ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
POSC 331
STUDY GUIDE
(Goes with Fall 2010)
This study guide is aligned to the syllabus for Posc
331. From the links on that on-line syllabus one can go to lists of
questions designed to help reading and reflecting upon the weekly and daily
assignment as well as useful links to various web sources on the thinkers and
issues being addressed in those assignments. This guide also includes a list of
possible areas of research for the papers required for the course and
suggestions on how to develop a quality research paper.
Links to many very good web sites on political theory may be found at the
following University of Michigan site:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/pstheory.html
Another good source of material on political theory may be found at the LSU
site at:
http://www.artsci.lsu.edu/poli/theoryx.html
One may obtain some useful background material on theories and theorists
associated with ancient and medieval political philosophy by going to
encyclopedia articles and links found at the Britannica site at: http://www.britannica.com/
The University Tennessee at Martin maintains The Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy at: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/
Useful articles on various thinkers and concepts may be found at the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy at: http://plato.stanford.edu/
DAILY READING ASSIGNMENTS AND QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSION
Week 1 Introduction to Political Philosophy
Week 2 Socrates and Plato
Week 3 Socrates and Plato
Week 4 Plato
Week 5 Plato: Some other works on leadership
and law
Aristotle: Introduction to Aristotle's Methodology
Week 6 Aristotle
Week 7 Aristotle
Week 8 Aristotle
Week 9 Cicero
Week 10 St. Augustine
Week 11 Medieval
Islamic Political Philosophy
Week 12 Medieval Islamic and Jewish Political Philosophy
Week 13 Third Test
and Thanksgiving Vacation
Week 14 St.
Thomas Aquinas and Medieval Christian Political Philosophy
Week 15 Later
Medieval Christian Political Philosophy
Week 1 Introduction
to Political Philosophy
M: Questions in political philosophy. Ancient Greek Political Thought
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What is political philosophy all about?
2. What are some of the characteristics of Ancient Greek political thought?
W:
Thucydides and the
Peloponnesian War
Read: On Justice, Power, and Human Nature
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What was the Athenian ideal all about?
2. What kind of political vision of Athens is put forth by Pericles in his
funeral oration?
3. What does Pericles mean when he says the following? "We are
lovers of nobility with restraint, and lovers of wisdom without any softening
of character...For we alone think that a man who does not take part in public
affairs is good for nothing, while others say he is "minding his own
business."
F: Thucydides and the
Peloponnesian War
Read: On Justice, Power, and Human Nature
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Thucydides explain the causes of the
war?
2. What does he say about human nature?
3. What does he say about the impact of war on human behavior?
4. What does he say about Athenian democracy?
5. What does he say about justice?
6. How can Thucydides be seen as one of the great teachers of political
realism in the study of international relations?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 1
Write a three page essay in which you
use what Thucydides says about human nature and conflict to explain what he
implies about where morality and justice are most likely to be found in
politics and when they tend to be lost.
Week 2 Socrates and Plato
M: The Socratic Method; Socrates on the
greatest goal in life
Read: The Apology
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What is the Socratic Method?
2. How does Socrates use this method to examine important ethical and
political ideas?
3. What motivates Socrates? What seems to drive him on?
4. What kind of questions does Socrates' position in The Apology
raise in regard to civil disobedience? Should we always obey our
conscience? What should we do if our conscience tells us to disobey the
law?
5. What does Socrates say about politics and politicians?
6. What does he say about death?
7. What do you think about Socrates?
W: The Debate Over Political
Obligation
Read: Crito
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What are the basic arguments that Socrates gives
for obeying the laws of Athens? Evaluate these arguments.
2. Do we have an obligation to obey the laws or the state?
3. How does what Socrates has to say relate to any discussion of political
obligation (or the concept of duty) and debates over the validity of civil disobedience?
4. Is the position taken by Socrates in Crito
consistent with what he says in The Apology?
