PLSC 213: Introduction to Political Theory
Instructor: Laurel Sprague
Office hours: M/W 3:30-5:00
(Wednesday hours held at Sweetwater Café on Cross Street)
Office location: 601E Pray-Harrold
Email: lspragu2@emich.edu
Fall 2013
Class hours: M/ W 2:00-3:15
Class location: McKenny 167
Office phone: 734 487 6970
I would like to say to the diligent reader of my writings and to others who are interested in them that I am not at
all concerned with appearing to be consistent. In my search after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt
many new things… therefore, when anybody finds any inconsistency between any two writings of mine, if he has
still faith in my sanity, he would do well to choose the later of the two on the same subject.
M. K. GANDHI
Harijan, 29-4-'33, P. 2
This class is an introduction to the classics of Western political thought. Fundamental questions that great
thinkers have struggled with over time include: What is the meaning of justice? How can we create sustainable
political communities, particularly among people who may fundamentally disagree on any number of issues?
What makes the exercise of political authority legitimate? How can we understand persistent inequalities within
societies that consider themselves liberal and advanced? In this class, we will examine how selected ancient and
modern political philosophers have struggled with these questions and evaluate how meaningful their answers
are for our times today.
Required Texts
The following texts are available at the University bookstore. These are the translations and editions that we will
be using in class and it is recommended that you purchase them. The cost per book is between $7 and $16.
Note that all of these texts are freely available on-line as well (I’ve included the links below), so, if you choose,
you may decide to purchase only the books that are most compelling for you and read the others on-line. Keep in
mind that these are all classics and you will likely draw on them repeatedly during your university years,
particularly if you are a political science or philosophy major. If you choose to read some texts on-line, be
prepared that the on-line translations will vary from the text used in class and that you will need to be able to
bring the text with you to class.
Plato. The Republic, Hackett Publishing, 0-87220-736-6
Aristotle. Politics, Hackett Publishing, 0-87220-388-3
Machiavelli, Nicola. The Prince, Hackett Publishing, 0-87220-316-6
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan, Hackett Publishing, 0-87220-177-5
Locke, John. Second Treatise on Government, Hackett Publishing, 0-915144-86-7
Rousseau, John Jacques. On the Social Contract, Hackett Publishing, 0-87220-068-X
Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto, Penguin Classics, 9780140447576
Course Requirements
Students are expected to read the texts closely before each class period and come prepared to ask questions
and discuss each author’s propositions about such things as politics, government, human nature, family, religion,
art, property, justice, and responsibility. Some of these texts are difficult so plan ahead and give yourself more
time for reading than you usually would. As a rule of thumb for university classes, students should plan 2 hours
of time outside of class for every 1 hour of class time.
Your grade in the class will be based on the following:
Participation
20%
Students are expected to come to class having completed the readings and prepared to engage in discussions.
Your participation grade will be based less on the quantity of your contributions than on your ability to ask
meaningful questions and listen and respond respectfully to your fellow students, and your willingness to try on
new ideas and critically evaluate multiple viewpoints.
You can miss up to three classes without penalty to your participation grade; however more than three absences
will result in a reduction.
Participation will use a “Fish Bowl” format (described in the first class) to allow students greater opportunity for
engagement and feedback from me.
Quizzes
30%
There will be three quizzes throughout the semester to test your factual knowledge about the authors and
readings. You will be able to drop your lowest quiz grade.
Short Papers
20%
Students should pick two readings, one during Week 1-8 of class and one during Week 9-15, and write an
analysis of the author’s political theory (3-4 pages, instructions provided)
Final Exam
30%
The final exams is designed for you to be able to show your understanding of the material, in particular, how the
philosophers we study “talk” to one another and how you might apply their thoughts to current questions. You
will be provided with a set of approximately six essay questions at least two weeks before the exam. Some of
these questions will be on the exam.
