PLSC 3360

Foundations of Political Thought

St.Thomas instructs the King of Cyprus

Spring, 2005

MR. CARTER SPRING 2005

POLITICAL SCIENCE 3360

FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL THOUGHT

This course chronicles human attempts to create, and to analyze, our most striking artifact: the human community. The course begins with a sustained look at the Greek attempts to build and to philosophize about their political community, the polis or city state. The problems created by the transition from city-state to empire will be noted, as will theory's failure to deal with those problems. The course will also include the new approach to politics demanded by the advent of Christianity, and Machiavelli's attempt to disassociate the Church from politics. The course concludes with Calvin's endeavor to rebuild the tradition of politics and political discourse in a Europe torn asunder.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Augustine, Political Writings, Hackett

Aquinas, The Political Ideas of St. Thomas Aquinas, Free Press

Aristotle, The Politics, Hackett

Machiavelli, The Prince and the Discourses, Modern Library

More, Utopia, Hackett

Plato, The Republic, Harlan Davidson

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

1.  Political Science 3360 meets from 1-1:50 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

You are expected to be in class at those times. For every unexcused absence 1.5 points

will be deducted from your grade. If you have what you consider a legitimate excuse to

miss a class you must present that excuse in written form.

2.  You are invited to take advantage of office hours; my office is 208 Carr Collins Hall. Office

hours are posted in a book in the Departmental Commons. My office telephone number is

214.768.2522 and you may e-mail me at . Course material is

available at http://faculty.smu.edu/bkcarter .

3.  Contribution to discussion will be noted. Worthwhile contribution is remembered

when final grades are set, especially in borderline cases.

4. You are expected to keep up with the assignments. Unannounced quizzes will be given.

5. In addition to these quizzes there will be two take-home essays and a final examination.

These requirements will be weighted: 15% for quizzes; 20% for the first essay; 25%

for the second essay, and 40% for the final examination.

6.  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 per class day.

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 17 November and will be due at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, 5 May. The

second part, the objective portion, will be administered from 11:30 to 12:15

that same day.

8.  The last day to withdraw is Monday, 4 April.

9.  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.

10. This syllabus is in the nature of a contract. I will follow it; so should you.

CLASS SCHEDULE:

UNIT ONE: THE NATURE OF POLITICAL THEORY

week one

January 12

Lecture: Introduction to the Course

No assignment

January 14

Lecture: What It Means to Do Theory

Assignment: The Republic, pp. xii-xlvii

week two

January 17

NO CLASS: MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.DAY

January 19

Discussion: Thinking About Politics

Assignment: The Republic, Book 1

UNIT TWO: THE CLASSICAL TRADITION

January 21

Lecture: Greek Theory: Community and Vocabulary

Assignment: The Republic, Books

week three

January 24

Lecture: Plato, The Different Drummer

Assignment: The Republic, Books 4, 5

January 26

Lecture: A Polis of Words

Assignment: The Republic, Books 6, 7

January 28

Lecture: Plato and the Theater of the Absurd

Assignment: The Republic, Books 8, 9

week four

January 31

Discussion: Testing the Metal of the Man

Assignment: The Republic, Book 10

February 2

Discussion: Plato and the Ideal

Assignment: The Politics, Introduction, Book I

February 4

Lecture: The Theorist as Insider

Assignment: The Politics, Book II

week five

February 7

Lecture: Aristotle and the Nature of the Political

Assignment: The Politics, Book III

(ESSAY TOPIC DISTRIBUTED)

February 9

Discussion: Aristotle and Politics

Assignment: The Politics, Book IV

February 11

Discussion: Aristotle and Reality

Assignment: The Politics, Books V, VI

week six

February 14

Discussion: The Heritage of Plato and Aristotle

Assignment: The Politics, Book VII (vii, xii-xv)

February 16

Lecture: The Loss of Community: Classical Theory Restated and Exhausted

Assignment: Genesis 12, 15, 17

UNIT THREE: HEBREW & EARLY CHRISTIAN

POLITICAL THOUGHT

February 18

Lecture: The Prophetic Voice

Assignment: Exodus 19-24; I Samuel 8

week seven

February 21

Discussion: The Prophetic Voice - The Cry for Justice

Assignment: Hosea, Amos, Micah

February 23

Lecture: The Counter Kingdom

Assignment: Matthew 5-6, 10, 13, 15-16

February 25

Lecture: The Politics of Agape

Assignment: Mark 7; Romans 12-13; I Corinthians 13; I Peter 2

week eight

February 28

Discussion: Master Concepts and Politics

(ESSAY DUE)

UNIT FOUR: THE CATHOLIC TRADITION

March 2

Lecture: St. Augustine: Church and Politics, Vinegar and Oil

Assignment: Political Writings, Introduction, pp. 202-212, Books I – IV

March 4

Lecture: Augustine & the Saints in Babylon

Assignment: Political Writings, Books X – XV

week nine

March 7

Discussion: Understanding Augustine

Assignment: Political Writings, Books XVI – XIX

March 9

Discussion: Thieves and Other Politicians

Assignment: Political Writings, Book XV, pp. 219-249

(ESSAY TOPIC DISTRIBUTED)

March 11

Lecture: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Bounding of the Political

Assignment: Political Ideas, pp. 3-41

week ten

March 21

Lecture: The Moral Purpose of Government

Assignment: Political Ideas, pp. 42- 85

March 23

Discussion: The Catholic Heritage

Assignment: Political Ideas, pp. 175-195

March 25

NO CLASS: GOOD FRIDAY

week eleven

March 28

Discussion: Augustine and Thomas

Assignment: Political Ideas pp. 92-95, 100-102, 121-131,

147-164, 168-172

UNIT FIVE: THE BEGINNING OF THE MODERN TRADITION

March 30

Lecture: Toward Modernity

Assignment: The Prince, Chapters I-XVIII

April 1

Lecture: The Theorist as Dramatist

Assignment: The Prince, Chapters XIX-XXVI

week twelve

April 4

Discussion: Machiavelli's Prince

(ESSAY DUE)

April 6

Lecture: Machiavelli's New Science of Politics

Assignment: The Discourses, Book I, Chapters I-XXI

April 8

Lecture: The Theorist in a World without Meaning

Assignment: The Discourses, Book I, Chapters XVII-LX

week thirteen

April 11

Discussion: Machiavelli's Use of History

Assignment: The Discourses, Book II, Chapters I, X, XV, XVI, XIX, XXII, XXX

April 13

Discussion: Machiavelli's Rejection of Tradition

Assignment: The Discourses, Book III, Chapters I, IV, V, VI, XXIX, XXI

April 15

Lecture: Thomas More: Builder of New Worlds

Assignment: Utopia, 56-107

(TAKE HOME PORTION OF EXAM DISTRIBUTED)

week fourteen

April 18

Discussion: Resurgent Corporatism?

Assignment: Utopia, 107-160; “The Corporatism of the

Middle Ages” attached to this syllabus

April 20

Discussion: Cities of the Mind

April 22

Lecture: John Calvin’s Paradise in Geneva

Assignment: Calvin Readings (at http://faculty.smu.edu/bkcarter/ )

week fifteen

April 25

Discussion: Calvin ,Politics, and Modermity

Assignment: Work on take home exam

April 27

Discussion: Review