Great Books and Ideas: SOSC 300 (01)
Spring, 2016
Monday – Wednesday: 5:30 to 6:45
California State University, Chico
Dr. Alan Gibson
Classroom: Butte 505
Dr. Gibson’s Office: Butte 719
Office Hours: 9:00 to 11:00 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and by appointment.
Campus Phone: 898-4952
Home Phone: 809-0277
Cell Phone: 530 321 3280
Email: AGibson@csuchico.edu
Required Readings
Plato, The Trials of Socrates
Plato, The Republic
Aristotle, The Politics
Machiavelli, The Prince
Hobbes, Leviathan
Locke, Second Treatise
Rousseau, The Social Contract
Tocqueville, Democracy in America
Marx, Selected Writings
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women
Other Readings are posted on the PB Learn Site
Course Description
Would you have convicted Socrates and sentenced him to drink hemlock? What did Aristotle
mean when he said that “man is a political animal?” What did the ancients believe was the proper
function of government? Do ancient, early modern, and non-western political theory have any
relevance to how we should live our lives today?
This class will address these questions, serve as a broad historical overview of the history of
political thought, and explore several fundamental themes and problems in the history of political
thought. Specifically, we will examine, among other topics, the pursuit of equality in the history
of political thought and justifications for inequality that have been given by political
philosophers, rival conceptions of justice and the good life that have been espoused, and the
differing assumptions about human nature set forth by different political philosophers. We will
also examine differing theories of how a government gains legitimacy among its people and
explore competing understandings of the proper ends and limits of political power.
Student Learning Objectives
* Students will improve their oral, expository, and critical thinking skills.
* Students will learn to read classic texts carefully. You will learn to establish the historical
context of great books as one means of understanding the author’s purpose and beliefs. We will
also compare the author’s arguments to those given by authors addressing similar themes and
examine the substance, structure, veracity, and truthfulness of the author’s claim.
* Students will be presented with a general overview of the trajectory of the history of political
thought and a particular understanding of the differences between ancient and modern political
thinking.
* Students will be introduced to competing conceptions of many of the major concepts and ideas
in the western tradition of political thought such as democracy, liberty, authority, power,
legitimacy, and equality.
My Teaching Philosophy: A Note to Students
The teaching philosophy that informs and structures this class follows directly from my
understanding of the nature and requirements of a sound liberal education. By a liberal
education, I mean one that confronts students with the intellectual and political life of a variety of
peoples and cultures across time. Such an education is most readily associated with a
philosophical disposition and the analytical and critical thinking skills that that disposition both
demands and produces. Most fundamentally, such an education should challenge students to take
up a quest for learning and self-understanding. My hope is that when confronted with Plato,
Aristotle, Hobbes, and other great minds and with some of the most important and enduring
questions that humans ask that you will see the limitations of instrumental and narrow views of
your education. I have done my job well if you become self- motivated and independent thinkers
who are touched and transformed by your engagement with great ideas to begin a lifelong process
of learning and critical self-appraisal.
With these goals in mind, I conceive of my role as that of a catalyst and an example, not
principally as a conduit for information and most certainly not as a proponent of any particular
political agenda or set of beliefs. Although I will express my own political views in class if asked
directly, students are invited and encouraged to disagree and challenge anything presented. This
class will work best if we all conceive of it as a shared exploration and conversation. In short,
this course is committed to the value of liberal arts education secured through close textual
analysis of the great texts, shared conversation about these texts in an open atmosphere, and
extensive writing assignments. These methods are hardly novel, but they remain the surest path
to a liberal education.
Assignments, Active Classroom Participation, Grading, and Absentee
Policy
Classes will be conducted on the basis of a lecture-discussion format. I will often lecture to frame
debates and invite discussion. We may occasionally break into groups before discussing an issue
or controversy. Your contributions to these exchanges constitutes 10% of your grade for this
class so you must participate if you hope to perform well. Your grade, however, will be based on
the quality of your contributions, not simply their frequency. Steer between excessive
participation aimed at expressing your “two cents” on ever topic and outright diffidence. Make
contributions when you have something to say. Your contributions will be best if you read the
assignments before you come to class. Let’s learn together in constructive dialogue and rigorous
debate.
