Northern
Department of Political Science
Spring 2007
Political Science
251, section 3: Introduction to Political Philosophy
Instructor: Travis Smith
Meeting place: DU 246
Meeting Time: MW
Office: DU 476
Office Hours: Monday
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 (10%): 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. I
encourage you to ask insightful questions and make well-reasoned arguments
supporting your views. Attendance is
necessary for participation. Therefore,
after three absences, each class missed will drop one’s class participation one
letter grade.
Quizzes
(20%): There will be 7 quizzes
given at unspecified times throughout the semester. 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 then such make-ups may be
significantly more difficult. Should you
miss a quiz due to illness or other personal reasons, remember that it will be
dropped as a low score.
Short Papers (40%): Two short papers (4-5 pages) are required: one on
either Socrates or Aristotle, and one on either Machiavelli or Locke. For both of these papers you are expected to
analyze and critique some idea or argument from the text. 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. I encourage you to use the
Final Exam (30%): The final exam will be given at the time
scheduled by the University. The exam
may draw upon any of the material covered in class or from the assigned reading.
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:
1/17 Introduction
to the course
Socrates/Plato Apology of Socrates
1/22 17a-24a
(pg. 63-73)
1/24 24b-35d
(pg. 73-89)
1/29 35e-42a
(pg. 89-97)
1/31 Crito 43a-48d (pg. 99-107)
2/5 48e-54e
(pg. 107-114)
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics
2/7 1094a-1098b
(pg. 3-19)
2/12 1098b8-1103a10
(pg. 19-32)
2/14 1103a15-1105b18
(pg. 33-40)
2/19 1105b18-1109b25
(pg. 40-51)
2/21 1109b30-1115a5
(pg. 52-68)
Machiavelli The Prince
2/26 Dedicatory
Letter, Ch. 1-3 (pg. 3-16) Paper 1 Due
2/28 Ch
4-7 (pg. 16-33)
3/5
3/7
3/12 Spring
Break
3/14 Spring
Break
3/19
3/21
3/26
3/28
Locke Second Treatise of Government
4/2 Preface,
Ch. 1-4 (pg. 5-18)
4/4
4/9
4/11
4/16
4/18
4/23
4/25
4/30
5/2 Review
5/7 Final
Exam