APPLIED ARTS DIVISION

School of Liberal Arts

Winter, 2018

COURSE OUTLINE

POLI 201

INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT

45 HOURS
3 CREDITS

PREPARED BY: Eric Scarffe, Instructor DATE: November 10, 2017

APPROVED BY: DATE:

APPROVED BY ACADEMIC COUNCIL: (date)

RENEWED BY ACADEMIC COUNCIL: (date)

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 APPLIED ARTS DIVISION
Poli 201
3 Credit Course
Winter Semester, 2018

INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT

INSTRUCTOR: Eric Scarffe, MA, PHD (in progress) OFFICE HOURS: TBA

OFFICE LOCATION: N/A CLASSROOM: Online

E-MAIL: [email protected] TIME: Not Applicable

TELEPHONE: ( 8 6 7 ) 6 6 8 - 8 7 7 0 ( A d m i n A st . ) Dates: January 3, 2018 – April

25, 2018

COURSE CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

This course introduces students to the political ideas that are basic to modern democratic
theory and manifested in the processes and institutions of the Canadian system of
government. Students will study classical political theory and contemporary developments in
Political Science. Students practice critical thinking through exercises such as direct political
debate with their peers.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is will cover a wide range of ideas that will expose participants to classical political
theory as well as contemporary developments in Political Science. The relevance of these
concepts to current political issues is established through lectures and in class discussions.
The course endeavors to develop students’ critical thinking abilities. Lectures, activities, and
class discussion will offer opportunities for all to participate in the process of deepening their
awareness and understanding of key concepts and thinkers that have influenced contemporary
political thought.
Most universities offer courses that examine particular political philosophers and their works
in greater depth. This course is a preparation for more advanced work in the field.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
None.

EQUIVALENCY OR TRANSFERABILITY

CAMO Psc 210 (3) CAPU Pol 111 (3) KPU Poli 1110 (3)

SFU Pol 100 (3) – B – Soc TRU Poli 1210 (3) TRU-OL Poli 2xx1 (3)

TWU Pols 101 (3) UBC Poli 240 (3) UFV Posc 100 (3)

UNBC Pols 2xx (3) UVIC Poli 202 (1.5)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Demonstrate an awareness of the historical development of political rights and

responsibilities and their evolutionary direction;

• Recognize key political thinkers from Plato to Dworkin, and underlying philosophical
concepts influencing contemporary political issues;

• Understand the importance of the cultural context in which political change occurs;

• Enhance their potential and desire for political engagement;

• Be prepared to pursue more advanced work in Political Science;

• Develop their critical thinking capacity, written communication and debating abilities.

DELIVERY METHODS

This course will be delivered online. Its’ contents will consist of weekly readings (both
from the textbook and resources provided online), lectures, discussion forms, and
activities. In addition, the course may include videos and links to supplemental materials.
ASSESSMENTS
Attendance
As this is an online course, your attendance will be measured by whether you are completing
the course activities and class discussion forums both in a timely manner (i.e., in time for
your classmates to engage you in discussion, not simply the moment before the comment is
due). Many of the discussion forums rely on your participation, and therefore your
punctuality in completing these assignments, in addition the quality of your contributions,
matter greatly.
Quizzes
There are quizzes included for select modules. These quizzes represent 5% of the
student’s final grade. Keep in mind that students can attempt each of these quizzes as
many times as they wish, but only their final attempt will count toward their grade. The
intention here is to reward students for reading carefully, and for the quizzes to give
students immediate feedback as to how they are doing with the readings and course
material.
Assignments
Students will complete three SHORT assignments. Each assignment will be worth 15% of
the student’s final grade and will be broadly related to the topic and readings of the
module. These assignments are intended to get students engaged with the course material
and are an opportunity for students to get feedback on their work prior to writing their
term paper. More detailed assignment descriptions will be provided on the website.
Paper
Each student will prepare their paper from their choice of the assigned topics. The paper
must be between 1500 and 2000 words and will account for 30% of the student’s final
grade. These papers are intended to showcase the student’s knowledge of the course
material, as well as the student’s original thought.

