Politics 187b
Conservative Political Thought
Bernard Yack
Olin-Sang 107
(6-2640, )
Office Hours: Thursdays 10:15-12:00
This course explores the conservative tradition in political thought. It focuses on a series of essays, articles, and, in one case, a novel, that present some of the most interesting and influential defenses of conservative approaches to politics. The first part of the course looks at the foundations of conservative political thought; the second at some of their applications in recent American debates. The readings have been chosen primarily for the high quality of their argument and writing, rather than to cover all of the most familiar positions in contemporary debates. For the goals here are to promote self-examination and sharpen the skills used in interpreting and evaluating serious arguments.
Requirements
All students will write two papers of around 8 pages each plus either a final examination or a third paper on topic devised on a topic of your choice. The first paper is due on March 8, the second on April 19.
Required Readings
The following books should be available for purchase at the Brandeis book store.
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (Hackett)
Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom (Chicago)
Simone Weil, The Need for Roots (Routledge)
Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind (Basic)
Giuseppe di Lampedusa, The Leopard (Pantheon)
In addition, there will be a coursepack, available for purchase from Rosanne in the Politics Department office. Coursepack readings are marked in the following reading and lecture schedule as (CP). The first reading for the course, Michael Oakeshott’s essay, “On Being Conservative,” can be found on the course’s LATTE site.
Reading and Lecture Schedule
January 15: Introduction
January 19: Michael Oakeshott, “On Being Conservative” (CP).
January 22-29: Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 3-110.
February 2-9: Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom, Introduction, Chaps. 1-3, 5-8, 14.
February 5: Friedrich Hayek, The Mirage of Social Justice, Chapter 9 (CP).
(Special session, as part of DEIS Social Justice Impact Week – We will meet in Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room, Shapiro, 2nd Floor.)
February 12: Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, 33-76 (CP), David Brooks, Bobos in Paradise, 9-12, 136-37(CP).
February 19-22: Pre-Spring Break
February 23-26: Simone Weil, The Need for Roots, 3-94.
March 1-4: Giuseppe di Lampedusa, The Leopard, Chaps. 1-3, 4 (pps. 167-86), 7.
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March 8: No Class - First Paper Due
March 11: Michael Oakeshott, “Rationalism in Politics” (CP).
March 15-18: Alisadair MacIntyre, After Virtue, Chaps. 1, 5, 14-15, 18. (CP).
March 22: Jean Elshtain, “The Family and Civic Life” (CP); J. Elshtain et al, Promises to Keep, 293-315 (CP).
March 25: Andrew Sullivan et al, Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con, Chapter 5 “The Debate on the Right” (CP); Roger Scruton, “Meaningful Marriage,” from Scruton, A Political Philosophy, Chapter 5 (CP).
March 29-April 1: Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, Foreword, Chaps. 1,3; Arthur Schlesinger, The Disuniting of America, Foreword (CP); Nathan Glazer, We’re all Multiculturalists Now, Chapters 1, 8. (CP).
April 5: Irving Kristol, “The Neoconservative Persuasion;” Neoconservatism: Autobiography of an Idea, Chapters 10, 33 (CP).
April 8-12: Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind, Introduction (25-43), Part One: Students (47-137).
April 15: Leo Strauss, “The Three Waves of Modernity,” from Strauss, Introduction to Political Philosophy (CP); Leo Strauss, "Persecution and the Art of Writing," from Strauss, Persecution and the Art of Writing and Other Essays. (CP).
April 19-21 (Brandeis Friday): Albert Hirschmann, The Rhetoric of Reaction, Chaps. 1-2 (CP)
Four Credit Course
Success in this 4 credit course is based on the expectation that will spend, on average, around 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc.).
Documented Disabilities
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see Prof. Yack after class.
Cell phones and Laptops
Use of Cellphones in Class is not permitted. Laptop use during class is restricted to class-related activity.
Coursepack Table of Contents
1. Michael Oakeshott, “On Being Conservative.” from Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays.
2. Friedrich Hayek, The Mirage of Social Justice (Volume 2 of Hayek’s Law, Legislation and Liberty), Chapter 9.
3. Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, 33-76.
4. David Brooks, Bobos in Paradise, 9-12, 136-37.
5. Michael Oakeshott, Michael Oakeshott, “Rationalism in Politics," from Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays.
6. Alisdair MacIntyre, After Virtue, Chaps. 1, 5, 14-15, 18.
7. Jean Elshtain, “The Family and Civic Live,” in Elshtain, Power Trips, 45-60.
8. D. Blankenthorn, D. Poppenoe, and J. Elshtain , Promises to Keep, 293-315.
9. Andrew Sullivan et al, Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con, Chapter 5 “The Debate on the Right.”
10. Roger Scruton, “Meaningful Marriage,” from Scruton, A Political Philosophy, Chapter 5
11. Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, Foreword, Chaps. 1-3;
12. Arthur Schlesinger, The Disuniting of America, Foreword.
13. Nathan Glazer, We’re all Multiculturalists Now, Chapters 1, 8.
14. Irving Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion." American Enterprise Institute Report, September 2003.
15. Irving Kristol, Neoconservatism: Autobiography of an Idea, Chapters 10, 33.
16. Leo Strauss, "The Three Waves of Modernity," from Strauss, Introduction to Political Philosophy, 81-98.
17. Leo Strauss, "Persecution and the Art of Writing," from Strauss, Persecution and the Art of Writing. Chapter 2.
18. Albert Hirschmann, The Rhetoric of Reaction, Chapters 1-2.
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