Grading Scale
The grading scale for the class is as follows:
A
93-100 percent
B-
80-82.9 percent
D+
67-69.9 percent
A-
90-92.9 percent
C+
77-79.9 percent
D
63-66.9 percent
B+
87-89.9 percent
C
73-76.9 percent
D-
60-62.9 percent
B
83-86.9 percent
C-
70-72.9 percent
F
<59.9 percent
Full list of readings and links
Students for a Democratic Society, The Port Huron Statement
Text online at http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/huron.html
*Plato, The Republic
Text online at http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html
*Aristotle, Politics
Text online at http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.html
*Machiavelli, The Prince
Text online at http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm
*Hobbes, The Leviathan
Text online at http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/hobbes/leviathan-contents.html
*Locke, Second Treatise on Government
Text online at http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/locke/
*Rousseau, The Social Contract
Text online at http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon.htm
*Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto
Text online at http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm
Luxembourg, Reform or Revolution
Text online at http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/
Bakunin, “Critique of the Marxist Theory of the State” (from Statism and Anarchism)
Text online at http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/bakunin/works/1873/statism-anarchy.htm
Goldman, The Individual, Society, and the State
Text online at: http://marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1940/individual.htm
Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Text online at http://www.bartleby.com/144/1.html
Douglass, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
Text online at http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=162
Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Text online at: http://www.constitution.org/civ/civildis.htm
King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Text online at: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
Communicating with the Instructor
It will be easiest to contact me via email. If you need to speak with me during my office hours, call 734 487 6970.
If you need to speak to someone at another time, contact the political science department office at: 734 487
3113.
You are urged to use your EMU email address. I will use the EMU email addresses if I need to communicate
information to the class, for example, if there is an unexpected class cancellation. If you choose to communicate
with me using another email address, identify yourself clearly in the subject line. You should know that I delete
messages when I do not know the sender to protect my system from email viruses.
Discussion Guidelines
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Listen closely to one another. This includes trying to verify that you understand what the other person is
saying, particularly when you disagree.
Speak respectfully, in agreement and disagreement. Do not interrupt each other.
Allow each other to change. No one is bound to any one statement. Anyone can change her or his mind.
Understand that no student in this class can be asked to speak for her or his racial, ethnic, religious, or
any other, group. No group is homogenous. Each of us speaks as a unique individual with our own
opinions and experiences.
General Guidelines for Behavior in College Classrooms
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Turn off your cell phone and computer before class starts.
If you need to leave early, let the instructor know ahead of time.
Arrive a few minutes before class so that class can start on time without interruptions.
Do not engage in side conversations during lectures and discussions.
Do not read newspapers, magazines, web pages, or any other materials not related to class during class
time.
Arrive ready to discuss the day’s topic and readings.
Use class email addresses and instructors’ email addresses only for class-related questions and
information.
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get the information from the class you missed from another
student. Make friends.
Accessibility
If you have a disability and are registered with the Student s with Disabilities office, please see me during the
first week of class. We will set up a meeting to determine how we can best work together to ensure that you
are able to fully and fairly participate in all aspects of the class. Please bring your paperwork from EAS to our
meeting.
To contact the Students with Disabilities Office, go to http://www.emich.edu/drc/index.html.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to know and abide by all University rules on academic honesty and deportment. If you
are uncertain of your responsibilities as a student, consult the Student Conduct Code. The full text is available at
http://www.emich.edu/policies/chapter8/8-1_policy.pdf. Any violation of provisions on academic honesty will
be prosecuted to the full extent allowable.
Here are some examples of the kinds of actions that constitute academic dishonesty:
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“Plagiarizing—willfully presenting the language, ideas, or thoughts of another person as one’s original
work;
Revealing the form or content of an examination or quiz; attempting to secure a copy of or information
about a future examination or quiz without authorization from the instructor;
Copying another’s answers in an in-class or take-home examination, paper, laboratory work, or class
assignment; using crib notes, prepared blue books, or other types of unauthorized materials;
Discussing answers during an in-class examination or a take-home examination without the instructor’s
permission;
Submitting work completed for a previous course for a subsequent course without the permission of the
instructor; submitting the same paper in two or more concurrent courses without the informed consent
of the instructors;
Stealing, damaging, or concealing materials or equipment necessary to the academic well-being of the
college community, such as library books, computer files, and audiovisual equipment.”1
Registration Information and Dates
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Incomplete grades are not a matter of right. An "I" grade will be granted only in the most highly unusual
circumstances. University policy requires all incompletes to be completed within one year.
