Introduction to Political Theory
Professor Nicholas Tampio
Fordham University, POSC 5300, Fall 2012
Class: Faber 668, M 5:30-7:20
Office hours: Faber 665, M afternoon
tampio@fordham.edu
Introduction
Political theories are lenses to help us understand and act in the political realm. Just as the lenses
in our eyes refract light on the retinas so that we may perceive clear rather than fuzzy images,
political theories clarify and organize the political manifold in our minds. Political theories
articulate concepts that identify the basic elements of the political universe; they also specify
norms, or principles, that state how things ought to be. Concepts and principles enable us to
perceive the contours of the political landscape as well as to steer our individual and collective
course within it. Political theories, in sum, help us see and act within a political cosmos rather
than a world of flux.
The course then surveys several of the main figures, debates, and movements in the history of
political philosophy and contemporary political theory. For each week, we read a seminal primary
source as well as recent secondary sources. We want to learn how to practice political theory at the
same time as we encounter the substantive ideas of the canon. We begin with Plato’s Republic, a
defense of philosophical aristocracy premised on a select few having access to transcendent ideas.
Then, we turn to Machiavelli’s Prince, which overturns the classical tradition and maintains that
there is no one in this world but the vulgar. The next three Enlightenment philosophers we
consider—Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and James Madison—advance a moral politics accessible
to every ordinary human being.
The course then turns to leading representatives of important movements in contemporary
political theory, including Leo Strauss (conservativism), John Rawls (liberalism), Melissa Victoria
Harris-Lacewell (black political thought), Khaled Abou El Fadl (critical Islam), Jane Bennett
(vibrant materialism), and Nicholas Tampio (pluralism).
Books
Leslie Paul Thiele, Thinking Politics (Chatham House) ISBN-10: 1889119512
Sheldon Wolin, Politics and Vision (Princeton) ISBN-10: 0691126275
Plato, The Republic (Basic) ISBN-10: 0465069347
Niccoló Machiavelli, The Prince (Chicago) ISBN-10: 9780226500447
David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (Oxford) ISBN-10: 0198751729
Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (Yale) ISBN-10: 0300094876
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Publius, The Federalist (Liberty Fund) ISBN-10: 0865972885
Leo Strauss, An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Wayne State) ISBN-10: 0814319025
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Revised Edition (Harvard) ISBN-10: 0674000773
Melissa Victoria Harris-Lacewell, Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political
Thought (Princeton) ISBN-10: 0691126097
Jacques Ranciere, Dissensus: On Politics and Aesthetics (Continuum) ISBN-10: 1847064450
Khaled Abou El Fadl, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy (Princeton) ISBN-10: 0691119384
Jane Bennett, Vibrant Matter (Duke) ISBN-10: 0822346338
Nicholas Tampio, Kantian Courage (Fordham) ISBN-10: 0823245012
Course Requirements
1. Class participation. Students are expected to attend class with notes, questions, and thoughts
about the reading. Don’t be a spectator: join the conversation!
2. At the beginning of the second class (September 10), turn in a 2 page analysis of one of the 50
most read articles in Political Theory (http://ptx.sagepub.com/reports/most-read). The analysis
should identify:
 The topic: The main question the author addresses
 Literature review: How other scholars address the question
 Methodology: How the author addresses the question
 Thesis: The author’s answer to the question
 Criticism (+): The strengths of the paper
 Criticism (—): The weaknesses of the paper
 Personal response: The questions or projects this paper raises for you
2, 3, 4. Each student will lead one seminar. Before class, write a 7-8 page essay summarizing and
analyzing the material, including current controversies surrounding it. In addition to the primary
sources, read recent articles on the author in such journals as Political Theory, European Journal of
Political Theory, Contemporary Political Theory, Polity, and Radical Philosophy. Make a 1-2 page handout
that summarizes the material, and speak for about 20 minutes. Ideally, we will be inspired to have
a lively discussion.
5. A 20-25 page research paper. Students should consult with the professor about their topics
throughout the semester. The essay should have the general format: (1) Specify a problem or
question that needs to be addressed. You can raise this problem by pointing to real world
controversies, political science literatures, or theoretical debates. The first 3-4 pages should grab
the reader’s attention and lay out a plan to address the question. (2) Explain how one author on
the syllabus addresses the question. Read the material on the syllabus and relevant secondary
literature. 8-10 pages. (3) Consider how another author on the syllabus addresses the question. (4)
Present your own thoughts about how to answer the question. You can support your thesis by
citing the text, political science literatures, or real world events. 3-4 pages. For general advice, see
my essay, "Writing Political Theory: Lessons from an Apprenticeship," PS: Political Science & Politics,
vol. 38, no. 3, July 2005.) Due on December 17 by 5:30 p.m
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Grade Distribution
Article analysis
Class participation
Class presentation essay
Class presentation
Class presentation handout
Research paper
10
10
10
10
10
50
Classes
1. September 5 – What is Political Theory?
Leslie Paul Thiele, Thinking Politics, Chapter 1
Sheldon Wolin, Politics and Vision, Chapter 1
Sheldon Wolin, “Political Theory as a Vocation,” American Political Science Review
2. September 10 – Classical Political Philosophy

Plato, Republic, Books IV-VII
Leo Strauss, An Introduction to Political Philosophy, “On Classical Political Philosophy”
Article analysis due
3. September 17 – Modern Political Philosophy
Machiavelli, The Prince (entire)
Leo Strauss, An Introduction to Political Philosophy, “The Three Waves of Modernity”
4. September 24 – The Scottish Enlightenment
David Hume, Treatise on Human Nature, Book III
5. October 1 – The Prussian Enlightenment
Immanuel Kant, The Groundwork, entire
6. October 15 – The American Enlightenment
Publius, The Federalist, 10, 39, 51, 54, 55
7. October 22 – A Conservative Critique of the Enlightenment
Leo Strauss, An Introduction to Political Philosophy, “What is Political Philosophy?”
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8. October 29 – A Liberal Reconstruction of the Enlightenment
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Chapter I, §§1-4, Chapter II, §§11-17, Chapter III, entire,
Chapter IV, §§33-35, 39-40
9. November 5 – The State of Black Political Thought
Melissa Victoria Harris-Lacewell, Barbershops, Bibles, and BET, Chapters 1, 2, 6, 7
10. November 12 – Rethinking Democracy
Jacques Ranciere, Dissensus, Chapters 1 and 2
11. November 19 – Islam and Democracy
Khaled Abou El Fadl, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy (entire)
12. November 26 – Vibrant Materialism
Jane Bennett, Vibrant Matter, Chapters 2, 3
13. December 3 – A New Enlightenment?
Nicholas Tampio, Kantian Courage, Introduction, Chapter 4
14. December 10 – I will be in my office from 2 to 5 p.m. to consult with you on your papers.
15. December 17 – Let’s meet at my office at 5:30 and walk to Little Italy for dinner.
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