Your grade will be based on your performance in five assessments. These include two tests (a
mid-term and a final examination), an analytic essay, classroom participation, and attendance.
Tests will be a combination of identifications, short and long essay questions. The analytic essay
will be written on a topic chosen from the list provided in this syllabus or from a topic
formulated by the student in consultation with Dr. Gibson. It is due on Wednesday, April 27th.
Your final grade will be calculated in the following manner:
Mid-Term 25%
Final Examination 25%
Analytic Essay 30%
Presentation 10%
Classroom Participation and Attendance 10%
Class Rules and Considerations
* No cell phone or computer use.
* You must be here and be on time! Being late disrupts class and makes it difficult to teach.
* Please go to the bathroom before class and after it. It is also disruptive if you abruptly leave.
* You have three absences. Use them carefully. After these three, I will begin deducting 3 points
for each absence from your final participation grade. If you have an excused absence, then simply
provide me with the documentation of the reason for your absence. This will not count as one of
your absences. I do not, however, want or need to be told when you are missing class for an
unexcused reason. Telling me that you are going to miss this class period to attend another event
or function or because something has come up in your life does not excuse the absence – no
matter how honorable the alternative event that you are attending. You are an adult and you have
to make choices in your life. But please do not waste my time and yours by approaching me with
an explanation for why you are missing class.
* Be civil in conversations! Do not mock or belittle others for their arguments. Understand that
the discussions in this class involve conversational issues about which we will disagree. This
involves having respect for your fellow students. Avoid all ad hominem arguments. Do not insult
your colleagues and most certainly do not use racist, homophobic, or misogynist language. This
kind of argumentation is unacceptable in this class. Otherwise, however, this is a Socratic
seminar and you should be expected to be challenged by me and your peers. There is a difference
between arguments that are aimed to belittle and degrade and those that are designed to challenge
and provoke. Steer between the Scylla of insult and Charybdis of controversy and provocation.
(See the handout in week one readings entitled “The Socratic Classroom.”)
* Most obviously, no harassment, including, but not limited to, sexual harassment will be
tolerated.
* You are welcome to ask me questions by email, but you need to realize that, like you, I am very
busy. If you are asking me a substantive question such as how to interpret something, then you
need to come by my office hours.
University Policies and Campus Resources for
Students
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Your own
commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at California State University, Chico,
and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic
course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the Office of Student
Judicial Affairs. The policy on academic integrity and other resources related to student conduct
can be found on the Student Judicial Affairs web site.
Americans with Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability or chronic illness, or if
you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Please also contact
Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) as they are the designated department responsible for
approving and coordinating reasonable accommodations and services for students with
disabilities. ARC will help you understand your rights and responsibilities under the Americans
with Disabilities Act and provide you further assistance with requesting and arranging
accommodations.
Title IX: Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting
As a Chico State Professor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning
environment for Chico State students. It is my goal that you feel able to share information
related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our oneon-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible.
However, I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct with the
University.
Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting the Counseling and Wellness Center
(898-6345) or Safe Place (898-3030). Information about campus reporting obligations and other
Title IX related resources are available here: www.csuchico.edu/title-ix
IT Support Services
Computer labs for student use are located on the first and fourth floor of the Meriam Library,
Room 116 and 450, Tehama Hall Room 131, and the Bell Memorial Union (BMU) basement.
You can get help using your computer from IT Support Services; contact them through the ITSS
web site. Additional labs may be available to students in your department or college.
Student Services
Student services are designed to assist students in the development of their full academic
potential and to motivate them to become self-directed learners. Students can find support for
services such as skills assessment, individual or group tutorials, subject advising, learning
assistance, summer academic preparation and basic skills development. Student services
information can be found on the current students page of the CSU Chico web site. The Political
Science department also has tutors to help you with your writing. I will provide a list of their
names and schedules as they become available.
