ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Fall 1999
Instructor: Dr. Harbour
Office: Wynne 104A
Office telephone: 395—2219
Office hours:
MWF 8:00-9:00
TR 8:30-9:30
Course Description: Survey of the principal political theories and philosophies from ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, including the contributions of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Texts:
St. Thomas Aquinas. On Law, Morality, and Politics.
Edited by
William P. Baumgarth and Richard J. Regan, S.J. Indianapolis:
Hackett Publishing Company, 1988.
St. Augustine. Political Writings.
Edited, with an Introduction, by Ernest L.
Fortin. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1994.
Cicero. On the Commonwealth. Translated, with an Introduction, by George Sabine and Stanley Smith. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1976.
Plato. The Republic and Other Works. Translated by B. Jowett. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960.
Thucydides. On Justice Power and Human Nature.
Selections from The History of the Peloponnesian War. Translated, with an Introduction, by Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company,1993.
Extra Essay on Reserve in Library: Essay on Ethics by Dr. John Peale
Course Oblectives:
Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:
1.Demonstrate a capacity for critical and analytical thought about issues central to political philosophy.
3. Discuss the ideas which constitute essential features of the Western political tradition.
4. Identify those values found in Western political thought which have helped to define various notions of useful and responsible citizenship.
5. Discuss important philosophical and ethical issues associated with the political dimension of the human experience.
6. Interpret the meaning and significance of the symbols which influence political thought and action today.
7. Discuss the major ways in which political philosophy has influenced how political scientists try to understand politics.
8. Discuss how the theories and ideas articulated in Western political thought have shaped and been shaped by the dynamic social forces found in Western societies.
Week 1 Introduction
to Political Philosophy
Aug. 31- Read: On
Justice, Power, and Human Nature
Sept. 3 Special Topics:
W: Questions in Political Philosophy
Ancient Greek Political Thought
F: Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War
Week 2 Socrates
and Plato
Sept. 6-10 Read:
The Apology, Crito, and Phaedo
Special Topics
M: Socrates on the greatest goal in life
W: The debate over political obligation
F: The foundations of human knowledge
Is the soul immortal?
Week 3 Socrates
and Plato
Sept. 13-17
Read: Books 1-6 of The Republic
Special Topics:
M: What is justice? Is justice nothing
more than the what is in the interests of the stronger?
Human nature and the story of Gyges’ ring
W: Plato’s theory of justice
F: Who should rule and the idea of Philosopher kings
Week 4 Plato
Sept. 20-24 Read: Books 7-10 -of
The Republic
On Reserve in Library: Dr. Peale’s Essay on Ethics, with
special attention to his discussion of Plato’s ethics
Special Topics:
M: Plato’s critique of democracy and democratic man
W: The just man vs. the tyrant is justice worth it?
What was Plato really trying to do?
F: NOTE: Your first test will be given on Friday, Sept. 24. It
will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 5 Plato:
Some other works
Sept. 27- Aristotle: Introduction
Oct. 1 Read:
Introduction and Book 1 of Politics
Optional Material on Reserve: The Statesman, The Laws
Special topics:
M: Plato’s ideas on leadership in The Statesman
W: The role of law in society in Plato’s The Laws
F: What kind of methodology does Aristotle employ?
Week 6 Aristotle
Oct. 4-8 Read: Books 2 and
3 of the Politics
Special Topics:
M: How do Aristotle and Plato differ in their views of what
constitutes a good family structure?
W: Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s views on property the debate
over communism
F: Aristotle’s theory of distributive justice
Week 7 Aristotle
Oct. 11-15 Read: Books 4-6 of the Politics
Special Topics:
M: Aristotle’s views of democracy
W: Aristotle’s theory of political change
F: Aristotle on maintaining exiting
political systems
FALL BREAK October 16 - 19
Week 8 Aristotle
Oct. 20-22 Read: Books 7, 8 and appendixes
the Politics
On Reserve in Library: Dr. Peale’s Essay on
Ethics, with special attention to Aristotle’s Ethics
Special topics:
W: Aristotle’s theory on ethics
NOTE: Your second test will be given on Friday, Oct. 22. It
will count for 1/6 or your semester grade.
Week 9 Cicero
Oct. 25-29 Read: The Sabins and Smith introduction
to
The political thought of the Stoics and Cicero
And Books 1 and 2 of On the Commonwealth
Special Topics:
M: The Skeptic attack on Plato and the Stoics
W: The statesman and Cicero’s concept of political duty
F: Cicero’s defense of Roman history
Week 10 Cicero
Nov. 1-5 Read: Books 3 – 6 of On
the Commonwealth
Special Topics:
M: Carneades’ attack on the idea of justice
W: Cicero and the concept of the just war
F: Are philosophers or political leaders of more value to society?
Week 11 St. Augustine
Nov. 8-12 Read: Political Writings
Special Topics:
M: The city of man: on human nature
W: The nature of history
The role of God in history
F: Augustine’s critique of philosophy
Week 12 St. Augustine
Nov. 15-19 Read: Political Writings
Special Topics:
M: Can war ever be just?
