PHIL 3200 – POLITICS AND THE LAW
Raphael Sassower
UCCS
Fall 2014
Wednesdays 10:50–1:30
This course is taught with an emphasis on the history of ideas and the cultural settings
in which political concerns are expressed and criticized. In order to appreciate how the
political arena is based on some social principles and models, we’ll review some
canonical texts from the history of ideas and relate them to some contemporary issues.
Class discussion will be primarily focused on recent issues that have been prominently
covered in the popular media, especially in light of Supreme Court decisions, with an
eye on the theoretical insights we can glean from classical texts.
REQUIRED BOOKS: (buy the cheapest copy; most are available free on the Internet)
John Paul Stevens, Six Amendments (2014)
Plato, The Trial of Socrates (Apology)
John Locke, The Second Treatise of Civil Government (1690)
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (1513/1532)
Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto (1848)
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Basic Political Writings (1750)
Bertrand Russell, Authority and the Individual (1949)
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Attendance and Participation
(10%)
2. Eight (8) one-page summaries of eight texts
(8x5%) = (40%)
Note 1: The summaries are accepted only during the class in which their topic is
discussed. Each should focus on one or two points of interest from which relevant
principles will be drawn. Don’t describe what the author says in the book (or a chapter),
only what the main arguments are about.
Note 2: At the beginning of each class, students will exchange their summaries for
peer-review before turning them in.
3. Two three-page topical presentations (see list below)
(2x20%) = (40%)
Note 1: Central points and controversy (1 page), arguments for (1 page), arguments
against (1 page). Reference to course readings required.
Note 2: At the end of class, your draft will be corrected by the professor; this feedback
will allow you to rewrite and resubmit papers the following week.
Note 3: For each topic, you must include a summary of a Supreme Court Decision that
is relevant to the issue; if there isn’t one, a State Supreme Court decision, a local
ordinance, or policy statement may be substituted.
Note 4: One presentation each week (of the three-week presentation period)
4. One report on Law and Justice in CS
(10%)
Note 1: Provide a two-page summary of any local legal organization, institution, or
practice; describe what you observe (1 page), critically evaluate what you observe in
terms of the readings for the course (1 page).
OFFICE HOURS:
Columbine Hall 4059; email: rsassowe@uccs.edu
Wednesdays 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. and 1:40-4:00 p.m., and by appointment
SYLLABUS:
August 27: Introduction – Background and Outline; argument vs. description; what
counts as a political or moral principle
PART 1:
September 3: Socrates – the individual and society; legal power: rights and duties
September 10: Machiavelli – the nature of political power; human nature; governance
September 17: Locke – the individual and the community (state of nature, state of war);
duties, rights, and responsibilities (property); implicit and explicit commitments to one’s
society (civil power and governance); especially chapters 1-3, 7-9.
September 24: High Holidays – No Class
October 1: Rousseau (Discourse on the Arts and Sciences and Discourse on
Inequality) – natural vs. artificial inequality; the “noble savage” in the “state of nature”;
Rousseau (On the Social Contract)—the social contract: advantages and
disadvantages; especially Book 1.
October 8: Marx – socialist and communist images of a classless society; economic and
political conditions for freedom and equality
October 15: Mill – the nature of freedom and liberty; the centrality of the individual in
society; positive and negative liberty; the boundaries of the private and public domains,
the tyranny of the majority; especially chapters 1-2, 5.
October 22: Russell – the relationship between authority and the individual and how
much human nature and cooperation influence political institutions; the role of
government in the affairs of the individual; especially lectures 1-2, 5.
October 29: Stevens – the American Constitution, the nature of democracy, the
republic; political and the legal frameworks at work; the dynamic changes of historical
conditions; potential Amendments to the Constitution.