5. What does Socrates say about returning evil for evil? How does this
view relate to his other ideas?
6. What does Socrates think about the opinion of the many? Does his view
of the many have any political implications?
F: The Foundations of Human
Knowledge; Is the soul immortal?
Read: Phaedo
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What does Socrates have to say about the
foundations of human knowledge? What role do the senses and reason have
to play?
2. What attitude does Socrates display regarding man’s physical existence?
3. What are the crucial ethical observations that Socrates tries to make in the
Phaedo?
4. Why is a belief in an afterlife to important to Socrates? What are some of
the arguments he puts forth in defense of the
idea of the immortality of the soul?
5. How do his beliefs regarding human knowledge, ethics, and the immortality of
the soul all tie together?
6. Did his life make any sense?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 2
Write a three page essay in which you
explain what sort of life Socrates believes people should lead. What are the implications of his
understanding of the good life for politics?
Week 3 Socrates and Plato
M: No classes on
Labor Day
W: What is Justice? Is justice
nothing more than the interests of the stronger?
Human nature and the story of Gyges' ring
Read: Books 1, 2 The Republic
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What views about the nature of justice does Plato
try to refute?
2. What are the arguments for and against these views?
3. What is at stake in the exchange between Socrates and Thrasymachus?
4. What does it mean to be a true ruler?
5. How do the views of Thrasymachus relate to
the views about justice advanced by the Athenian Ambassadors at Melos?
6. What is the meaning of the story of Gyges’ ring,
as told by Glaucon?
7. Why must Plato try to deal with the implications of this story? Why is
the story such a threat to his beliefs?
8. Is human nature like what is suggested by the story?
9. Why does Plato wish to examine the nature of justice in the state?
10. What is Plato’s explanation for the origin of the state?
11. How does he go about assigning jobs in his ideal state?
12. Why does he believe in censorship of poetry?
13. How do the views presented by Glaucon relate to
the views about justice advanced by the Athenian Ambassadors at Melos?
F: Plato's Theory of Justice
Read: Books 3, 4 The Republic
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What are the four virtues that Plato seeks to
discover in the rightly ordered society and the well ordered soul?
2. How does Plato define the nature of justice?
3. Is his definition of justice a good one?
4. What might be the implication of his view of justice for some of our
contemporary views of justice and current social issues?
5. What do you make of the role of censorship in his ideal state?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 3
After reading the first half of The
Republic, write a three page essay in which you explain how Plato defines
the nature of justice. Be sure to explain how he describes what it means
to be a just person and how he pictures the just society or state. Then explain
whether you think he is right or wrong about the nature of justice.
Week 4 Plato
M: Who should rule? The idea
of philosopher kings
Dr. Peale’s Essay on Ethics
On-line
Read: Books 5, 6 of The Republic
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What justification does Plato give for rule by
philosopher kings?
2. How does his theory of knowledge relate to his view about who should
rule? Be sure to understand his doctrine of the forms?
3. What kind of life does the philosopher king live?
4. What kind of education is given to future rulers?
5. What kind of family life is provided for the rulers?
6. How does Plato defend his ideal state against the criticism that such a
thing could never exist?
7. What is the only way in which Plato sees any chance for his plan to ever
work?
8. What ethical standards for leaders are being advanced by Plato?
9. What implications might Plato's theory have for our thinking about
leadership today?
W: Plato's critique of democracy and
democratic man; allegory of the cave; education
The just man versus the unjust
man; Is justice worth it? What was Plato
really trying to do?
Read: Books 7 - 10 of The Republic
Dr. Peale’s
Essay on Ethics On-line
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What is Plato getting at in the allegory of the
cave?
2. How does this story help us understand his theory of knowledge?
3. What is his view of The Good in his theory of knowledge and in his
philosophy of existence?
4. How does this story help us understand his philosophy of education?
5. What are the political implications of this story?
6. What are the five types of government described by Plato?
7. How do each of these political forms correspond to
a particular kind of character?