Class Schedule
This schedule is tentative and is intended as a general guide. I will update you at the end of each
class meeting on the assignment for the next class. Remind me to do so if I forget. I will also post
changes on BP Learn for students who were absent, but remember that Dr. Gibson is also
sometimes absent minded and contact him if you have a question. Items marked with an * are
on BP Learn
Monday, January 25th - Introduction to the Class and Sign Up for
Presentations
Wednesday, January 27th - Why Engage in Political Thinking?
Readings: Glenn Tinder, “Why Engage in Political Thinking?”*; Gibson, “The Social
Classroom.”
Questions for Discussion: “Why Engage in Political Thinking?,” “Does Political Thinking Make
Us More Virtuous?,” “Agree or Disagree: The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living,” “The
Social Justice Classroom versus the Safe Place Classroom: Which is Better?”
Monday, February 1st - The Trial and Death of Socrates
Readings: Apology and Crito in The Trials of Socrates.
Questions for Discussion: Posted on BP Learn site.
Wednesday, February 3rd - Plato
Required Readings: Plato, The Republic, “Introduction to Plato” and Book 1.
Monday, February 8th – Plato
Required Readings: Plato, The Republic, Books 2-3
Wednesday, February 10th - Plato
Required Readings: Plato, The Republic, Books 4-5.
Monday, February 15th – Plato
Required Readings: Plato, The Republic, Books 6-7.
Wednesday, February 17th – Plato
Required Readings: Plato, The Republic, Books 8-9
Monday, February 22th – Plato
Required Readings: Plato, The Republic, Book 10 and concluding discussion.
Wednesday, February 24 - Aristotle
Required Readings: Aristotle, Politics: Book 1, Book 2 (Chapters 1-5), Book III (Chapters 1-4, 7,
9, 11, 17-18), Book IV (Chapters 1, 11-12), Book V (Chapters 1-3), Book VI (Chapter 1), Book
VII (Chapters 1-5, 13-14), Book VII (Chapters 1-2).
Monday, February 29 - Aristotle
Required Readings: Aristotle, Politics: Book 1, Book 2 (Chapters 1-5), Book III (Chapters 1-4, 7,
9, 11, 17-18), Book IV (Chapters 1, 11-12), Book V (Chapters 1-3), Book VI (Chapter 1), Book
VII (Chapters 1-5, 13-14), Book VII (Chapters 1-2).
Wednesday, March 2nd – Machiavelli
Required Readings: Machiavelli, The Prince (entire)
Monday, March 7th – Machiavelli and Review Session
Required Readings: Machiavelli, The Prince (entire). Review your notes for the class and catch
up on reading.
Wednesday, March 9th – Mid-term
Examination
Spring Break: Monday, March 14th to Friday, March 18th.
Monday, March 21st - Hobbes
Required Readings: Hobbes, The Leviathan, Part I (Chapters i,ii, iii, iv, v, vi, x, xi, xiii, xiv, xv,
xvi) Part II (Chapters xvii, xviii, xix, xx, xxii, xxviii, xxix).
Wednesday, March 23rd – Hobbes
Required Readings: Hobbes, The Leviathan, Part I (Chapters i,ii, iii, iv, v, vi, x, xi, xiii, xiv, xv,
xvi) Part II (Chapters xvii, xviii, xix, xx, xxii, xxviii, xxix).
Monday, March 28th - Locke
Required Readings: John Locke, The Second Treatise on Government (entire)
Wednesday, March 30th– Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of
Independence
Required Readings: The Declaration of Independence and readings supplied by Dr. Gibson.
Monday, April 4th – Locke
Required Readings: John Locke, The Second Treatise on Government (entire)
Wednesday, April 6th – Rousseau
Required Readings: Rousseau, The Social Contract (entire)
Monday, April 11th – Rousseau
Required Readings: Rousseau, The Social Contract (entire)
Wednesday, April 13th – Tocqueville
Required Readings: Democracy in America, pp. 1-44, 82-85, 91-96, 102-123, 204-222.
