PLS 493--Seminar in Advanced Political Philosophy
Fall 2012: "Diversity and Citizenship"
Prof. Gill, 426D
Office: MTWThF 8:15-9
MW 10-11:30
TTh 10:15-11:00
Although the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment is to apply to everyone, we know that
historically, the law has not always been applied in the same way to all. Sometimes there are good reasons for this.
Substantive equality may sometimes mean equitable rather than equal treatment. A medical insurance plan, for example,
may apply more money to the care of a sick person than to a well person even if both have the same insurance plan.
Typically, however, a well person will not then wish he were sick. Another example stems from the free exercise of
religion. Although the First Amendment guarantees free exercise, the government would not allow the practice of human
sacrifice even if some people were to argue that their religious beliefs compelled it. In many other instances, however, the
government may fail to see that people are in similar situations and deserve treatment that is indeed equal. Sorting out
which types of situations are which will constitute much of the work of this course.
To this end, we shall be reading six books over the course of the semester. We shall begin with Vincent Phillip Muñoz's
book, God and the Founders: Madison, Washington, and Jefferson, about the differing views of the founders of the
United States and about how these have been reflected in public policy towards religion. Next will be Hilal Elver's The
Headscarf Controversy, which focuses on the issue of the challenge to the dominant culture that some people think
Muslim women's wearing headscarves poses in both other countries and the United States. Then we will proceed to
Allison Carey's On the Margins of Citizenship: Intellectual Disability and Civil Rights in Twentieth-Century America,
which addresses the slowness with which those with disabilities have been regarded as full citizens. Next we shall discuss
a very short book, Joseph Carens's Immigrants and the Right to Stay, which encompasses differing views on the position
of undocumented individuals in this country. My own new book, An Argument for Same-Sex Marriage: Religious
Freedom, Sexual Freedom, and Public Expressions of Civic Equality, analogizes from the current policy in most
jurisdictions of extending civil marriage only to opposite-sex couples to government policy that might establish only one
religion and might hinder the free exercise of other religions. Finally, Corey Brettschneider in When the State Speaks
What Should It Say? argues that although the government should be viewpoint-neutral in allowing groups that would deny
the free and equal citizenship of all citizens freely to express their viewpoints, the government should criticize these
viewpoints in its own expression through court decisions, laws, and so forth. Not everyone will agree with everything in
all of these books; one reason I picked the last book is that although it raises important issues, I myself have some
reservations about parts of it. But three of these books (Brettschneider's, Elver's, and mine) were published just this year
(mine may not be out till September), so we should be on the proverbial cutting edge on many of these issues by
semester's end!
Class will consist primarily of discussion of issues central to the course material. Since this class is a seminar, the quality
of class discussion will depend heavily on careful reading of the assignments before class. Students are expected to have
read and reflected upon the material and to be ready to discuss in depth the issues raised by it. Students will take turns
leading discussion on the assigned reading, doing so at least once during the semester but possibly more depending on
class size. There will be two in-class essay tests, each covering three of the six assigned books. Finally, each student will
write three critical analyses over the semester. Each will be devoted to issues of the student’s choice in three of the six
books. Guidelines for the critical analyses will be distributed shortly. A critical analysis of a book will ordinarily be due
the first class meeting after we have finished discussing that book.
With respect to grading, each of the three critical analyses will count 15%; the class presentation(s) and general
contributions together will count another 15%. The written exams will count 20% each.
Students should know that every letter grade means something definite. C means the student shows evidence of having
read the course material and has at least attempted to participate in discussion on a regular basis, showing a basic
understanding of the questions and problems considered. D is for those who fall below this mark. B goes to those who
show a solid grasp of the material and its complexities. This means knowing the material and participating in class--but
also means having thought out the material and its implications. A, the gold standard, is reserved for those who have done
all that is expected of the B’s and who also demonstrate an additional measure of critical incisiveness and imagination.
Over the last several years, I have experienced more instances than previously of students not turning in assigned papers
on their due dates with no good reason(s) for the delay. Therefore, current policy is that in the absence of some clearly
definable and documentable emergency, unless I have been notified and some prior arrangement has been made, papers
will go down one full letter grade for every day they are late after the due date. That is, where on the due date the highest
possible grade would be an A, the next day the highest possible grade would be a B, etc.
Some of this material may seem difficult at first, but be patient: it will become easier with time if you put in the requisite
effort. I hope that by the end of the course, you will agree that you have learned something valuable.
CALENDAR OF ASSIGNMENTS
Aug. 22
Introduction
Aug. 27
Aug. 29
Muñoz, Introduction and Ch. 1, 1-48 (47 pp.)
Muñoz, Ch. 2-3, 49-116 (67 pp.)
Hatler
Sept. 3
Sept. 5
Muñoz, Ch. 4-5, 119-165 (46 pp.)
Muñoz, Ch. 6, 166-195 (29 pp.)
D’Anna
Nightengale
Sept. 10
Sept. 12
Muñoz, Ch. 7 & Conclusion, 196-221 (25 pp.)
Elver, Ch. 1-2, 1-40 (39 pp.)
Blutcher
Au
Sept. 17
Sept. 19
Elver, Ch. 3-4, 41-97 (56 pp.)
Elver, Ch. 5-7, 101-152 (51 pp.)
Cone
Gebelhoff
Sept. 24
Sept. 26
Elver, Ch. 8-9, 153-201 (48 pp.)
Carey, Ch. 1-3, 1-51 (50 pp.)
Kim
Cone
Oct.1
Oct. 3
Carey, Ch. 4-5, 52-82 (30 pp.)
Carey, Ch. 6-7, 105-159 (54 pp.)
Au
Gaddis
Oct. 8
Oct. 10
FALL BREAK
Carey, Ch. 8-10, 160-228 (68 pp.)
Welty
Oct. 15
Oct. 17
TEST 1
Carens, 3-51 (no chapter numbers here; 48 pp.)
Oct. 22
Oct. 24
Carens, 55-111 (56 pp.)
Gill, Ch. 1, 1-41 (40 pp.)
Anguiano
Gaddis
Oct. 29
Oct. 31
Gill, Ch. 2, 42-70 (28 pp.)
Gill, Ch. 3, 71-116 (45 pp.)
Perkins
Gebelhoff
Nov. 5
Nov. 7
Gill, Ch. 4, 117-154 (37 pp.)
Gill, Ch, 5, 155-219 (64 pp.)
Anguiano
Welty
Nov. 12
Nov. 14
Gill, Ch. 6, 220-250 (30 pp.)
Brettschneider, Introduction, 1-23 (22 pp.)
Blutcher
Nightengale
Nov. 19
Nov. 21
Brettschneider, Ch. 1-2, 24-70 (46 pp.)
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Perkins
Nov. 26
Nov. 28
Brettschneider, Ch. 3, 71-108 (37 pp.)
Brettschneider, Ch. 4, 109-141 (32 pp.)
Kim
Hatler
Dec. 3
Brettschneider, Ch. 5 & Conclusion, 142-174 (32 pp.)
D’Anna
Dec. 11 (Tues.)
TEST 2, 2:30-3:45