Northern
Department of Political Science
Spring 2007
Political Science
251-1: Introduction to Political Philosophy
Instructor: Travis Smith
Meeting place: DU 246
Meeting Time: MWF
Office: DU 476
Office
Hours: MW
Email: tsmith11@niu.edu
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction
into the study of political philosophy. This
semester we will carefully examine selected texts from Plato, Aristotle,
Machiavelli, and Locke. As we do so, we
will explore some of the most important and enduring questions related to
political matters: What is the
foundation of political society? Does
government have a natural end or purpose, and if so, what is it? What is the relationship between individual
and political ethics? How can political
philosophy help us better understand what it means to live a good life? What is the relationship between political
theory and political practice? These
questions and texts require us to think carefully about the ideas such as
freedom, equality, justice, laws, and authority. By the end of the semester, students should
be able to identify and explain the positions of the philosophers covered in
class and note similarities and differences between these thinkers’ ideas.
Required Texts:
Course Requirements:
Class Participation: Asking questions and discussing issues are
important to gaining a better understanding of the material. This is not the type of course that one can
merely memorize facts for an exam. The
material requires that we not only read carefully, but consider and wrestle
with the problems we come across. Class
participation is thus very important. Please
bring the relevant text to class each day as we will refer to it often. I encourage you to ask insightful questions
and make well-reasoned arguments supporting your views. There is not formal grade for participation,
but I reserve the right to raise a student’s grade if I judge that student has
participated especially well throughout the semester.
Attendance (10%): Attendance is necessary for participation. Therefore, after four absences, each class
missed will drop one’s attendance grade 10 points. Rather than spending my time and yours trying
to determine if an absence is excused I give you four absences to use however
you deem fit. I would recommend saving
them for unexpected events such as illness or car problems. If you know in advance that you will miss
more than four classes for legitimate reasons, you should talk to me as soon as
possible or consider taking another class.
Quizzes (20%): There will be 7 quizzes.
These quizzes should not be difficult
for anyone who has listened to the lecture and carefully read the assignments. Your 2 lowest scores will be dropped. In other words, only your top 5 quizzes will
count toward your final grade. Make-up
quizzes will not be allowed, except under the most extreme circumstances and
with documentation that the absence could not be avoided. Make-ups may be significantly more difficult
than the original quiz. It is therefore
in you best interest to try and avoid make-up quizzes. Should you miss a quiz due to illness or
other personal reasons, remember that it will be dropped as a low score.
Paper (40%): A paper of 4-5 pages is due
Nov. 12 at the beginning of class. For the paper you are expected to analyze
and critique some idea or argument from one of the texts. Do not try to tackle the entire text; there
is too much there for such a short paper.
Instead, try to find a single argument or idea that you find interesting
and explore it further. Papers must be
clearly and well written, with proper grammar and citations. Remember that failure to cite another’s work properly
constitutes plagiarism. I encourage you
to use the University Writing Center to get help polishing your papers. Late papers will only be accepted for 5 days
and will be penalized one letter grade for each day late
Final Exam (30%): The final exam will be given Dec. 12 at
Course Policies:
Classroom Etiquette: Be on time and stay for the entire class. By coming in late or leaving early you miss
out and you disrupt the learning process for others. Turn off cell phones, ipods,
and any other electronic devices. These
are distractions to you and others. Discussion
is an important part of this course; please be respectful of others’ and listen. Do not interrupt others, and respond to your
classmates and me with courtesy. Discussions
can often become lively; please help me to maintain a civil environment. Do not let challenging another’s argument
become an attack on their person.
