Poli 206 AA4480

Introduction to Western Political Theory

or

Plato to N.A.T.O. for Couch Potatoes

Meeting Location: MB 1-210

Meeting time: Tuesday Thursday 1:15-2.30pm

Office Hours:

Tuesdays and Thursdays 12.00-1:00pm

email: [email protected]

WARNING!!!!

This course demands a willingness to engage in extensive reading! Those students who for
whatever reason are extremely slow readers; due to language issues, work commitments or a
congenital aversion to the printed word, may find this course extremely burdensome and are
advised not to take it. Those who have displayed an inability to keep up with the course load will
be strongly advised to drop the course before the drop date! I do not intend to waste class time
summarizing the readings. Lectures are designed to enhance the interpretative options for the
readings not to impose my view of who said what to whom. Those who have not read the
selections may attend the class but you will NOT be encouraged to offer an opinion during class
discussion, since without doing the readings your opinions are uninformed and consequently of
little to no value to your peers. Lectures are offered in a concentrated time-frame and cannot be
missed casually. Instructions for quiz assignments will therefore be offered orally in class rather
than through Moodle. This will reward those who both pay strict attention to announcements,
those who make good notes and those who attend lectures.

Irrespective of your eventual focus in Political Science, you will almost certainly have to cite
theoretical material in your future work. This course attempts to introduce students to a broad
selection of ideas that have a foundational place in the historical canon of Western Political
thought. My hope is that you will discover an author or series of concepts that resonate with you
and that you will be able to pursue that interest in more depth later at the 300 and 400 levels.
The thinkers in poli206 are the “heavy hitters” in political science, however, there are dozens of
other significant thinkers that we must overlook in a survey of this kind. These would include
Augustine, Averroes, Aquinas, Al Farabi, (and that’s just some of the A’s), Adam Smith, David
Hume, Rousseau, Spinoza, Carl Schmitt, Francis Bacon, Foucault, Derrida, Thucydides,
Xenophon, Nietzsche, and on and on. The authors I have selected speak to the foundational ideas
that eventually formed concepts that have become central to the canonical assumptions of
Western thought. Ethics, normative utopias, governmental typologies, power, violence, fear of
death, equality, distributive justice, the role of the individual in pre and post-industrial states are
just some of the concepts at the core of their writings. We will examine these issues over the
course and include other concepts if they become relevant.

Synchronous Activity Notice. All classes are offered in person, and on campus. I will not be
providing recordings of class discussion or real time video uplinks. This will prove academically
fatal to students who plan to take the course remotely and they are encouraged not to take this
class and to seek on line alternatives if they are available.

Readings

The course will necessitate some significant reading as well as independent engagement with the
text. You must be extremely disciplined in your reading and attendance. The readings will be
drawn from a series of texts available from a range of popular bookstores but are also available
on line in free, if somewhat dated, translations or editions. They will include:

Plato and Aristotle The Republic; Politics (Ethics, Justice and Political Typologies)

Dante Inferno (Religion and Politics, Rhetoric, Poetry, Aesthetics)

Machiavelli: The Prince (Power and Secularism)

Hobbes Leviathan (Fear and Absolutism)

Locke Second Treatise (Property, individual rights)

Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Feminism)

Marx: The Communist Manifesto (Socialism, Industrialization, Revolution)

For those who like to hold the work in their hands I recommend the Norton Critical Editions for
their price and the collected essays that appear with each edition. The exception is Aristotle’s
Politics, for which no Norton edition exists to date and Machiavelli’s Prince, which must only be
read in the Harvey Mansfield or William Connell translations available from Amazon or
Abebooks in inexpensive editions. As noted, each of these works will be offered free on line with
the exception of the Prince for reasons that will become clear in class.

Course structure

The course will broadly divide itself into two halves, with four major authors in the first half and
four in the second. The first half will focus more on group issues of power, political
organization, ethics, religion, rhetoric and violence, the second on a more individual response to
culture, authority, feminism and private property and we will finish on the collective concerns of
Marx re: property, violence, revolution, capitalism, alienation and the future of the species. In
order to make it fit I will be compressing Plato and Aristotle into one group, called the
Hellenistic Greeks and Hobbes and Locke into the English Enlightenment. The midterm will be
an in class exam with terms and a choice of one quotation from a series offered that will allow
you to respond to contemporary consequences of political concepts that feature the first four
authors. The final exam will also have terms with a focus on the latter four authors but be based
on your responses to two quotations that will be open enough for you to discuss ideas derived
from the course.

Style

For help with style issues see the Concordia website

http://www.library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.html

As far as I’m concerned there are three “C’s” to follow: clarity, consistency and careful
construction of your arguments (Ok four if you wish to be pedantic). I will speak about this in
class. I require all quotations or even oblique references to be cited with a page number or URL
if they are not your original thoughts. For example: (Smith 1998) is not good enough.

Plagiarism

DON”T!!!!

Plagiarism
Department of Political Science Statement on Plagiarism
The Department of Political Science has zero tolerance for plagiarism.