8. How does Plato account for political change? How does he explain the
changes from his ideal form to tyranny?
9. How does he describe democracy? What does he find wrong with democracy
and democratic man?
10. What do you think of how he classifies and evaluates different forms of
government?
11. How might Plato's standards be used to judge political systems today?
|
Some General Questions about Plato’s Republic:
1. How does Plato describe the life of the tyrant?
2. How does the life of the tyrant compare to the life of the just man?
3. Do you agree or disagree with Plato’s conclusions regarding which is the
better life?
4. What is the real purpose of the book?
5. Does Plato make any sense?
6. What is the meaning of the myth of Er?
7. Why is the idea of the soul being immortal so important to Plato?
8. What was Plato really trying to do in The Republic?
9. Do you think he was successful?
10. Where do you agree with Plato?
11. Where do you disagree with Plato?
12. How do you evaluate his efforts?
13. Does Plato have anything worthwhile to say to us today?
NOTE: Your first test will be given
on Friday. It
will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 5 Plato: Some other works on
leadership and law
Aristotle: Introduction to Aristotle's Methodology
M:
Plato’s ideas on leadership in The Statesman
Optional Material: Online versions of The Statesman
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What were Plato’s most important ideas about
leadership in The Republic?
2. How are his ideas about the nature of the good leader in The Statesman
like his ideas about the nature of the good leader in The Republic?
3. How are his ideas about the nature of the good leader different in The
Statesman as opposed to what he says in The Republic?
4. How are Plato’s ideas about the classification and ranking of the different
forms of government in The Statesman different from what he says in The
Republic?
5. What other changes take place in this work?
6. Do Plato’s ideas about leadership make any sense?
W:
The role of law in society in Plato’s The Laws
Optional Material: Online version of The Laws
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does this work differ in style from the The Republic?
2. What is this story all about?
3. What is the role of law in this work?
4. What is the philosophy of law being presented?
5. What are the essential features of the political system he describes in this
work?
6. How does what Plato says in The Laws compare and contrast to what he argues
for in The Republic?
F:
What kind of methodology does Aristotle employ in studying politics?
Read: Introduction, Introduction to
the Politics and Nicomachean Ethics, and Book 1 of
Politics and
Dr. Peale’s
Essay on Ethics On-line
Examine articles on Aristotle's Ethics at these sites: http://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/Ockham/y67s08.html
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What bearing does Aristotle’s life history have on his political philosophy?
2. How did his personal background help to shape his approach to the study of
politics?
3. What does Aristotle say about the nature of human associations? What
are some of the main forms of association? What is the highest form of
association?
4. How does he employ teleological reasoning in his study of politics?
5. What does he say about human nature?
6. What does he say about slavery?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 4
Think about the different ways in which
one might approach ethics. After reading Dr. Peale's essay on Ethics, the
material from Aristotle on ethics, and reflecting back on Plato, explain in a
three page essay how the ethical theories advanced by Plato and Aristotle
differ from some of the most important ethical theories advanced later in the
Western tradition of political philosophy.
How does the approach to ethics employed by Plato and Aristotle differ
from the modern approaches to ethics adopted by advocates of utilitarianism and
the advocates of deontological approaches?
Week
6 Aristotle
Assignment 14 How do Aristotle and Plato differ in their
views of what constitutes a good family structure?
Read: The Politics, Book 1
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What are the basic relationships in Aristotle’s
theory of the household?
2. What are the roles played by men, women, and children in this theory?
Evaluate Aristotle’s views in this area.
3. How are his views about women alike and/or different from the views about
women advanced by Plato?
4. How does Aristotle go about attacking the view of the family Plato put forth
in The Republic?
5. Are Aristotle’s criticisms of Plato regarding the family well founded?
Or is he way off base?
6. How might the views of Aristotle and Plato on family structure fit into some
20th century debates about family structure?