In all papers, students will be expected to state their thesis, supported it by integrating
appropriate assigned readings and class materials, in addition to citing any outside sources
they wish to draw upon in THEIR argument. Their writing should demonstrate their
knowledge, understanding and analysis of the key concepts covered in the course. Proper
referencing and bibliographies are required. Students should expect to spend AT LEAST
two to three weeks thoroughly researching and writing this paper. A more detailed
description of the paper will be provided when the paper topics are assigned.

An assignment handed in after the due date will be considered a 'late' paper. 5% will be
deducted for every late day up to a maximum of five late days after which time the
assignment will not be accepted.

Students should maintain a back-up copy of all assignments!

Examinations
There will be no exam in this course. Although it is true that in upper level university
courses it is important for students to be able to recall large quantities of information
quickly and precisely, for our purposes it is much more important for students to spend
time engaging with the text and reflecting carefully. Many students will be
understandably excited by the idea of not having a final exam, but keep in mind that
when grading exams professors take into consideration the time in which students were
asked to craft their answers. Students should note that the same leniency will not be
given in the context of their final papers and assignments.
EVALUATION

The student's grades will be calculated as follows:

Class Participation 20%

Quizzes 5%
Assignments 45%
Final Paper 30%
Total 100%

TEXTBOOK(S) REQUIRED

Sweet, William. Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain. 2012.

Readings from the textbook may be supplemented with handouts, web resources or
articles from books held online.

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

1. Computer, laptop or tablet that can run Fuze

(https://support.fuze.com/hc/en-us/articles/203435036-Hardware-and-
Software-Requirements-for-Fuze)

2. Recommended WIRED, highspeed internet (See bandwidth requirements:

https://support.fuze.com/hc/en-us/articles/203438356-Getting-Started-
Frequently-Asked-Questions%20/). Students can run a free speed test on their
connection to check this, Northwestel offers one, and there are many free
speed tests available online to measure bandwidth:
(http://www.nwtel.ca/shop/internet/usage-tools)

3. USB headset (available at Staples, Walmart and The Source locally)

https://www.softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/0OyiSDVHguwYAo/html (the
library also has four headsets they can rent out, but not available to students
without a staff person signing it out on their behalf)

4. Webcam (built in, or separate)

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Plagiarism occurs when students present the
words of someone else as their own. Plagiarism can be the deliberate use of a whole
piece of another person’s writing, but more frequently it occurs when students fail to
acknowledge and document sources from which they have taken material. Whenever
the words, research or ideas of others are directly quoted or paraphrased, they must be
documented according to an accepted manuscript style (e.g., APA, CSE, MLA, etc.).
Resubmitting a paper which has previously received credit is also considered plagiarism.
Students who plagiarize material for assignments will receive a mark of zero (F) on the
assignment and may fail the course. Plagiarism may also result in dismissal from a
program of study or the College.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION

Reasonable accommodations are available for students requiring an academic

accommodation to fully participate in this class. These accommodations are available
for students with a documented disability, chronic condition or any other grounds
specified in section 8.0 of the Yukon College Academic Regulations (available on the
Yukon College website). It is the student’s responsibility to seek these accommodations.
If a student requires an academic accommodation, he/she should contact the Learning
Assistance Centre (LAC) at (867) 668-8785 or [email protected].

ACADEMIC AND STUDENT CONDUCT

Information on academic standing and student rights and responsibilities can be found
in the current Academic Regulations that are posted on the Student Services/
Admissions & Registration web page.

THE LORENE ROBERTSON WRITING CENTRE

All students are encouraged to make the Writing Centre a regular part of the writing
process for coursework. The Lorene Robertson Writing Centre is staffed by helpful writing
coaches from across the College and offers one-on-one appointments to students in need
of writing support.