Monday, April 18th – Mill
Required Readings: On Liberty (entire); The Subjection of Women (entire)
Wednesday, April 20th – Mill
Required Readings: On Liberty (entire); The Subjection of Women (entire)
Monday, April 25th – Madison
Required Readings: The Federalist No. 10
Wednesday, April 27th – Marx
Required Readings: Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, 54-79, The Communist Manifesto,
157-186, Capital, 214-273.
Monday, May 2nd – Marx
Required Readings: Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, 54-79, The Communist Manifesto,
157-186, Capital, 214-273.
Wednesday, May 4th – Rawls
Required Readings: John Rawls, “Justice as Fairness”
Monday, May 9th – Rawls
Required Readings: John Rawls, “Justice as Fairness”
Wednesday, May 11th – Review Session for Final Examination.
Your Analytic Essay is due on this Day!
The Final Examination for this class is not yet announced but is most
likely to be Wednesday, May 18th from 6:00 to 7:50.
Additional Details about the Assignments
Guidelines for Presentations
Presentations are to be approximately 15-20 minutes. Many students choose to use PowerPoint
for these presentations. Whether you do or not, you need to prepare a one to two page summary
or outline of the reading. If you get your handout me the day before or morning of the
presentation, I will make copies for you. If not then, you are responsible for making the copies
and bringing them to class. In your summary, provide some background on the essay, author,
case, etc. Depending upon the topic that you choose, you might need to establish some
biographical information about author, information about the facts of the case, or additional
material that will help us to understand the reading. You might need to establish the specific
occasion on which the piece was written and the specific problem that it was set forth to address.
You also need to provide a core thesis or theses of the article or speech. Use quotes,
paraphrases, and key words to establish the meaning that the author sought to convey. Finally,
provide the supporting sets of arguments that the speaker or writer uses to support this thesis and
provide two or three provocative questions that you believe will spark conversation in the class.
Do not simply ask for details. Suggest points that will cause debate. Do not read your
presentation. Present it and explain what you have written to the class.
a) Biography of the author.
b) Setting of the writing.
c) Historical event or problem that the writer is talking about or set of ideas that he or she is
drawing upon.
2. Content or Substance of the Writing
a) What points or arguments is the author making?
b) What evidence does he or she use to make those points?
3. Criticisms of the author
a) Is the author correct?
b) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument?
4. Questions for the class
a) Raise broad questions that will promote discussion about this piece.
* Use this sheet as a guide. Not every question or point will be relevant to every essay.
Students will work in groups of four. Type the names of all Presenters on your Handout!
Presentation Topics
Dates are tentative. Your presentation will be on or near this day. PRINT YOUR FULL NAME
LEGIBLY.
1. Censorship and Civic Education: Allan Bloom, “Music” (provided in “Supplemental
Readings Folder” under readings for Plato’s Republic.) (Monday, February 8th)
2. Good Genes for the Philosopher King?: Buck v. Bell and the Eugenics Movement
(Wednesday, February 17th)
3. Duplicity and Deception, Seduction and Statecraft: Machiavelli, Mandragola (Monday,
March 7th)
4. Competition Even When Cooperation is Rational: “Prisoner’s Dilemma” Readings supplied.
(Wednesday, March 23rd)
5. Discretionary Power for the Commander in Chief: Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer
and Ex Parte Milligan. (Monday, April 4th)
6. “The Death of Civic Associations?”: Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone (Wednesday, April
13th)
7. “Can We Tolerate the Intolerant?”: Donald Downs, Nazis in Skokie (Monday, April 18th)
8. “Free Speech on Campus”: The Current Debate”: Readings supplied by Dr. Gibson
(Wednesday, April 20th)
9. . “On the Continued Subjection of Women”: Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the
Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. (Wednesday, April 20th)
10. Alienation and Exploitation: Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed (New York: Henry Holt
and Co., 2001). (Monday, May 2nd)
11. Alienation and Exploitation: Taylor Branch, “The Shame of College Sports,” The Atlantic
(October, 2011). (Monday, May 2nd)
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/8643/.