W: Augustine’s defense of persecution
F: Review of Cicero and Augustine
Week 13 Third Test
Nov. 22-23 NOTE: Your third test will be given
on Monday, Nov. 22. It will
count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Thanksgiving Vacation Nov. 24-28
Week 14 St. Thomas Aquinas
Nov. 29- Read: On Law, Morality,
and Politics
Dec. 3 Special Topics:
M: How does Aquinas try to combine the
Philosophy of Aristotle and Christianity in his analysis of
politics?
W: How does Aquinas distinguish between
different kinds of laws?
F: The idea of natural law
NOTE: Your research paper is due Wednesday, Dec. 1 It will count
for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 15 St. Thomas Aquinas
Dec. 6-10 Read: On Law, Morality, and Politics
Special Topics:
M: What is the best form of government?
W: Aquinas: Should civil law try to promote morality?
F: Review for final examination
Last Day of Classes: Dec. 10
Reading Day: Dec. 11
Final Exam Period: Dec. 13-18
Final Exam: The final exam will be worth 1/6
of your grade.
It will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 9:00 A.M.-
12:00 P.M.
Course Requirements:
Attendance Policy: The attendance policy for this course is the same as the University policy in the University Catalog and the Student Handbook.
Honor Code: Students are expected to live by the Longwood University Honor Code. All work done for the class must be pledged. Your instructor will not tolerate any form of cheating.
Class Discussion: Students are expected to make contributions to class discussion. Your grade in this regard will be based upon both daily contributions during the semester and taking the lead in guiding class discussion on a special topic on an assigned day. The special topics from which students may choose are listed in the course outline.
Research Papers: Your research paper topic will be based upon the special topic you select at the beginning of the semester. Your instructor will help you in thinking about h6w to do research on your special topic. You will also be encouraged to relate the issues raised in your research to the broader themes examined in this course and to contemporary political issues.
Taking Exams: Students are expected to live by the Longwood University Honor Code. All work for this class must be pledged. Your instructor will not tolerate any form of cheating. Exams must be taken on time. You are expected to provide proof for any legitimate reason (illness, participation in a University—sponsored activity, or recognizable emergency) you have for missing any exam. Having another exam on the same day or having problems with the person you are dating are not valid reasons for missing a test.
Bibliography
Basic Reading:
Aristotle. The Politics of Aristotle. Edited and Translated by Ernest Barker. New York: Oxford University Press, 1969.
Augustine. Political Writings.
Translated by Michael W.
Tkacz and Douglas Kries, Edited by Ernest
L. Fortin and Douglas Kries. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing
Company, 1994.
Cicero. On the Commonwealth. Translated, with an Introduction, by George Sabine and Stanley Smith. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1929.
Peale, John. Essay on Ethics on found on Reserve in the Library.
Plato. The Apology. Found in
The Republic and Other Works.
Translated by B. Jowett. New York: Doubleday
& Company, Inc., 1960.
________ Crito. Found in The Republic and Other Works. Translated by B. Jowett. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960.
________ The
Laws. Found in Plato: The Collected
Dialogues. Edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Princeton,
New Jersey: Princeton University
Press, 1961.
________ Phaedo. Found in The Republic and Other Works. Translated by B. Jowett. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960.
________ The Republic. Found in The Republic and Other Works. Translated by B. Jowett. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960.
________ The
Statesman. Found in Plato: The Collected Dialogues. Edited by Edith
Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University
Press, 1961.
Thucydides. On Justice Power and Human Nature. Selections from
The History of the Peloponnesian
War. Translated, with an Introduction, by Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis:
Hackett Publishing Company,
1993.
Suggested Reading or Reference:
St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Thomas Aguinas on Politics and Ethics. Edited by Paul E. Sigmund. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1988.
Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by L. H. Greenwood. New York: Ayer. Co. Pubs., 1909.
Larry Arnhart. Political Questions: Political Philosophy. from Plato to Rawls. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987.
St. Augustine. The City of God. Translated by Henry Bettenson. New York: Penguin Books, 1984.
________ The Confessions of St. Augustine. Translated by Rex Warner. New York: The New American Library of World Literature, Inc., 1963.
Sir Ernest Barker. The Political Thought of Plato and Aristotle. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1959. Volumes 1 and 2. Garden City, New York: Image Books, 1962.
James V. Downton, Jr., David K. Hart. Editors. Perspectives on Political Philosophy: Volume 1: Thucydides Through Machiavelli. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1971.
Richard T. Gardner, Andrew Oldenquist. Editors. Society and the Individual: Readings in Political and Social Philosophy. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1990.
Joseph Losco, Leonard Williams. Editors. Political Theory: Classic
Writings, Contemporary Views. New York:
St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1992.
Brian Nelson. Western Political Thought: From Socrates to the Age of Ideology. Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.
George H. Sabine. A History of Political Theory. Revised Edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1958.
Elizabeth Smith, H. Gene Blocker. Applied Social and Political Philosophy. Editors. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1994.
Plato. Dialogues. Found in Plato: The Collected Dialogues. Edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1961.
________ Gorgias. Found in Plato: The Collected Dialogues. Edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1961.
Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. Introduction by John H. Finley, Jr. New York: Random House, Inc., 1951.
Eric Voegelin. Plato and Aristotle. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University, 1957.
Academic Journals:
American Political Science Review
History of Ideas
Modern Age
Political Theory
Vera Lex