Department of Government, Law & International Affairs

Please read all of this syllabus.

Murray State University

POL 261-01 Three Credit Hours Spring 2012

I. Course title: Introduction to Political Theory

II. Instructor’s name: Dr. Winfield H. Rose

Office location: 5A-10 Faculty Hall

Phone numbers: (270) 809-2662 (office); 753-0126 (home); 809-2688 (fax); 556-6342 (cell)

Email:wrose@murraystate.edu
Homepage: http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/winfield.rose/main.htm

Office hours: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. MWF; 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. TTh; 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. MW.

III. Class meeting time, location and language of instruction: 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. TTh, January 17 - May 3, 2012; FH 507; English (it is not necessary to press 1).

IV. Catalog description: Introduction to the concepts, enduring questions, and significant thinkers associated with political philosophy. Specific attention will be given to differing conceptions of human nature, politics, the state, civic obligations and rights, freedom, justice, and democracy.

V. Purpose: As a required course for all political science majors and minors, the purpose of this course is to ensure that all such students have a basic knowledge of the most important ideas, questions and thinkers in political philosophy.

VI. Objectives: Students should be able to recognize and converse intelligently about the major thinkers in political philosophy, their most important ideas and their most important works.

VII. Content: The course will be divided into three major parts, which are commonly called: (1) ancient or classical political theory; (2) medieval political theory; and (3) modern political theory. The latter will include the political theory of the American founding.

VIII. 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 essential 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.

IX. Field, clinical, and/or laboratory experiences: None, but you will need a good chair and a good reading lamp in a quiet room to enhance concentration and minimize distraction.

X. Resources: As we take up each new thinker you are asked to go to The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on the internet (http://www.iep.utm.edu/) for the purpose of acquiring (1) biographical information, (2) recognition of major works, and (3) a background overview of major ideas; this will supplement your texts and class discussion and should be helpful. You also will be given handouts from time to time. Take them seriously; they are important.

XI. Grading procedures:

Three tests: February 21: 20% (date subject to change)

March 27: 20% (date subject to change)

May 7 (final exam): 25% (date not subject to change)

Class attendance: 15%

Class participation: 5%

Book review: 15% (further instructions below)

Grade ranges: 92 – 99% = A

83 – 91% = B

74 – 82% = C

65 – 73% = D

Below 65% = E

XII. Attendance policy: As indicated previously, attendance is important and expected. Roll will be taken every day. Approved absences will include authorized and approved official university activities accompanied by written verification from sponsoring faculty, approved health reasons accompanied by written verification from the physician or Student Health, and death in the immediate family. You should make every effort to avoid scheduling medical and dental appointments at times which conflict with this or any other class; such appointments are flexible and need not occur at class times. Absences from scheduled tests will not be well received; if the absence is absolutely necessary and is approved, all make-up tests will occur on the last day of class, Friday, May 4 at 2 p.m. in FH 509.

XIII. Other class policies: You are asked not to: (1) have a cell phone or pager go off in class, or to text message; (2) talk to one another when it is time for class to begin or after it has begun; (3) use a Walkman, iPod or similar apparatus; (4) wear caps in class; (5) eat in class; (6) be late habitually; (7) read or study other material or do homework for another class; or (8) leave or prepare to leave before class is dismissed. Such activities will not be well received. Quietly drinking Cokes, Pepsis, coffee, etc., and laptops for taking notes are acceptable, but please turn off all cell phones and pagers when class begins; having such devices go off in class, and texting, are rude and inconsiderate. The first time your cell phone disrupts class you will be asked to gather your things and leave for the day; the second time it disrupts class your departure will be permanent.

Recording Class Sessions Policy: The surreptitious recording of class sessions is prohibited. The recording of class sessions is permitted only with the advance consent of the instructor. Violation of this policy will result in expulsion from the course, a grade of E, and the invocation of university disciplinary procedures. Also please note that young ladies and gentlemen do not post anonymous defamatory comments about the instructor in social media.