Your Analytic Essay
What Is an Analytic Essay?
In addition to the mid-term and final, each student will write a seven to ten page analytic essay.
Your analytic essay is due on Wednesday, May 11th. A list of topics is included below. The BP
Learn Module also has a list of topics. You may also write your essay on a topic not on this list,
but you must develop this topic in consultation with Professor Gibson, and I must approve it.
Examples of exemplary analytic essays may also be found on the BP learn site.
Your essay should be an argumentative, analytic, and interpretive paper. This type of paper is
distinguished from an historical account, documenting change over time or describing an event
within the historical context in which it happened. It is also different than a wholly empirical
research paper, stating a testable hypothesis, gathering data, and providing “results.” This does
not mean that you will not make historical and empirical points in your paper to support your
argument. Ultimately, however, I am asking you to use those point in an effort to persuade me.
By an analytical essay, I mean an argumentative one that provides a case for one side or another
in a dispute, analyzes a particular problem and considers possible solutions, or provides a case
for a particular interpretation of a book, document, or idea. Your strategy of persuasion will vary
depending upon your topic, but whatever strategy of persuasion you use, you must state an
argument. Despite what many students believe, an argument is not the same as a mere opinion or
belief and it is most emphatically not the same as your “feelings.” So your essay will also differ
from an ordinary editorial or “opinion” piece. Your essay will navigate between “fact” (historical
or scientific) and opinion (sentiment and belief) and into a grey area of authoritative persuasion. I
am asking you to become and address me in your essay as an authority on the issue or topic that
you choose and to persuade me to accept your position, analysis, or interpretation.
As Aristotle taught us, you should match method to matter. Empirical claims are supported only
by empirical evidence. For example, if you are arguing that gun control laws do not prevent gun
violence or conversely that they do, you obviously need empirical studies that support either
claim. Hermeneutic or interpretative projects require textual evidence. For example, an
interpretation of a great book or essay or of a constitutional clause requires textual exegesis and
interpretation of the extensive commentary surrounding your topic. Whatever kind of argument
you pursue, challenge the best arguments of your opponents, not their most vulnerable
arguments. Do not bludgeon strawmen. They have enough problems. One good argumentative
strategy is to say, “the best arguments of those who disagree with this position are ….. But these
arguments fail for the following reasons…”. If you can refute the best arguments of your
opponents, then you have a case that should persuade others.
Your essay will be graded on the basis of five general characteristics: 1) the organization of your
paper 2) the quality of your writing 3) the significance and subtlety of your thesis 4) your ability
to support your thesis including the quality of your argument and evidence marshaled in support
of it and 5) your competence in documenting sources.
How to Write a Good Analytic Essay and the
Generic Elements of Good Writing
Limiting your topic, choosing proper sources to investigate, identifying a controlling idea or
thesis for your paper, gathering and presenting the proper evidence to support your thesis, and
organizing and clearly presenting your analysis are essential elements in writing a good analytic
essay. State your thesis or controlling idea early in the paper. Do not make your reader wait long
or work hard to understand the problem that you are addressing and the argument you are
presenting. Once you have stated that argument, thread it through your paper. Construct the
organization of your paper around your thesis. One way to do this is to divide your paper into
segments that sequentially build support for your thesis.
Strive first for clarity in your writing. Your reader must be able to understand you. Clarity is most
easily achieved through simplicity. Write simple, straightforward sentences using active voice.
You will find that you write the clearest sentences about topics that you understand best. Clear
writing is the product and progenitor of clear thinking. You will also find that the writing process
and the learning process are in fact the same process. The act of writing provides you with an
opportunity to show what you know, but it also exposes what you do not understand. If you want
the best essay that you can write, you will have to research, read, and think as you write and
rewrite your essay - after the gaps in your understanding are exposed. You will also find that as
you write to learn you will learn to write.