Assignment 15 Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s views on property:
the debate over communism
Read: The Politics, Book 2
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Aristotle explain the origin of
property? How are his ideas about property related to his theory of the
household?
2. What are his ideas about the acquisition of property?
3. Why is he so critical of the views about property advanced by Plato in The
Republic?
4. How do his views about property tie into his ideas about human nature?
5. What does he find wrong with so many proposals for an ideal system of
government or society?
6. What do you think of Aristotle’s ideas on these matters?
Assignments 16 Aristotle’s theory of distributive
Reading: The Politics, Book 3 and Dr. Peale’s
Essay on Ethics On-line
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What all is involved in Aristotle’s views of citizenship?
2. How does Aristotle go about trying to understand different constitutions?
3. How does Aristotle describe what he calls the democratic theory of justice?
4. How does Aristotle describe what he calls the oligarchic theory of justice?
5. How does he define justice?
6. How do you evaluate his theory of distributive justice?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 5
After reading Book III of the Politics,
write a three page essay in which you explain Aristotle's theory of
distributive justice. How would his theory of distributive justice be
applied to our lives today and to basic political and economic issues? Be
sure to explain whether you think Aristotle is right about the nature of
justice.
Week 7 Aristotle
Assignment 17 Aristotle’s views on democracy
Read: The Politics, Books 4, 5, 6
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Aristotle defend democracy from the critique of those who speak of
the outstanding knowledge of one or the few in comparison with the ability of
the many?
2. What does he say are the advantages of a democratic system?
3. What kind of political system does Aristotle regard as the best practical
system for most people?
4. What are the characteristics of polity?
5. What is the role played by the middle class in a polity?
Assignment 18 Aristotle’s theory of political change
Read: The Politics, Book 7
1. What does Aristotle say are the general causes of revolution and
constitutional change?
2. How does Aristotle explain the specific causes of revolution in each of the
different forms of government?
3. What do you think about his theories of political change?
Assignment 19
Aristotle on maintaining existing political systems
Significance of Aristotle’s method of
classifying political
systems and theory of political change for the future study
of comparative politics and contemporary theories of
political change.
Read: The Politics, Book 7
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What does Aristotle have to say about how
democracies and oligarchies might avoid revolution and enhance their internal
stability?
2. What kind of prudent advice does Aristotle offer to those who are concerned
with maintaining their existing political systems?
3. How do you evaluate his ideas about how to maintain stability in different
political systems?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 6
After reading the first half of the Politics,
write a three page essay in which you explain his arguments as to why he
believes a "polity" is the best form of government. In
developing this essay you must touch on his views about the strengths and
weaknesses of democratic political systems. Then explain whether or not
you think he is right in his thinking about the best forms of government.
Week 8 Aristotle
Assignment 20 Aristotle’s theory of ethics and Dr. Peale’s
Essay on Ethics On-line
Read: The Politics, Introduction and Book 8
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Aristotle define the nature of the good
man?
2. How does he define the nature of the good society?
3. What is the highest good which can be pursued by man?
4. What does he say about the education people should receive?
5. What do you think about his theory of moral virtues?
6. What does he say about justice in his works on ethics?
7. What bearing does his theory of ethics have on his political theory?
8. What do you think of this theory of ethics and politics?
NOTE: Your second test will be given
on Friday. It
will count for 1/6 or your
semester grade.
Week 9 Cicero
Assignment 21 The Skeptic attack on
Plato and the Stoics
Can we ever know any truth?
The debate over natural law and justice
Read: The Sabine and Smith introduction to the political theories of the Stoics
and Cicero and On the Commonwealth
Dr. Peale’s
Essay on Ethics On-line
For optional background material on
different philosophical schools of thought during the Hellenistic period you
may go to the following sites: On the Roman Stoic Epictetus: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/epictetu.htm
or http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/epictetu.htm
For his Enchiridion at: http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What were some of the principal schools of thought which emerged after the
death of Aristotle?
