PHIL 175: Social and Political Philosophy
Fall 2014
Instructor: Nicole Dular
Course Description
The aim of this course is to introduce students to arguments regarding several questions in
social and political philosophy, and equip them with the analytical skills required to properly
interpret and assess arguments both in general and social and political issues in particular.
This course will have three parts. The first part of this course focuses on sharpening students’
reasoning abilities by introducing them to common argument forms and logical fallacies. The
second part of this course will cover philosophical theories concerning three main topics in
social and political philosophy—that of justice, liberty, and oppression—addressing issues
such as distributive justice, freedom of speech, and the connection between social class and
power. The final part of this course will look at applied social and political issues, including
punishment, marriage, pornography, and affirmative action.
Course Requirements

First day writing exercise: 5%

Logic quiz: 5%

The Wire quizzes: 5%

Two explicate argument papers: 10% each, 20% total

Draft of Final Paper on Applied Topic: 10%

Final version of Final paper on Applied Topic: 15%

Theory Midterm: 20%

Applied Final: 20%
Course Materials
All readings will be made available online.
Academic Dishonesty
Students are responsible for knowing Syracuse University’s policy on plagiarism and
academic dishonesty at large. Violations of this policy will not be tolerated, and bring severe
consequences for anyone who does so.
Disability
In accord with the Office of Disability Services, I am committed to making sure that no
student is discriminated against nor denied the opportunity to participate in any of the
educational activities of this course. If you plan or would like to receive accommodations,
please contact the Office of Disability Services.
Schedule of Readings
Week 1
8/25: Introductions
8/27: Introduction to Argument Structure and Basic Logic
8/29: Introduction to Argument Structure and Basic Logic (cont’d); Common fallacies
Week 2
9/1: Labor Day, no class
JUSTICE
9/3: Prisonner’s Dilemma
9/5: Hobbes “The State of Nature as a State of War”
Week 3
9/8: Rawls, excerpts from A Theory of Justice
9/10: Rawls, excerpts from A Theory of Justice
9/12: Held “Non-Contractual Society: A Feminist View”
Week 4
9/15: Held “Non-Contractual Society: A Feminist View”/ Nozick, excerpts from
Anarchy, State, and Utopia
9/17: Nozick, excerpts from Anarchy, State, and Utopia
9/19: Singer, “Famine, Affluence and Morality”
Week 5
9/22: Singer, “Famine, Affluence and Morality”
LIBERTY
9/24: Mill “Individuality”
9/26: Mill “Freedom of Thought and Discussion”
Week 6
9/29: Jacobson “Freedom of Speech: Why Freedom of Speech Includes Hate Speech”
10/1: Jacobson “Freedom of Speech: Why Freedom of Speech Includes Hate Speech” /
Maitra and McGowan “On Racist Hate Speech and the Scope of a Free Speech
Principle”
10/3: Maitra and McGowan “On Racist Hate Speech and the Scope of a Free Speech
Principle”
Week 7
OPPRESSION AND PRIVILEGE
10/6: Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of
Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies”; privilege checklist
10/8: Frye “Oppression”
10/10: Young “Five Faces of Oppression”
Week 8
10/13: Catch-up/Review
10/15: Theory Midterm
PUNISHMENT
10/17: Brooks “Deterrence”
Week 9
10/20: Brooks “Deterrence” / Hampton “A New Theory of Retribution”
10/22: Hampton “A New Theory of Retribution”
10/24: Shelby “Justice, Deviance, and the Dark Ghetto”
Week 10
10/27: Shelby “Justice, Deviance, and the Dark Ghetto”
MARRIAGE
10/29: Mendus “Marital Faithfulness”
10/31: Mendus “Marital Faithfulness” / Moller “An Argument Against Marriage”
Week 11
11/3: Moller “An Argument Against Marriage”
PORN
11/5: Brison “The Price We Pay? Pornography and Harm”
11/7: Brison “The Price We Pay? Pornography and Harm” / McElroy, excerpt from
Sexual Correctness; Strossen video
Week 12
11/10: McElroy, excerpt from Sexual Correctness; Strossen video
11/12: Catch-up
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
11/14: Pojman “The Case Against Affirmative Action”
Week 13
11/17: Pojman “The Case Against Affirmative Action” / Valls “The Libertarian Case
for Affirmative Action”
11/19: Valls “The Libertarian Case for Affirmative Action”
11/21: Implicit bias check; Harris & Narayan “Affirmative Action as Equalizing
Opportunity: Challenging the Myth of ‘Preferential Treatment’”
Week 14
11/24: Thanksgiving Break, no class
11/26: Thanksgiving Break, no class
11/28: Thanksgiving Break, no class
Week 15
12/1: Harris & Narayan “Affirmative Action as Equalizing Opportunity: Challenging
the Myth of ‘Preferential Treatment’”
12/3: Catch-up and Wrap-up
12/5: Final