use them to make an argument of your own. Completed essays should be submitted on the due dates indicated in the syllabus. For the first essay, a rough draft of at least four pages is due on the date indicated for in-class peer review. The peer review will include a checklist of essential elements. If the final essay that you submit does not satisfy the checklist, I will return it to you unread, and you will have one week to submit a revised version. Essays that require resubmission will be docked one letter grade. Beyond the checklist, rough drafts will be graded pass/fail, and they will be worth ten percent of the final essay grade. The same procedure will apply to the other essays, but without the peer review. For each essay, after I grade it, you may submit a rewrite, in which case your final essay grade will be the average of the original and the rewrite. Rewrites must be submitted with the original, and they must include a detailed explanation of how you revised the essay. Rewrites must be submitted within two weeks of essay due date. Late essays will be marked down one letter grade per day. However, even if your essay is extremely late, you should still submit it, because you cannot pass the class without completing all the assignments.

Take-home final exam (20%). The final exam will ask students to demonstrate a clear understanding of key authors, arguments, and concepts from the course. It will cover the entire course. You will be asked to select 10 questions from a list of 15 and write about 125 words per question. The exam will be available online one week before the due date.

Grades and late assignments: Final grades will be calculated according to the traditional scale: A > 93%...A- > 90%...B+ > 88%...B > 83%…etc.

Wireless Devices

Some students like to use a laptop, tablet, or smart phone to take notes during class or to read course material. But in a classroom, wireless devices can be extremely distracting, not only for the person using the device but also for other students and the instructor. Several studies have shown that wireless devices may reduce student learning. The general policy of this course is that wireless devices may be used to take notes, but the wireless receiver must be turned off. Cell phones must be turned off or set to mute. I will also ask students to close or put away wireless devices at specific times, such as during class discussions or when students are working in small groups. And of course students may not use wireless devices at any time for surfing, texting, checking email, or any other activities not directly related to the course. Violations of this policy will affect your grade. If you require special accommodation in this regard, please let me know.

Additional Matters

I expect students to arrive on time and stay for the entire class. If you need to leave early, please sit near the door and let me know before class starts. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please let me know. You will need to provide disability documentation to the CSUS Office of Services to Students with Disabilities (SSWD), Lassen Hall 1008, (916) 278-6955.

Your feedback on the course readings, classroom discussions, and any other aspect of the course is always welcome. If you are having trouble with any aspect of the course, or if you would just like to talk over the material, please stop by during my office hours or make an appointment to see me. Don't wait until the end of the semester!

Finally, it should go without saying that plagiarism—that is, presenting someone else's work as your own—is a serious violation of academic integrity and university policy, not to mention basic honesty. Plagiarism will be punished in proportion to the severity of the case, but any plagiarism is likely to result in a failing grade for the course and may lead to additional administrative penalties, including expulsion from the University. If you are not sure what plagiarism is, please ask me or consult the library plagiarism information website at

Course Schedule and Readings. Books are marked with an asterisk (*). All other readings and films are on the course SacCT site.

Schedule of Topics and Assignments (subject to change). In addition to the below, the editorial introductions to the authors in the Broadview Anthology are also required reading. Assignments marked with an asterisk (*) are available on SacCT.

Part I: Power and the State
Sept. 1
Sept. 3 / Introduction
*George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”
Kamsler, “Introduction” in Broadview Anthology
Sept. 8
Sept. 10 / Goldman in Broadview Anthology
Lenin and Trotsky in Broadview Anthology
Sept. 15
Sept. 17 / Weber and Schmitt in Broadview Anthology
Hayek in Broadview Anthology
*Video: BBC: “Masters of Money,” Part 2: Hayek(recommended)
Sept. 22
Sept. 24Feb. 24 / Gentile in Broadview Anthology
Arendt in Broadview Anthology
*Film: “Hannah Arendt” (recommended)
Sept. 29
Oct. 1 / Foucault, selection from Discipline and Punish, in Broadview Anthology
Foucault, "Two Lectures," in Broadview Anthology
FIRST ESSAY DRAFT DUE IN CLASS
Part II: Race, Gender, and Colonialism
Oct. 6
Oct. 8 / FIRST ESSAY DUE IN CLASS
Kamsler, “Introduction,” in Broadview Anthology
Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
Oct. 13
Oct. 15 / DuBoisand King in Broadview Anthology
*BBC documentary: “Martin Luther King and the March on Washington”
Gandhi and Fanon in Broadview Anthology
*Film: “Gandhi” (recommended)
Oct. 20
Oct. 22 / De Beauvoir in Broadview Anthology
Young in Broadview Anthology
Oct. 27
Oct. 29 / MacKinnon in Broadview Anthology
SECOND ESSAY DUE IN CLASS
Part III: Rights-Based Liberalism and Its Critics
Nov. 3
Nov. 5 / Sager and Kymlicka, “Introduction,” in Broadview Anthology
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, in Broadview Anthology
Rawls, "The Idea of an Overlapping Consensus," in Broadview Anthology
*Video: Ian Shapiro and/or Michael Sandel, lectures on Nozick and Rawls
Nov. 10
Nov. 12 / Walzer in Broadview Anthology
Kymlicka in Broadview Anthology
Nov. 17
Nov. 19 / Berlin in Broadview Anthology
Taylor and Sandel in Broadview Anthology
Nov. 24 / Okin in Broadview Anthology
THIRD ESSAY DUE IN CLASS
Dec. 1
Dec. 3 / Sen in Broadview Anthology
Nussbaum in Broadview Anthology
Dec. 8
Dec. 10 / *Ursula Leguin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
Course summary and review
Dec. 17 / FINAL EXAM DUE ONLINE 11:59 PM