Syllabus for:
HISTORY OF POLITICAL
THEORY I
POLS 3201.01
Fall 2014
Instructor: Mike Lattanzi
Rm. 2026 HUSS
Tel. x1935 (office),
010 1888 1984 (mobile)
E-mail: lattanzi@aucegypt.edu
michaellattanzi@gmail.com
Office Hrs: Monday, 2 – 4 pm
Wednesday, 11:30 – 12:30
This course is the first of two historical introductions to political thinking in the western
tradition. It begins with classical Greek political thought, continues through the transitional period
of the renaissance and concludes with the first attempts at early modern political thinking.
COURSE TEXTS
Plato; “The Apology of Socrates”; trans. Hugh Tredennick
Plato; The Republic; trans. Benjamin Jowett
Aristotle; Nichomachean Ethics; trans. W. D. Ross
Aristotle; The Politics; trans. Benjamin Jowett
Niccolo Machiavelli; The Prince; trans. W. K. Marriott
Thomas Hobbes; Leviathan
All texts will be available on Blackboard.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Midterm Exam: Sun. Oct. 26
Thought Paper - Assigned: Wed. Nov. 5
Due: Sun. Nov. 30
Final Exam
Attendance and Participation
30%
30%
30%
10%
Note on Attendance:
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class. If, for
unavoidable reasons, you are unable to make it to a class on time, you are welcome to join us
when you are able. However, students who arrive after attendance has been taken will not be
counted as present for grading purposes. Chronic lateness is unacceptable. Leaving after the class
has begun is not permitted except in case of illness or physical distress.
The Senate has recently approved a new, university-wide attendance policy:
"A student who misses more than the equivalent of three weeks of class meetings during
a semester for any reason may be assigned a reduced grade for the course — including
the grade of “F” — solely on the basis of inadequate attendance, regardless of excuse...
Students who miss fewer than three weeks of class sessions may not be penalized on the
grounds of attendance alone... Students are personally responsible for making up any
academic tasks and assignments missed due to their absence."
ACDEMIC INTEGRITY
Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the AUC policy on academic
integrity, which can be found at the following site:
http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/integrity/Pages/default.aspx
I take questions of academic integrity very seriously and violations of the AUC policy on
integrity will be reported to the Academic Integrity Committee. If a student has any questions
about this policy – esp. what would qualify as an instance of plagiarism – please consult me
before submitting work. Once a paper is submitted, I will presume that the student understands
the academic integrity policy and what counts as a violation of it. Let me stress this again: please
consult me before work is submitted. It is best for all of us if possible violations of the academic
integrity policy are caught before they occur.
OUTLINE
Note: According to the AUC academic calendar for 2014-15, all classes held on SundayWednesday schedules must make up two extra class sessions outside of regularly scheduled class
hours. We will decide as a class exactly how these two classes will be made up.
i) Introduction
Sept. 7, 10, 14, 17
Reading:
What is political theory? What is political philosophy?
Tradition and Critique
Plato; “The Apology of Socrates”
ii) Classical Greek Political Philosophy
Sept. 21, 24, 28; Oct. 1, 8
Reading:
Plato
Plato; The Republic; Books I, II, IV, V, VI, VII
Please Note: Due to the Eid El Adha holiday, there will be no class on Oct. 5
Oct. 12, 15, 19, 22
Reading:
Oct. 26
Aristotle I
Aristotle; Nichomachean Ethics; Books I, II, V, VI
*** Midterm Exam ***
Oct. 29; Nov. 2, 5. 9
Aristotle II
Reading:
Aristotle; The Politics; Books I, II (chapters 1-5), III,
IV (chapters 1, 2, 11, 12)
Nov. 5
*** Thought Paper Assigned ***
iii) Transition to Renaissance
Nov. 12
Late Classical Political Philosophy
No Reading
Nov. 16
Medieval and Scholastic Political Philosophy
No Reading
iv) Renaissance Political Thinking
Nov. 19, 23, 26
Reading:
Machiavelli
Machiavelli; The Prince
v) Early Modern Political Theory
Nov. 30; Dec. 3, 7, 10
Reading:
Nov. 30
Hobbes
Hobbes; Leviathan; Introduction, Part I (chapters 1-8, 1316), Part II (chapters 17-21, 29)
*** Thought Paper Due ***
vi) Conclusion
Dec. 14
Conclusion and Review