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

XV. Texts:

Donald Tannenbaum and David Schultz, Inventors of Ideas: An Introduction to Western Political Philosophy, 2^nd ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2004.
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers, any edition (originally published 1787-1788).

Winfield H. Rose, “The Theological, Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the American Polity,” 2002. For sale (at about $2.50) at Copy Express (Waterfield Library).

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Warning to the West, Hill and Wang, 1986. This is for your outside writing assignment.

XVI. Prerequisites: There are no formal prerequisites but sophomore standing is assumed.

XVII. Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity: Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created to prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment, admissions, or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities equal access to participate in all programs and activities. For more information, contact the Director of Equal Opportunity, 103 Wells Hall, (270) 809-3155 (voice), (270) 809-3361 (TDD), sabrina.dial@murraystate.edu.

XVIII. Students with Disabilities: The Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS) is designed to coordinate and administer services and accommodations for students with documented disabilities. In doing so, OSDS will review disability documentation, meet with students to determine appropriate reasonable accommodations, and work with other areas on campus to implement services. Their goal is to provide individuals with disabilities access to programs, services, and activities at Murray State University. Contact Information: Velvet Wilson, Director, 423 Wells Hall, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071. (270) 809-5737. velvet.wilson@murraystate.edu.

XIX. Outside Writing Assignment: Book Review (15% of your course grade). Your outside writing assignment for POL 261 is to read and write a review of the book Warning to the West by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. This book may be purchased at the bookstore. Even though this review is not due until April 9, I suggest you obtain your copy soon and start on this project right away. Please take these directions seriously and follow them carefully. Your book review should answer all of the following questions. Repeat the question verbatim in bold print and single-spaced before you begin answering it. Then answer it in regular print, double-spaced.

(1) Does the author have a thesis, theory or hypothesis he is testing? If not, what is the purpose of writing the book?

(2) What kinds of data, that is, what are the principal data the author brings to bear in the book? Is the book empirical, historical, intuitive, analytical, experiential (not experimental), or a combination?

(3) Summarize his most important findings, conclusions, arguments and positions. (This should constitute not more than half your paper.)

(4) What contribution, if any, does this book make to the study of political theory and/or to the clarification of contemporary political issues?

(5) What is your general assessment of the book? Is it well written? Are the author’s arguments and conclusions easy to follow? Is his argument clear? Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?

          Your book review should consist of eight to ten typewritten, double-spaced pages printed on a good printer in #12 font. Papers not meeting these minimal criteria will not be accepted. Papers should be done in a highly competent and professional manner. Excessive errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation cannot be accepted. You should adhere closely to my handout "Tips on Good Writing" which can be downloaded from my homepage and to latest edition of Style Manual for Political Science published by the American Political Science Association.
          Specific page references should be inserted throughout the text of your paper (e.g., Solzhenitsyn, p. 72 or "On page 72 Solzhenitsyn argues that . . . . . ."). You should be certain to insert page references frequently in order to relate your review to the book properly; this means that more than direct quotes should be referenced. Also remember that a book review should consist of more than cutting and pasting a series of quotes copied from the book; you need to demonstrate that you have read the book, that you know and understand what is in it, and that you have analyzed it to reach some conclusions about the validity of its arguments.
          Any evidence that this paper is not your original work will result in a garde of E for the entire course and in the invocation of appropriate University disciplinary procedures. See the policy on academic honesty referred to above.

Quare ergo liberalibus studiis filios erudimus?

Non quia virtutem dare possunt, sed quia animum

ad accipiendam virtutem praeparent.

Seneca

Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem!

John Henry Cardinal Newman

We must now proceed to the further question which we set
ourselves, whether the just live better and happier lives than the unjust.
It is, in fact, already clear, I think, from what we have said,
that they do; but we must look at the question more closely. For it
is not a trivial one; it is our whole way of life that is at issue.

Plato

But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them,
and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31: 33

A nation of sheep will breed a government of wolves.

Unknown