II. Instructor's name: Dr. Winfield H. Rose
        Office location:  5A-10 Faculty Hall
        Phone numbers:  809-2662 (office); 753-0126 (home); 809-2688 (fax)
        E-mail:   winfield.rose@murraystate.edu
        Homepage:  http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/winfield.rose/main.htm
        Office hours:  9:30-10:30 a.m. MWF; 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. TTh; 1:45-3:30 p.m. TTh

III. Class location and meeting time:
        12:30-1:45 p.m. TTh; FH 507, January 13 - April 30, 2009

IV. Catalog description:
       The development of political thought from the Renaissance to the present with emphasis  on Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Marx, and the contemporary malaise.

V. Required texts:
1. George Klosko, History of Political Theory: An Introduction.  Volume 2: Modern Political Theory.  Thomson Wadsworth,  1995.
2. Winfield H. Rose, "The Theological, Philosophical, and Historical Foundations of the American Polity," available at Copy Express.

VI. Content outline:
See list of thinkers to be studied.

VII. Instructional activities:

Classes will be a combination of discussion and lecture.  Class attendance is important and expected.  Students should come to class with their assignment read and they should be prepared to ask as well as answer questions.  Class attendance (15%) and participation (5%) will comprise 20% of the course grade.  It is imperative that you not fall behind in your reading; if you do, it will be extremely difficult to catch up.  I ask not that you know and understand everything perfectly before or after class; I do ask that you do your best to know and understand as much as you can as well as you can, both before and after class.

You have an exciting opportunity here to take a great voyage into the realm of ideas, into the realm of ideas about subjects that really matter, into what Plato called episteme (truth) rather than doxa (opinion), and to affirm once again the validity of Aristotle's assertion that politics is the master science.  You have the opportunity and the challenge to become a philosopher.  Yes, a philosopher, a lover of wisdom.  Are you equal to the task?  All I ask is that you try, not just a little but the best you can; I ask that you try honestly, faithfully, regularly, conscientiously, and earnestly.  If you will do this, you will receive a fair and just reward.  Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem!

There will be two exams, a mid-term and a final.  The mid-term will be on March 6; the final at the officially designated time in May (the 5th at 1:30 p.m.).  They will count 30% each.  Absences will be permitted only in the most extreme circumstances.

VIII.  Outside writing assignment:  The final 20% of your grade will be based on a research paper.  This should be a well-researched, well-organized, and well-written first-rate, analytical paper that amply signifies your status as an advanced student in political science.  Your paper should be 20 or so pages in length, written according to the American Political Science Association style manual (available on line), printed in #12 font (see my handout "Tips on Good Writing" on my homepage also).   Do not take all or almost all your sources from the internet and please do not ever use Wikipedia.  The paper is due April 13, 2009.   PLEASE do not wait until the last minute to start this project!  You may select your topic from the list below.  First, you may select one of the following thinkers:

IX.  Academic Honesty:  The policy on academic honesty adopted by the Board of Regents on February 14, 1975 and reprinted in all university bulletins since then is incorporated into this syllabus.

X.  Students with Disabilities:  Students with bona fide disabilities should bring them to my attention privately and the appropriate arrangements will be made.

XI.  Classroom Policies:  (1)  I realize that unexpected problems can develop but please do not make a habit of being late to class; the world operates on a schedule.  (2)  Attendance is expected and unexcused absences will lower your grade; excused absences will be determined by the University's attendance policy as reprinted in the current university bulletin.  (3)  Having cell phones and pagers go off in class is distracting, disturbing and rude, so please turn them off before class begins.  (4)  No caps in class; this goes for young ladies as well as young gentlemen.  (5)  Please do not prepare to leave or get up to leave class before class is dismissed.  Thank you.

Relevant Web Sites:

Biographies: The Philosophers
Pantheon of Famous Philosophers
Political Theory Resources
Hippias Search of Philosophy on the Internet
Great Books of the Western World
Texts and Documents
Primary Historical Documents from Western Europe
Texts and Contexts
Political Theory Primary Documents
Yahoo Search Engine for Social_Science/Philosophy/Political_Theory
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Modern Political Theory Websites
Voegelin Institute for American Renaissance Studies
The Heritage Foundation
Middle East Media Research Institute
 

THINKERS TO BE STUDIED

Let's roll!