Whatever you have been taught, grammatical errors matter, especially when they skew meaning
(see the list of common grammatical errors below.) I am sympathetic to students who balk at
Professors who deduce points unreflectively when they see grammatical mistakes. “A semi-colon
where a colon should have gone. Two points off.” I do not follow this practice. I also agree that
the substance of an essay is more important than avoiding a few grammatical error.
Understanding basic grammatical rules may seem like an imposition. Undue attention to
grammatical rules can be irritating and may seem like the product of an excessively legalistic
mind and perhaps an anal retention personality.
Over the years, however, I have found that students who understand basic grammatical rules also
write the most substantive papers because they display intelligence and conscientiousness in all
aspects of the writing process. Furthermore, mastering basic grammatical rules and learning how
to research more complex questions has several benefits. It will signal to your reader that you are
an intelligent person as well as a competent writer. Conversely, sloppy grammatical errors
suggest to your readers that you are ignorant, incautious, or do not care about your writing.
Perhaps most importantly, mastering basic grammatical rules and practices is paradoxically a
source of liberation and creativity. By learning some basic propositions about what not to do, you
many also develop more complex strategies for understanding how best to express yourself and
even when it is appropriate to break the rules.
In addition to mastering basic grammatical form and structure, savor words like fine foods.
Develop a rich taste for language – however new or unusual - that express your exact meaning.
We live in a vulgar society; transcend it, in part, with how you speak and write. One practical
way of expanding your vocabulary is to keep a file of words that you could not define when you
first saw them. Write down the definitions, research their etymology, and use this research to
draw connections to other words. Test yourself occasionally to see if you have put these new
words to memory. At the same time, do not choose complex and difficult words simply to sound
intelligent. Choose the right word, not the longest or most difficult one. Put every word on trial!
You will improve as a writer to the degree that you read voraciously and develop literary heroes.
(Mine are Garry Wills, Michael Lewis, and Timothy Egan.) One of the most powerful tools of
our minds is imitation. We learn to write, not only by writing and rewriting, but also by
mimicking what we have read. So choose what you read carefully and become a critical reader,
examining both what the author says and how he or she says it. Conversely, also develop an
attention for truly mundane and sloppy writing and for argument fallacies. Dissect these
examples and explore where and why they fail.
Yet another important element of good writing depends upon your ability to observe and
describe. Develop a journalist’s or perhaps a poet’s powers of observation and description. Train
yourself to notice every detail in your surroundings and practice describing these details. This
practice will not only improve your abilities to describe, but it will also implant a store of
analogies into your memory that you can recall as you write. What object has that color? What
animal makes that movement? How is that person like another one that you know? Making such
comparisons will make your writing more concrete, vivid, and interesting.
Put extensive thought and labor into the selection of your title, your lead sentence, and your
ending. These are no small matters. These provide vital cues to your readers. The lead and title
should entice your readers and heighten their interest in your work. A truly brilliant title will even
lead your readers to reflect on how the title informs the meaning of the work after they have read
it. Do not title your paper “Term Paper Assignment” or anything so generic. Give your paper a
title that conveys at once the subject and the thesis. Try also to be imaginative and (possibly
even) humorous. Some of my favorite titles, each with particular strengths, include:
Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer – And Turned Its Back on the
Middle Class
Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market
Republic Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress – And a Plan to Stop It
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
The Silence of the Lambs
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining: America's Toughest Family Court Judge Speaks
Out
On Bullshit
Herding Cats: A Life in Politics
Dead Man Walking
To Kill a Mockingbird
Much like your title, your lead sentence and paragraph should draw the reader into your web of
persuasion. Consider the following lead to the first chapter from Nixon Agonistes by Garry Wills:
FEBRUARY 1968: It is early morning in Wisconsin, in Appleton, air heavy with the rot
of wood pulp. This is the place where Joe McCarthy lived and was buried -- a place,
once, for Nixon to seek out on campaign; then, for a longer time, a place to steer shy of.
He has outgrown both times, partially. And it is too late to care in any event: the entire
American topography is either graveyard, for him, or minefield -- ground he must walk
delicately, revenant amid the tombstones, whistling in histrionic unconcern.