1. What is plagiarism?
The University defines plagiarism as “the presentation of the work of another person, in
whatever form, as one’s own or without proper acknowledgement” (Concordia Academic Code
of Conduct, Article 19a,
https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/concordia/offices/provost/docs/Academic-Code-Conduct-
2015.pdf). Plagiarism is an academic offence governed by the Code of Conduct (Academic). To
find out more about how to avoid plagiarism, see the Concordia University Student Success
Centre at:
https://www.concordia.ca/students/success.html

2. What are the consequences of being caught?

Students caught plagiarizing are subject to the following sanctions:
(a) a written reprimand; (b) a piece of work be re-submitted; (c) an examination be taken anew;
(d) a grade reduction or grade of zero for the piece of work in question; (e) a grade reduction or
failing grade for the course; (f) a failing grade and ineligibility for a supplemental examination or
any other evaluative exercise for the course; (g) the obligation to take and pass courses of up to
twenty-four (24) credits in addition to the total number of credits required for the student’s
program; (h) suspension for a period not to exceed six (6) academic terms. Suspensions shall
entail the withdrawal of all University privileges, including the right to enter and be on
University premises; (i) expulsion from the University. Expulsion entails the permanent
termination of all University privileges. In the case of a student who has already graduated, the
only two available sanctions are (i) a notation on the student’s academic record that he or she has
been found guilty of academic misconduct; or (ii) a recommendation to Senate for the revocation
of the degree obtained. (Academic Code of Conduct, Articles 21-25)
Complete regulations can be found in the Academic Code of Conduct.

Intellectual Property
Content belonging to instructors shared in online courses, including, but not limited to, online
lectures, course notes, and video recordings of classes remain the intellectual property of the
faculty member. It may not be distributed, published or broadcast, in whole or in part, without
the express permission of the faculty member. Students are also forbidden to use their own
means of recording any elements of an online class or lecture without express permission of the
instructor. Any unauthorized sharing of course content may constitute a breach of the Academic
Code of Conduct and/or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities.

Changes of the Syllabus

The instructor reserves the right to amend the schedule of meetings and assignments listed in this
syllabus as might become necessary based on events throughout the semester. Any changes to
the syllabus will be announced and students will receive an amended syllabus in writing. Copies
of the most up to date syllabus can be found on the course website on Moodle.
My own feelings are that this course is designed to make you think about the complexities
inherent in political choice making rather than how to come up with the “right answer.” Answers
in this field are “right” only to the extent that they are persuasive to your peers and support (or
fail to support) your convictions. I will be looking for rhetorical ability, engagement with the
material, sound arguments, and research that confirms your case as strongly as the material will
allow. The point is that I have no intention of testing your memory. I am really testing the degree
to which you are able to derive significance from the readings in relation to your lived
experience. Since this allows and even encourages subjective responses, there is little need to
plagiarize. To do so is to announce your utter disinterest in engaging with political issues that
impact your own life and renders incomprehensible your decision to enroll in a political science
class. It is your responsibility to make sure you understand the rules concerning plagiarism at
Concordia. (see above) My own guide is “if in doubt, cite it”. Borrowing an idea complete
without citing it is plagiarism. Reordering the words and passing them off as your own is
plagiarism. Quoting someone and not citing them is plagiarism. Hearing something on the radio
or on television and passing it off as your own idea is plagiarism. Talk to any one of my past
students who got caught and they’ll tell you “Don’t do it, it’s not worth it.”

Course expectations
I am extremely generous with respect to the arguments I will allow. I don’t want or expect you to
always follow my lead although I will ask you to be responsible for the propositions you reject.
In other words, disagree as much as you like but if you do not show an understanding of what
you are rejecting then we will likely be in conflict with each other.

You are responsible for all the readings I assign you, by which I mean that any part of the
readings may reasonably constitute a part of the midterm, final or any pop quiz. All readings
must be completed when they are due otherwise we will be unable to engage in class discussion
and your papers will suffer from lower grades than you are capable of. I expect anyone in class
to be able to summarize and/or discuss the readings when called upon. Also note the high
percentage I have assigned to pop-quizzes. These will prove laughably easy for those on top of
the readings and attending the lectures but will destroy the average of those students who do not
keep up. I have never taught a student who did the readings, took all the quizzes, and did not pass
the course, and those who completed the readings usually finished with a very strong grade. In
addition to the pop quizzes, which will be testing important terms raised in lecture as well as
obvious points in the readings, I will assign a midterm designed to elicit a response from you
with respect to the authors of the first half of the course. The midterm will be in class and will
have a terms section, and an essay length response to a series of quotations. The final exam will
be similar, except that there will be two essay responses to a variety of quotations to deal with.

We are all adults engaging in a discourse on adult issues in an adult setting. To that end, people
with a low tolerance for contradiction, blasphemy, salty language, and adult themed discussion
are advised to either moderate their expectations of potential offense or excuse themselves.
(They may obviously lobby for a more sedate discursive environment but they should not labour
under the misapprehension that they will necessarily prevail). That said, we will not tolerate ad
hominum attacks, ideological proselytizing, violence or threats of violence. I may ask for
consideration for students suffering from PTSD or other traumatic events, but on the whole I
intend to maintain a fairly liberal discursive environment where ideas and counterclaims can
flow freely

Office Hours

To the extent that Covid protocols will allow, these will be “open forum” in style, meaning that
you should simply enter the office when you arrive and join in the discussion or ask your
question when you have a chance. Students may express ideas or concerns that they have about
the authors or ideas that have been raised in class. Open forum means that I don’t have to say the
same thing 30 different times, leaving time to engage in a free ranging informal discussion on
topics raised in class. If there are private issues, you do not wish to have overheard by others,
please email me at [email protected] and arrange an appointment outside regular office
hours.

Grade distribution
Mid-term exam 30%

In-class term quizzes and/or responses 30%

Final exam 40%

The instructor reserves the right to amend the schedule of meetings and assignments listed in this
syllabus as might become necessary based on events throughout the semester. Any changes to
the syllabus will be announced and students will receive an amended syllabus in writing. Copies
of the most up to date syllabus can be found on the course website on Moodle. In the event of
extraordinary circumstances and pursuant to the Academic Regulations, the University may
modify the delivery, content, structure, forum, location and/or evaluation scheme. In the event of
such extraordinary circumstances, students will be informed of the changes.

In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University's control, the content and/or
evaluation scheme in this course is subject to change.