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Academic Year 2002/2003
The Moral Basis of Politics
GOVT 159 SP
An introduction to upper-division courses in political theory, the course considers the basic moral issues that hedge government and politics: Under what, if any, circumstances ought one to obey the laws and orders of
those
in power? Is there ever a duty to resist political authority? By what values and principles can we evaluate political arrangements? What are the meanings of terms like freedom, justice, equality, law, community,
interests
and rights? How is our vision of the good society to be related to our strategies of political action? What is the role of organization, leadership, violence, etc., in bringing about social change? Readings will
include
political philosophy, plays, contemporary social criticism, and modern social science.
MAJOR READINGS
Plato, CRITO and APOLOGY
Sophocles, ANTIGONE
Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience"
Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham City Jail"
Wolff, IN DEFENSE OF ANARCHISM
Locke, ESSAY [ON] CIVIL
GOVERNMENT
Rousseau, SOCIAL CONTRACT and
"Discourse on Inequality"
Machiavelli, THE PRINCE
Weber, "Politics as a Vocation"
Fanon, WRETCHED OF THE EARTH
Bondurant, CONQUEST OF VIOLENCE
Arendt, EICHMANN IN JERUSALEM
Walzer, JUST AND UNJUST WARS
EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Approximately six very short (2-3 page) essays. One 5-7 page paper. Final exam.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS
Section 01 will meet in lecture twice a week and in a discussion section on Fridays.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed
Drop/Add form to the Registrar's
Office.
COURSE FORMAT:
Lecture/Discussion
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Level:
UGRD
Credit:
1
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS GOVT
Grading Mode:
Student Option
Prerequisites:
NONE
SECTION 01
- Instructor(s): Schwartz,Nancy L.
- Times: .M.W.F. 10:00AM-10:50AM; Location: PAC104
- Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 20)
- SR. major: X Jr. major: X
- SR. non-major: X Jr. non-major: X SO: X FR: 20
Special Attributes:
- Curricular Renewal: Ethical Reasoning
- FYI: First Year Initiative:Seminar
SECTION 02
- Instructor(s): Abizadeh,Arash
- Times: ..T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: PAC002
- Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 35)
- SR. major: X Jr. major: X
- SR. non-major: X Jr. non-major: X SO: 14 FR: 21
Special Attributes:
- Curricular Renewal: Ethical Reasoning, Writing
Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-18-2003
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Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459