2. What were the problems and issues which these different schools of thought
tried to address?
3. What were some of the most important stages in the development of Stoic
thought?
4. What were the chief claims advanced by the different schools of Stoic
thought?
5. How did the Skeptics challenge the basic claims of early Stoicism?
6. Why were so many Romans attracted to the middle and later schools of Stoic
thought?
7. How does Philus (using the arguments of Carneades) go about attacking stoic ideas about justice and
the concept of natural law?
8. How does the position of Carneades also challenge
the theories of Plato and Aristotle?
9. What are the most important claims made by Carneades?
10. How does Cicero’s use of Philus in this
discussion remind one of how Plato made use of Glaucon
in Book 2 of The Republic?
11. How does what Philus says challenge most of what
Cicero believes?
12. How does Cicero have Laelius respond to the
challenge?
13. Is there a natural law? What final thoughts do you have regarding the
debate over natural law?
Assignment 22 The Statesman and Cicero’s concept of political duty
Read: On the Commonwealth
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. Why is political duty such an important concept to Cicero?
2. What is involved in Cicero’s concept of political duty?
3. How does Cicero compare the life of the philosopher to the life of the
statesman?
4. According to Cicero, which way of life allows one to make the greatest
contribution to society?
5. What do you think of his position on this matter?
6. What does Cicero have Scipio imply about the value of Greek philosophy?
7. How does Scipio evaluate monarchy and other forms of government?
8. How does Cicero define the nature of the commonwealth?
9. What argument does Scipio use to diminish human glory? Why does Cicero
include this view in the discussion?
10. Are philosophers or political leaders of more value to society?
11. What does Cicero have to say about the contributions which philosophers and
statesman make to their societies?
12. Why does Cicero believe that the statesman make more significant
contributions?
13. What do you think of his position on this matter?
Assignment 23 Cicero’s defense of Roman history and the concept
of the just war
Read: On the Commonwealth
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Cicero go about explaining the origins of
Rome?
2. Why does Cicero want to tell the story of Rome’s history?
3.. How does he go about classifying the different
forms of government?
4. How does he contrast his method with that of Plato?
5. How does he evaluate the different forms of government?
6. What are some of the most important political lessons he wishes to draw from
his discussion of Roman history?
7. According to Cicero, what are the different types of wars?
8. How does Cicero go about defining the nature of a just war?
9. What do you think of his news on this matter?
10. How do his views on this issue compare to the views of Aristotle?
11.. Why is this an important issue, given the
discussion taking place in the dialogue?
12. Can there be such a thing as a just
war? Explain your answer.
13. What does Cicero have to say about human nature?
14. What message is Cicero trying to convey in Scipio’s dream?
15. What do you think of Cicero’s overall political philosophy?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 7
Write a three page essay in which you
explain the Stoic concept of natural law and the attack on that theory made by
ancient skeptics such as Carneades. Explain
your own thinking as to whether or not there are natural laws. Be sure to
discuss the merits and problems associated with each side in this debate.
Week 10 St. Augustine
Assignment 24 Human nature,
the City of Man, and God's role in history
Read: Selections from The City of God;
Romans 13
Optional
Reading online version: The Confessions
Here is a link to a good website on St.
Augustine managed by Professor J.J. O'Donnell:
http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/augustine/
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What does Augustine mean when he distinguishes between what he calls the
city of God and the city of man?
2. Why does he employ this distinction?
3. What does Augustine have to say about human nature?
4. What famous theological doctrine lies at the heart of his view of human
nature?
5. What do you think of his view of human nature?
6. What are the political implications of such a
view of human nature?
7. What does Augustine have to say about the role of God in history?
8. How does such a view fit with his overall philosophy of history?
9. What are the political implications of his view of history and the role he
assigns to Providence?
10. How does Augustine go about attacking Roman history?
11. How does he defend Christianity from the criticism made by some that it was
to blame for the fall of Rome?