Obviously, this is a profoundly learned lead paragraph by a profoundly learned man, but you
should also strive for this kind of pull on your reader. Interest them with an unusual fact, a
startling revelation, or a provocative image or thought.
The ending may sum up or crystallize prior thoughts or impel your reader to consider the
implications of what you have written. Another common strategy is to form the paper into a
circle of analysis by drawing attention to something that you have said in the lead sentence or
opening paragraph. The last sentence is, in many ways, the most important one that you will
write. It is the final thought that you have for your reader and the final sentence they have to
remember you.
A final closing observation: The word “I” is seldom used constructively by young writers. For the
most part, it weakens your voice and introduces a tone of uncertainly. It suggests “this is just my
opinion.” If you use “I” ask yourself, does this strengthen or weaken my voice? Does it make me
sound like an expert or does it make me sound weak and vacillating? Similarly, “feel” and
“believe” take away from the force of your argument. Eliminate them and restructure the
sentence. This is often easily achieved. Instead of “I believe that Hobbes state of nature is an
accurate description of a world without governmental authority” write “Hobbes state of nature is
an accurate description of a world without governmental authority.“
Common Grammatical Errors
Some common grammatical errors include the comma splice, agreement errors, and the use of
“then” for “than.”
Comma Splice: A comma splice is any two complete sentences connected by a comma. An
example of this error is “The boy hit the ball, he then ran the bases.”
Agreement Error: An agreement error is when the subject and verb do not agree. Verbs must
agree with their subjects in number (singular or plural) and in person (first, second, or third).
Examples of this error include: The tulips in the pot on the balcony needs watering. High levels
of air pollution causes damage to the respiratory tract.
Then and Than: “Then” is usually used to establish a time sequence and often implies causation.
If this happens, then that will happen. “Than” establishes a comparison. Sam is shorter than Pete.
Do not say, “Sam is shorter then Pete.”
Recommended Reading
Consult the following books for further guidance about grammatical rules, the writing process,
and the elements of good writing.
On Writing Well by William Zinnser
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing by Michael Harvey
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write
Them by Francine Prose
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
Guide to Documenting Your Paper
You must document every source that you use in your papers. Information that must be cited
includes quotes, statistics, paraphrases, opinions of other authors, and any other factual
information. If you are confused as to whether you need to use a citation or not, provide one.
Always err on the side of caution.
You have two options for documentation.
Option No. 1
You may use parenthetical notes and then supply a bibliography. If you do this, then simply
supply the author’s name and page number of the reference in parentheses. E.g. (Smith, 17). At
the end of your work, you will then have a “Bibliography” - a page giving full publishing
information about all of the books and articles in used in your paper. The form for the
bibliography is as follows:
A) Book:
Arendt, Hannah. On Revolution. New York: Viking Press, 1970.
B) Article:
Ashworth, John. “The Jeffersonians: Classical Republicans or Liberal Capitalists?” Journal of
American Studies 18 (1984): 428-430.
Option No. 2
Your second option is to use footnotes that include full publishing information. If you use
footnotes with full publication information, then you do not need to have a bibliography.
If you use footnotes, follow the following form:
A) Book
Author, Title (Place of Publication: Name of Publisher, Date of Publication), page numbers.
Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (Cambridge, MA: The
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Enlarged Edition, 1992): 11-22.
B) Article
Author, “Title of Article,” Journal Name Volume number, (Date of Publication): page numbers.
Robert Thomas, "The Virginia Convention of 1788: A Criticism of Charles Beard's An
Economic Interpretation of the Constitution," Journal of Southern History 19 (February, 1953):
63-72
Consult The Chicago Manual of Style (in the library) for other sources.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting the work of someone else as your own. If you plagiarize, I will fail you
for this course. This ranges from flagrant forms such as purchasing a paper that someone else
has written or cutting and pasting large segments from a source or multiple sources and calling it
your own to more subtle forms such as borrowing selected phrases and ideas and weaving them
within a text or paraphrasing the ideas of an author without citing his or her name. It is
plagiarism to copy (cut and paste) sentences or even key phrases from someone’s writing even if
you cite that material! If you directly copy an idea or a phrase or use the language of someone
else, you must quote this person and document the source. If you paraphrase, you must put the
material into your own language and cite it.