University policy requires the instructor's signature for dropping a class after the drop/add period. In
addition, instructors are required to note whether the student is failing at the time the class is dropped.
I reserve the right to exercise the discretion given to me under University policy and not approve a drop
request.
If you need to drop this class, you must do so by the official drop date. If you fail to drop this class
officially by the last official drop date and you are failing to class, you will be given a grade of F for the
course.
NOTE: The University (as per federal guidelines) requires all instructors to indicate whether any students
who received an F grade stopped attending classes. If you stop attending the class and receive an F,
your financial aid may be at risk.
The University Writing Center
The University Writing Center (115 Halle Library; 487-0694) offers one-to-one writing consulting for both
undergraduate and graduate students. Students can make appointments or drop in between the hours of 10
a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. Students should bring a
draft of what they’re working on and their assignment sheet. The UWC opens for the Fall 2013 semester on
Monday, September 9 and will close on Thursday, December 12.
The UWC also offers small group workshops on various topics related to writing (e.g., Organizing Your Writing;
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These examples are taken from Washington College’s Honor code: http://catalog.washcoll.edu/17_honor.html
Incorporating Evidence; Revising Your Writing; Conquering Commas; Using APA or MLA). Workshops are offered
at different times in the UWC. Visit the UWC page (http://www.emich.edu/uwc ) to see our workshop
calendar. To register for a workshop, click the link from the UWC page for the type of workshop you wish to
attend.
The UWC also has several satellite sites across campus. These satellites provide writing support to students
within the various colleges. For more information about our satellite locations and hours, visit the UWC web
site: http://www.emich.edu/uwc.
The Academic Projects Center (116 Halle Library) also offers one-to-one writing consulting for students, in
addition to consulting on research and technology-related issues. The APC is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays
through Thursdays for drop-in consultations. Additional information about the APC can be found
at http://www.emich.edu/apc . Students visiting the Academic Projects Center or any of the satellites of the
University Writing Center should also bring with them a draft of what they’re working on and their assignment
sheet.
Disclaimer: I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus, examination, and/or grading policy if required
during the course of the semester.
READING SCHEDULE
Week 1
Sept 4
Introduction
The Port Huron Statement, Students for a Democratic Society
Week 2
Sept 9 and 11 No class, Reading days
Plato, The Republic, Bks I through V
Week 3
Sept 16 and 18
Plato, The Republic, Bks VI through VIII
Week 4
Sept 23 and 25
Plato, The Republic, Bks IX through X
Week 5
Sept 30 and Oct 2
Aristotle, Politics, Bk II, I-7, 9; Bk III, Bk IV
Week 6
Oct 7 and 9
Quiz 1
Machiavelli, The Prince
Week 7
Oct 14 and 16
Hobbes, The Leviathan, Introduction, Chapters 11-30
Week 8
Oct 21 and 23
Hobbes, The Leviathan, cont.
Locke, Second Treatise on Government
Week 9
Oct 28 and 30
Locke, Second Treatise on Government, cont.
Week 10
Nov 4 and 6
Rousseau, The Social Contract
Week 11
Nov 11 and 13
Quiz 2
Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto
Week 12
Nov 18 and 21
Week 13
Rosa Luxembourg, Reform or Revolution, selections
Bakunin, “Critique of the Marxist View of the State”; Goldman, “The Individual, Society and the
State”
Nov 25 and 27
Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Chapters 1-4, 13
No classes on November 27, Thanksgiving Break
Week 14
Dec 2 and 4
Douglass, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Week 15
Dec 9 and 11
Quiz 3
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”
Final Exam: Monday, December 16, 1:30-3:00