12. What do you think of his views on history?
Assignment 25 Augustine's
defense of Christianity; on philosophy
Read: Selections from The City of God;
Romans 13
Optional Reading online version: The Confessions
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. On what points does Augustine agree with and admire
Plato?
2. What are his grounds for criticizing Plato?
3. On what points does he agree with the Stoics?
4. What are his grounds for attacking the Stoics?
5. How does he go about criticizing philosophy in general?
6. What does he have to say about natural law?
7. What does Augustine have to say about the drive for happiness?
8. How does he defend Christianity from its pagan critics?
9. What are the key elements of his version of Christianity?
10. Why is he so important to the future of Christian thought?
Assignment 26 War, obedience, and persecution
Read: Selections from
The City of God;
Romans 13
Optional
Reading online version: The Confessions
Questions for class discussion:
1. What does Augustine have to say about the possible justification of
war?
2. Why does he feel he must reject Christian pacifism?
3. What do you think of his position?
4. Under what circumstances, if any, can war be justified or considered
just?
5. What arguments does Augustine advance regarding the persecution of heretics?
6. What do you think of his position?
7. What are the implications of his arguments for contemporary debates about
freedom of religion and the relationship between church and state?
8. How do his views contrast with later arguments for toleration?
9. What does Augustine say about political obligation?
10. What role does Romans 13 play in his thinking?
11. What are the implications of his ideas about obedience for what he says
about slavery and servitude?
12. What do you think about his ideas on these topics?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 8
Explain how Augustine defended Christianity from pagan criticisms that
Christians could not be good citizens. Explain his views about the
citizenship obligations of Christians. Also, explain where he might see
some limits on his otherwise extensive notion of political obligation.
Evaluate his theory about the obligations and limits of good citizenship.
Week
11 Medieval Islamic
Political Philosophy
Assignment 27 Alfarabi on different
political regimes
Read: Introduction and selections
1 - 2 from Medieval Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Alfarabi categorize different
branches of knowledge?
2. How does he go about classifying different kinds of political systems?
3. How does he define the nature of different political regimes?
4. What does Alfarabi owe to Plato's Laws in
his political philosophy?
5. What does he owe to Aristotle in his view of philosophy?
6. How does he try to balance philosophy with his religious beliefs?
6. What do you see as his influence on Islamic and Christian thought?
7. Which of his ideas do you see as important today?
Assignment 28 Alfarabi on law and the attainment of happiness
Read: Selections 3 - 4 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Alfarabi define the nature of human
happiness?
2. What are the different religious and philosophical approaches to
happiness that he addresses?
3. What does Alfarabi owe to Plato's
understanding of happiness?
4. What does he owe to Plato in his understanding of law?
5. What is the place of religion in his thinking?
6. What is the role of the state in advancing human happiness?
7. Which of his ideas do you see as important today?
Assignment 29 Avicenna on authority, morality, and legislation
Read: Selections 5 - 7 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Avicenna categorize the different branches of human
knowledge?
2. How does he understand authority?
3. What are his ideas about obedience?
4. What are his ideas about the Caliph and the Imam?
5. What place do religious knowledge, prophecies, and sayings of Muhammad
play in his philosophy?
6. Which of his ideas do you see as important today?
Critical Thinking Writing
Exercise No. 9
Write a three page essay on Alfarabi's theory as to how human beings can best attain
happiness. What does Alfarabi see as the
political and legal conditions necessary for human happiness? What do you
think are the merits and problems with his theory?
Week 12 Medieval
Islamic and Jewish Political Philosophy
Assignment 30 Averroes on religion and philosophy
Read: Selections 8 - 10 from
Medieval Political Philosophy
1. What important ideas about governance were advanced by Avempace?
2. What important ideas about human knowledge, religion, philosophy were advanced by Ibn Tufayl?
3. How does Averroes try to balance his religious and philosophical
beliefs?