Analytic Essay Topics
Write a full and complete typed analytic essay, seven to ten pages long, on one of the topics
below. Your essay cannot exceed ten pages. You should: 1) make reference to cases and readings
if this is appropriate (and it is for most topics) 2) take a stance or a position i.e., make an
argument 3) establish that you have considered positions other than the one that you take 4) strive
to provide an innovative answer that challenges, in some way, the terms of the question or
conventional answers to it.
1. Compare and contrast the conceptions of the state of nature in Hobbes and Locke. How do
these different conceptions of the natural state of mankind lead to different understandings of the
powers and functions of government?
2. Read All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren and analyze the philosophy of leadership of
Willie Stark. Compare and contrast it to the teachings in The Prince.
3. Write an essay comparing and contrasting Book 1 of The Politics with the state of nature in
Hobbes' Leviathan. Among other points make sure that your paper contains an analysis of how
Aristotle and Hobbes differ about "nature" and the role of reason.
4. Compare and contrast the approaches to dealing with the problem of faction presented in The
Republic and in The Federalist No. 10.
5. What President most resembles Machiavelli's Prince? Write an essay examining how this
President was Machiavellian. Be sure to include specific examples of actions that this President
took that establish his title to being considered a Prince.
6. Analyze the importance of virtue to the Prince and how Machiavelli understood this concept.
Was the Prince to be a virtuous man who was nevertheless capable of dishonesty and cruelty in
order to promote the security and well - being of the state or was he simply amoral and concerned
only with augmenting power and personal glory?
7. Write an essay on John Stuart Mill’s On the Subjection of Women. Why, according to Mill,
are women subjected to the control of men. What solutions does he offer for this problem? How
does this essay hold up today? Would Mill’s essay be accepted by contemporary feminists? If so,
then why and if not, then why not?
8. On a similar vein to number seven, write a book review essay on Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl
WuDunn’s Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. How far
have we come in realizing Mill’s dream of equality for men and women?
9. Read Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed or view “Is Walmart Good for America?” Write
an essay on the whether or not Marx’s concepts of alienation and exploitation are alive and well
in America or if we have moved beyond these problems. What did Marx get right about the
advanced stages of capitalism? What did he not consider?
10. Write a critique of “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam. Is Putnam correct that “social
capital” is eroding in America or are there new forms of social capital being generated that
Putnam has not considered?
11. Write an essay based on the topic of your classroom presentation. Summarize the position of
the author, then isolate his or her most contentious and important arguments and evaluate it.
12. Write an essay in favor or opposed to the prospect of periodic revision of the United States
Constitution. Should we be required to reconsider and possibly amend the Constitution every ten
or twenty years? What are the dangers of this Jeffersonian suggestion? What would Madison say
in response?
13. Write a speech as either a prosecutor or defense attorney arguing for either the guilt or
innocence of Socrates.
14. Write a response to Allan Bloom’s critique of popular music in The Closing of the American
Mind. In what ways is Bloom’s critique like Plato’s defense of censorship in The Republic? Are
Bloom and Plato wrong about the impact of music on the character of individuals? If not, then
why shouldn’t their recommendation for the censorship of music be upheld?
15. Reflecting upon your reading of Marx, address the question of whether or not college athletes
are victims of injustice and whether or not they should be paid. This essay might be written after
considering “The Shame of College Sports” @
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/8643/.
16. View the Frontline video “Is Walmart good for America?” and address the question raised
there.
17. Write a critical book review of Winner Take All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich
Richer – and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class by Paul Pierson and Jacob Hacker
18. Address the question, why has socialism never taken hold in the United States?
19. Work with Dr. Gibson to develop a topic of your own.