Academic Dishonesty: Regarding plagiarism, the NIU Undergraduate
Catalog states: "students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional or not, if
they copy material from books, magazines, or other sources without identifying
and acknowledging them. Students guilty
of or assisting others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment,
quiz, or examination may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may
be suspended or dismissed from the university." The above statement encompasses a paper
written in whole or in part by another; a paper copied word-for-word or with
only minor changes from another source; a paper copied in part from one or more
sources without proper identification and acknowledgement of the sources; a
paper that is merely a paraphrase of one or more sources, using ideas and/or
logic without credit even though the actual words may be changed; and a paper that
quotes, summarizes or paraphrases, or cuts and pastes words, phrases, or images
from an Internet source without identification and the address of the web site.
Statement
Concerning Students with Disabilities:
NIU abides by Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which mandates reasonable accommodations be provided
for qualified students with disabilities. If you have a disability and may require some
type of instructional and/or examination accommodation, please contact me early
in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in providing accommodations
you may need. If you have not already
done so, you will need to register with the Center for Access-Ability Resources
(CAAR), the designated office on campus to provide services and administer
exams with accommodations for students with disabilities. The CAAR office is located on the 4th floor of
the University Health Services building (815-753-1303).
Undergraduate Writing Awards: The Department of Political Science will recognize,
on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers written in conjunction
with 300-400 level political science courses or directed studies. Authors do not have to be political science
majors or have a particular class standing. Winners are expected to attend the
Department’s spring graduation ceremony where they will receive a certificate
and $50.00. Papers, which can be
submitted by students or faculty, must be supplied in triplicate to a
department secretary by February 28th. All copies should have two cover pages-one
with the student’s name and one without the student’s name. Only papers written in the previous calendar
year can be considered for the award.
Department of Political Science Web Site: Undergraduates are
strongly encouraged to consult the Department of Political Science web site on
a regular basis. This up-to-date,
central source of information will assist students in contacting faculty and
staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi, exploring graduate study,
researching career options, tracking department events, and accessing important
details related to undergraduate programs and activities. To reach the site, go to http://www.polisci.niu.edu.
Course Schedule:
The reading schedule is
subject to change according to the discretion of the instructor. Any changes will be announced in class. Dates for quizzes, the paper, and the final
exam are firm.
M8/27 Introduction to the course
Plato Apology of Socrates
8/29 17a-20e (pg. 63-68)
8/31 20e-24a (pg. 68-73)
9/3 Labor Day—no class
9/5 24b-35d (pg. 73-89)
9/7 35e-42a (pg. 89-97)
9/10 Crito 43a-48d (pg.
99-107)
9/12 48e-54e (pg. 107-114)
9/14 Quiz
1
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics
9/17 1094a-1097a15 (pg. 3-14)
9/19 1097a15-1100a10 (14-23)
9/21 1100a10-1103a10 (pg. 23-32)
9/24 1103a15-1105b18 (pg. 33-40) Quiz 2
9/26 1105b18-1109b25 (pg. 40-51)
9/28 1109b30-1112a15 (pg. 52-60)
10/1 1112a16-1115a5 (pg. 60-68) Quiz 3
Machiavelli The Prince
10/3 Dedicatory Letter, Ch. 1-2 (pg. 3-7)
10/5
10/8
10/10
10/12
10/15 Ch. 12-14 (pg. 48-60) Quiz 4
10/17 Ch. 15-18 (pg. 61-71)
10/19
10/22 Ch. 20-21 (pg. 83-91)
10/24 Ch. 22-24 (92-97)
10/26 Ch. 25-26 (98-105)
10/29
Quiz 5
Locke Second Treatise of Government
10/31 Preface, Ch. 1-2 (pg. 5-14)
11/2 Ch.3-4 (pg. 14-18)
11/5
11/7 Ch 6 (pg. 30-42)
11/9
11/12
11/14
Ch. 9-11 (pg. 65-75)
11/16 Ch. 12-13 (pg. 75-83) Quiz 6
11/19
11/21 Thanksgiving Break—no class
11/23 Thanksgiving Break—no class
11/26 Ch. 14-15 (pg. 83-91)
11/28
11/30
12/3
12/5 Catch up
12/7 Catch up or review for exam.
12/12 Final exam