4. How does he see the connection between religion and philosophy?
5. What does he owe to Aristotle in his view of philosophy?
6. What do you see as his influence on Islamic and Christian thought?
7. Why was Averroes criticized by those holding more orthodox religious
beliefs?
8. What are his most important political ideas?
Assignment 31 Averroes on the foundations of
good laws and just governing
Read: Selection 10 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Averroes define the nature of human happiness?
2. What are the different religious and philosophical approaches to
happiness that he addresses?
3. What does he say about the role of law in human life?
4. What does Averroes say about governing?
5. Which of his ideas do you see as important today?
Assignment 32 Maimonides on religion, philosophy, and law
Read: Selections 11-15 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does Maimonides categorize different branches of knowledge?
2. What does Maimonides owe to different Islamic philosophers?
3. What does he owe to Aristotle in his view of philosophy?
4. How does he try to balance philosophy with his religious beliefs?
5. What do you see as his influence on Islamic and Christian thought?
6. Which of his ideas do you see as important today?
7. What did Albo say about law?
8. What did Abravanel say about the kind of
political life that best suites human beings?
Week 13 NOTE: Your third test will be given on Monday. It
will count for 1/6 of your semester
grade.
Week 14 St. Thomas
Aquinas and Medieval Christian Political Philosophy
Assignment
33
How does Aquinas try to combine the philosophy of Aristotle and Christianity in
his analysis of politics? How does Aquinas distinguish between the
different kinds of laws?
Read: Selections 16-18 from Medieval Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. Why does Aquinas owe so much to Aristotle?
Just what does he take from Aristotle’s thinking?
2. Do you think he is successful in trying to combine some of Aristotle’s
philosophy with Christianity?
3. What does Aquinas owe to earlier medieval Jewish and Muslim philosophers?
4. How did these earlier thinkers help shaper Western thought?
5. According to Aquinas, what is the function of the state in human life?
6. How does his view on this matter relate to some earlier thinkers?
7. How does he describe the essence of law? Explain his theory of law.
8. What does he say are the different types of law?
Assignment
34
The idea of natural law
How does Aquinas define the nature of justice?
Read: Selections 16-18 from Medieval Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What does Aquinas believe to be the nature of the
eternal law?
2. How does he define natural law?
3. What are the basic laws of nature, according to Aquinas?
4. How does human law differ from natural law?
5. Does Aquinas believe that human law should try to uphold every natural law?
6. How does Aquinas define the nature of justice?
7. How are his ideas about justice like those of some earlier thinkers?
8. Do his ideas about justice make sense?
9. What are the weaknesses and strengths of his views about justice?
Assignment 35 What is the best form of government?
Should civil law try to promote morality?
Read: Selections 16-18 from Medieval Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What does Aquinas have to say about the different
forms of government?
2. What does he say is the best form of government?
3. What should we expect of a good government?
4. How does Aquinas define the nature of justice?
5. How does his view of justice compare with some earlier views of justice?
6. What does he say about theft and robbery?
7. How does his theory of natural law fit in with his ideas on the above
topics?
8. What does Aquinas say about obedience?
9. What does he say about tyranny?
10. What are his ideas about kingship?
11. What does Aquinas say about law and the promotion of morality?
12. Should law try to promote morality?
13. Does Aquinas believe that human law should try to enforce all aspects of
natural law?
14. What are some of the contemporary implications of the positions taken by
Aquinas on the above issues?
15. Why would some advocates of civil disobedience turn to his ideas?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise
No. 10
In addition to the text selections on Aquinas, for this essay you should also
read the following online sources on the Catholic just war doctrine developed
by Aquinas and the just war theory as refined by modern philosophers.
http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/Law111/AquinasJustWar.htm
http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/j/justwar.htm
http://www.monksofadoration.org/justwar.html
http://www.justwartheory.com/
You are to write a three page essay explaining the central elements of
the just war doctrine and then explain whether or not this is an acceptable
theory. Which wars of the last hundred years do you see as justifiable
and which do you see as not justifiable under a defensible just war
theory?
