POT 2002: Introduction to Political Theory
Professor Dan O’Neill
Office: 334 Anderson
Office Hours: F, 9:30-12:30
Spring 2015
tel. 273-2386
doneill@ufl.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This class is designed to introduce students to a number of intellectual traditions that have been
fundamentally important to the development of Western political thought. Our narrow goal in the
course is to come to a better understanding of these ideas through a critical engagement with
thinkers whose writings are regarded as crucial for their articulation. More broadly, the course
aims to help students to think critically about the ways in which knowledge derived from
reflecting upon old texts might inform their approach to political thought and political action in
the present.
TEXTS:
Plato, The Republic (Oxford, ed. Francis M. Cornford)
The Portable Machiavelli (Penguin, ed. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa)
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government (Hackett, ed. C.B. Macpherson)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract and the Discourses (Everyman, ed. G.D.H. Cole)
The Portable Edmund Burke (ed. Isaac Kramnick)
The Marx-Engels Reader (Norton, ed. Robert C. Tucker)
Course Requirements:
Assignments and Grading: Grades for the course will be determined by 5 components: two 5
page papers (25% each); a midterm (20%); a course final (20%); and section attendance and
participation (10%). The midterm will be in class on Thursday, February 26. The final will occur
at the time and date listed below. The midterm and final will be entirely essay-based; questions
for both will be handed out in advance of the exams on the dates listed below. The highest grade
a late paper can receive in the absence of a legitimate excuse is a “C+.” An example of a
legitimate excuse would be an illness for which you have a signed doctor’s note. Please be
aware: A “C+” is not the lowest grade a late paper can receive; it is the highest (i.e., it is the
ceiling, not the floor). You have plenty of time to write these short papers; do not wait until the
last minute. Due dates for the papers are listed below.
Teaching Assistants and Sections: We have two excellent Teaching Assistants for this
course. Your attendance and participation in section is mandatory and will be graded (see above),
and it is highly recommended for you to visit your TA in office hours. The TAs will also do the
grading in this course, working in close consultation with me. This means: If you have a
problem with your grade, you must first take it up with your TA, who graded your work. If you
are still unconvinced, or feel that you have been grievously harmed in some fashion (“But I’ve
never gotten grade X before…” does not count), then by all means bring your concerns to me as
the final arbiter of the issue. However, be aware: I reserve the right to change grades in either
direction, down as well as up; so please give it some thought. Political theory is not easy. Your
TA is a valuable resource for your success in the course. He can help you to gain a firm grasp of
the material in sections, and aid you in the development of your papers. The TAs office location
and office hours will be announced in section.
Preparation: You should do the reading for a given lecture prior to coming to class on that
day. If you are playing catch up on the reading, you will be in trouble in this course. At a deeper
level, failure to stay up with the reading and reflect upon it prior to lecture will stunt your
intellectual growth, which would be a shame.
Policy on Academic Integrity: All students are required to abide by the University of Florida’s
Academic Honesty Guidelines, which may be viewed at
http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/honestybrochure.php Among other things, this means
that cheating on exams is totally unacceptable, as is plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of
portraying as your own the words or ideas of other people. Examples include: submitting entire
papers, or portions of papers, that you did not write (e.g., old papers written by other students,
new papers written by other students, papers which you paid a “research” service to write for you,
papers or portions of papers downloaded from the Internet). Copying verbatim or paraphrasing
any substantial portion of text by another author without acknowledging the source via quotation
and/or footnotes is plagiarism. Plagiarism is far easier to spot than you might think. I do it all the
time. Do not ruin your experience in this or any other class by engaging in academic dishonesty.
This should be made somewhat easier in the current class, because all outside sources are strictly
forbidden when it comes to writing papers!
Accommodations: Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations must first
register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide
documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when
requesting accommodation. Please come see me as soon as possible regarding this matter.
Cell phones, The Alligator, etc.: Cell phones should be turned off prior to class. Save “Clash of
Clans,” Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter until your free time. Fold the paper and put it away for
the duration of the class. It’s only fifty minutes folks, and it might even be entertaining and/or
informative. Maybe.
Lecture, Reading, and Discussion Schedule:
January 6 (T): Introduction: “What Is Political Theory Anyway, and Why Should I Care?” One
Answer Start Reading Plato
January 8 (TH): Athenian Democracy: The Cradle of (Discontented) Western Political Thought
Start Reading Plato
January 13 (T): Plato, Republic, pp.1-40
January 15 (TH): Plato, The Republic, pp. 41-102
January 20 (T): Plato, The Republic, pp. 175-235
January 22 (TH): Plato, The Republic, pp. 102-174;
January 27 (T): Plato, The Republic, pp. 264-320
First Paper Handed Out
January 29 (TH): Portable Machiavelli, pp. 77-95 (The Prince)
February 3 (T): Portable Machiavelli, pp. 96-166 (The Prince);
February 5 (TH): Portable Machiavelli, pp. 168-228, 252-253, 281-287 (Discourses)
First Paper Due
February 10 (T): Portable Machiavelli, pp. 287-301, 320, 314-316, 319-325, 326-338,
342-345, 351-356, 386-388, 400-402, 416-418 (Discourses)
February 12 (TH): Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 3-30
February 17 (T): Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 30-65
February 19 (TH): Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 65-107
(Midterm Questions Handed Out)
February 24 (T): Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 107-124
February 26 (TH): Midterm Examination (In Class)
March 3, 5: No Class (Spring Break)
March 10 (T): Rousseau, A Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, pp. 43-83
March 12 (TH): Rousseau, A Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, pp. 84-126
March 17 (T): Rousseau, The Social Contract, pp. 181-182, 190-210, 213-217, 225,
230-237, 261-268
March 19 (TH): Rousseau, The Social Contract, pp. 274-279, 296-309
March 24 (T): Portable Edmund Burke, pp. 416-474
March 26 (TH): Portable Edmund Burke, pp. 63-81, 489-499
March 31 (T): Portable Edmund Burke, 507-530
April 2 (TH): Portable Edmund Burke, 194-212
Second Paper Handed Out
April 7 (T): Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 26-52, 53-54, 3-6, 299-302
April 9 (TH): Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 70-81
Second Paper Due
April 14 (T): Marx-Engels Reader, 203-217, 305-306, 336-339
April 16 (TH): Marx-Engels Reader, pp. 469-491
April 21 (T): Conclusion: Final Exam Questions Handed Out/ Remaining Evaluations
FINAL EXAMINATION: Wednesday, April 29 (5:30-7:30 P.M.)