The Lorene Robertson Writing Centre can help you:

• Get started on an assignment and focus your ideas

• Outline and plan your assignment
• Write clearly, logically and effectively
• Address specific needs and writing problems
• Revise the first and final drafts of your project
• Gain confidence in your writing

For in-person appointments, the Centre coaching office is located in the Academic Support
Centre in room A2302. You can also participate in coaching appointments over the phone
or online. See the Academic Support Centre schedule for English and writing support
times.
 CLASS SYLLABUS

WEEK TOPICS AND READINGS

WEEK 1 (Jan 3-7): Foundations of Political Thought

Readings: Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction” (pgs 1-20)

WEEK 2 (Jan 8-14): Tribe to Nation—State of Nature

Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to Thomas
Hobbes” (pgs 21-25)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, selections from the
“Leviathan” (pgs 30-39 and 50-58)
Plato’s Republic, Book II (link provided online)

WEEK 3 (Jan 15-21): Rights

Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to John Locke”
(pgs 79-85)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, selections from the “Two
Treatise of Government” (pgs 90-110)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to Jean-Jacques
Rousseau” (pgs 113-124)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, selections from the “On the
Social Contract” (pgs 125-141)
Assignment 1 (Jan-21): Are all rights created equal?

WEEK 4 (Jan 22-Jan 28): Sovereignty, the State, and International Relations
Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to Immanuel
Kant” (pgs 161-169)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, selections from the “Perpetual
Peace” (pgs 177-207)

WEEK 5 (Jan 29-Feb 4): Women, reason, and the state: the Renaissance challenges
millennia old ideas
Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to Mary
Wollstonecraft” (pgs 221-230)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, selections from “A Vindication
of the Rights of Woman” (pgs 231-260)

WEEK 6 (Feb 5-11): Dissenters—Bentham and an Introduction to Utilitarianism

Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction Jeremy
Bentham” (pgs 261-270)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Anarchical Fallacies” (pgs
277-302)
Stanford Encyclopedia to Utilitarianism (link provided online)
WEEK 7 (Feb 12-18): On Liberty and Utilitarianism
Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to John Stuart
Mill” (pgs 303-313)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, selections from “On Liberty”
and “Utilitarianism” (pgs 315-380)
Assignment 2 (Feb 18): Lifeboat

READING WEEK (Feb 19-22)

WEEK 8 (Feb 26-Mar 4): Bernard Bosanquet and British Idealism

Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to Bernard
Bosanquet” (pgs 419-435)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “The Philosophical Theory of
the State” (pgs 439-456)

WEEK 9 (Mar 5-11): Jacques Maritain—Man and the State

Readings:
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Introduction to Jacques
Maritain” (pgs 457-468)
Modern Political Thought from Hobbes to Maritain, “Lectures on Natural Law”
and “Man and the State” (pgs 471-502)

WEEK 10 (Mar 12-18): Rawls—Contracts and Constructivism

Readings:
Selections from John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice (link provided online)

WEEK 11 (Mar 19-25): Conceptions of the ‘Self’

Readings:
Michael Sandel, “The Procedural Republic and the Unencumbered Self”, Political
Theory, Vol. 12, No. 1 (1984) pp. 81-96
Term paper topics distributed

WEEK 12 (Mar 26-Apr 1): Charles Taylor and the Politics of Recognition
Readings:
Charles Taylor, “The Politics of Recognition” (link provided online)
Assignment 3: Persons

WEEK 13 (Apr 1-8): The Overlapping Consensus—Human Rights by Agreement

Readings:
John Rawls, “Theory of an Overlapping Consensus”, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Vol.
7, No 1 (1987), pp 1-25

WEEK 14 (Apr 9-12)*: Dworkin, Legal Rights, Political Rights and International Law
Readings:
Ronald Dworkin, Justice for Hedgehogs, Chapter 15, “Political Rights and
Concepts”
Eric J Scarffe, “‘A New Philosophy for International Law’ and Dworkin’s Political
Realism”, Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, (2016)

N.B. This reading list maybe supplemented to with additional readings or revised as
the instructor deems appropriate.

*The last day of classes is technically on Thursday, April 12th, but I will accept
outstanding forum posts and journal entries until April 15th.