Week 15 Later Medieval
Christian Political Philosophy
Assignment 36 Roger Bacon and Dante on moral philosophy and monarchy
Read: Selections 19 - 22 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How was Roger Bacon influenced by earlier Islamic and Christian
thinkers?
2. What were the key elements of Roger Bacon's moral philosophy?
3. What were the most important political ideas advanced by Giles of
Rome?
4. How did John of Paris view kingly and papal power?
5. What were the most important political ideas about monarchy advanced
by Dante?
Assignment 37 Marsilius of Padua: defense of secular authority
against the Papacy
Read: Selection 23 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. What was the relationship between the political views of Marsilius of Padua and the political views of other
Christian thinkers of his ear?
2. What were the philosophical foundations of the views advanced by Marsilius of Padua?
3. How did Marsilius of Padua go about
criticizing Aquinas?
4. Why is Marsilius so critical of papal
authority?
Assignment 38 William of Ockham and John Fortescue: authority, popes, and monarchs
Read: Selections 24 - 25 from Medieval
Political Philosophy
Questions for Class Discussion:
1. How does William of Ockham go about rejecting so many earlier medieval
doctrines?
2. On what points does he disagree with Aquinas?
3. What were the most important political ideas advanced by John Fortescue?
4. What did he say about law?
5. What were his view on monarchy?
Final Review Question: What
are the connections between the questions asked by
political philosophers and the questions asked by other
disciplines in the humanities and social sciences? How do the
methods of analysis used by political philosophers influence
contemporary investigation of social and political problems by
social scientists and individuals in the humanities?
Part I Format
The papers will be done according to the Turabian
format for a research paper. You will be encouraged to relate the issues raised
in your research report to the broader themes examined in this course.
A shorter version of that style manual can be found on the History style
manual at the following web address: <http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm>
The following web site will introduce you to several useful links on how
to document sources from the Internet:
<http://www.h-net.msu.edu/about/citation/>
The links found there will give general rules and specific examples of how to
document according to the Turabian style manual (University
of Chicago Press Manual) used in history and political science.
Part II Writing Resources
The following are some useful books on how to conduct research and write good
papers in political science:
Gregory M. Scott & Stephen M. Garrison. The Political Science Student
Writer's Manual.
Third Edition. Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1998.
Kate T. Turabian. A Manual For
Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Sixth
Edition.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966.
Howard S. Becker. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish
Your Thesis, Book, or
Article. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,
1986.
Diane Hacker. A Pocket Style Manual. Boston:
Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1993.
Diane E. Schmidt. Expository Writing in Political Science: A Practical Guide.
New York: Harper
Collins College Publishers, 1993.
Part III Research
While this online Study Guide obviously uses web materials, you will need to read the works (books and articles) written by the theorist(s) you choose to investigate for your research project. Search the library, use inter-library loan if necessary, and consult with your instructor in order to cover principal primary and secondary works in your topic area. While encyclopedias, especially the online Britannica service will be a good place for some general background information, one does not document from encyclopedia in a scholarly paper at the University level. Do not overlook articles in academic journals, and make use of the Social Sciences Index and the Humanities Index.
While you should avoid overlying on internet materials for your projects,
and avoid the use of worthless junk often found on the web, there are many
excellent sites you will want to become familiar with as you prepare to enter
an age in which individuals will have to become comfortable and proficient in
finding and making good use of the electronic information resources. If you
ever go Longwood University Library web site you will find a guide with useful
links to different information packets available at the library. There are also
some excellent listings of good web sites by academic discipline under the
Subject Guide <http://www.longwood.edu/library/subj.htm>
If you go to the political science listing <http://www.longwood.edu/library/Polysci.htm>
you will find great resources, including a listing of web sites. Note that in
the first part of this Study Guide one can find links to
many web sites on various thinkers and theories.