PART 2:
November 5: Community Awareness (on your own) – No Class (report due 11/12)
November 12: Topics: Citizenship, Election, and Voting (historical context of the
Constitution; illegal immigration and legal naturalization; rights and duties; consent;
voting and election; taxation; federal entitlement program); Adulthood (uniform age of
adults; legal rights and responsibilities; drinking, voting; military service, marriage, sex,
driving, school attendance; rental); Drugs (classification; state vs. federal regulations;
Colorado’s medical and recreational marijuana); Education (public vs. private;
vouchers; taxation; rights vs. duties; “separate but equal”; affirmative action); UCCS
(policies relating to students and faculty; governance; admission and retention;
outreach; public university—funding and mandates; free speech; hate crimes)
November 19: Topics: Privacy in the Digital Age (surveillance; Patriot Act; censorship;
pornography; workplace monitoring; electronic data collection; from print media to the
Age of the Internet; gaming; NSA)
November 26: Thanksgiving – no class
December 3: Topic: The Supreme Court (checks and balances--contemporary
disputes and power struggles; nomination, confirmation, and tenure of justices; different
interpretations of the Constitution—from Original Intent to Activism; Afordable Care Act;
Marriage Equality); Right and Left (conservative vs. liberal ideology; illustration of
major inconsistencies in the past decade of both extremes of the political and legal
spectrum; competition vs. cooperation; regulation vs. free enterprise)
December 10: Summary; final presentation is due; no late presentations are accepted
NOTE: This syllabus is subject to changes.
Grading Scale:
A 100 – 95
B- 83 – 80
D 69 – 60
A- 94 – 90
C+ 79 – 77
F
59 – 0
B+ 89 – 87
C 76 – 74
B
C-
86 – 84
73 – 70
Students with Disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact and register with the Disability Services Office,
and provide them with documentation of your disability, so they can determine what
accommodations are appropriate for your situation. To avoid any delay in the receipt of
accommodations, you should contact the Disability Services Office as soon as possible.
Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that disability
accommodations cannot provided until an accommodation letter has been given to me.
Please contact Disability Services for more information about receiving
accommodations at Main Hall room 105, 719-255-3354 or dservice@uccs.edu. Ida
Dilwood, Director.
Disruptive Students
For information on the Student Code of Conduct or the Disruptive Behavior Policy go to
the Office of Judicial Affairs Website: http://www.uccs.edu/~oja/
UCCS offers free writing support at The Writing Center at Columbine Hall, room 316.
Students of all skill levels can benefit from working with peer writing consultants at any
stage of the writing process be it brainstorming, drafting, or final editing. The Writing
Center is open for 50 minute face-to-face or online appointments from 9am to 8pm
Monday through Thursday and 9am to 2pm on Friday and Saturday. Appointments can
be made by visiting http://www.uccs.edu/writingcenter/. Call 719-255-4336 with questions
about our programming and policies.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will be grounds for failing a student from
the course, as well as additional academic sanctions as defined in the Academic Honor
Code. Plagiarism, the “use of distinctive ideas or words belonging to another person,
without adequately acknowledging that person’s contribution” ranges from the improper
use of such sources as internet materials to improper use of classmates’ notes. It is the
students’ responsibility to become familiar with the various definitions and penalties for
plagiarism. The webpage of the Department of History at UCCS includes detailed
information on what constitutes and how to avoid plagiarism:
http://web.uccs.edu/history/toolbox/plagiarism.htm
The Administrative Policy Statement for the University of Colorado System can be
accessed on line at http://www.cusys.edu/~policies/Academic/misconduct.html.
Military Deployment and Military Service:
In order to assist students who are called to active duty the Campus has compiled a set
of guidelines that include information on withdrawing from courses. General information
can be accessed at: http://www.uccs.edu/~deploy
In part, that information states that “in order to withdraw from the course, students called
to active military duty will need to obtain the proper withdrawal form from the
Admissions and Records office, their academic dean’s office or the Student Success
Help Center. Information about withdrawing and refund deadlines can be found in the
schedule of courses. Completed forms need to be returned to the Admissions and
Records office. If students are receiving veterans’ benefits or financial aid, each of
those offices will need to approve the form. In addition, the form needs to be approved
by the Bursar’s Office located in Main Hall on the second floor. Students will be
provided a copy of the drop form to retain for their records. The date the form is
receipted by Admissions and Records will determine the amount of any refund.
Campus Emergency Response Team
UCCS Chief of Police: Jim Spice, phone: 255-3111, e-mail: jspice@uccs.edu
Director of University Counseling Center: Benek Altayli, phone: 255-3265, e-mail:
zaltayli@uccs.edu (regarding harm to self or others)
Director of Judicial Affairs: Steve Linhart, phone: 255-4443, e-mail: slinhart@uccs.edu
PHIL3200-001/POLITICS AND THE LAW
A Trivial Question is:
A Controversial Question is:
Most Political Questions are Trivial / Controversial (circle one)
Trivial Questions can / cannot be resolved (circle one)
Controversial Questions can / cannot be resolved (circle one)
Philosophical inquiry can / cannot help resolve Trivial Questions (circle one)
Philosophical Inquiry can / cannot resolve Controversial Questions (circle one)