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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PL 210-2"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Political Theory"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2025
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Andrea Moudarres
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 6:00 PM 7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An introduction to the history of political thought, from Ancient Greece to the 19th century. Through a close reading of selected canonical texts, students will examine the evolution of ideas about democracy, liberty, equality, justice, political authority, the social contract, different conceptions of human nature and the role of the individual in society. The theorists examined may include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, de Tocqueville and John Stuart Mill.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
An introduction to the history of political thought, from Ancient Greece to the 19th century. Through a close reading of selected canonical texts, students will examine the evolution of ideas about democracy, liberty, equality, justice, political authority, the social contract, different conceptions of human nature and the role of the individual in society. The theorists examined may include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, de Tocqueville and John Stuart Mill.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•Understanding of the evolution of ideas about justice, liberty, and the role of the state, in light of different views of human nature and the role of the individual in society.
•Ability to make a cogent written argument interpreting and comparing basic texts in the history of political theory.
•Ability to apply basic arguments in the history of political theory to analyze contemporary political issues.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Participation | | 20 |
| Weekly Comments | | 15 |
| Midterm Exam | | 20 |
| Presentation | | 15 |
| Final Exam | | 30 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Tentative Syllabus - Subject to Change
Calendar
Week 1 Introduction to the course:
What is political theory?
Aristotle, Politics (Book 1) https://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.html; Augustine, City of God (Book 15.1-8) https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120115.htm
Week 2 Antiquity
Plato, Republic (Books 1-2) https://www.platonicfoundation.org/translation/republic/republic-book-1/
Plato, Republic (Book 4)
Week 3
Plato, Republic (Book 8-9)
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Book 5) https://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html
Week 4
Aristotle, Politics (Book 3)
Cicero, On Duties (Book 1, Chapters 1-13) https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cicero/de_Officiis/1A*.html
Week 5
Cicero, On Duties (Book 1, Chapters 14-45)
Seneca, On Clemency https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Of_Clemency
Week 6 Middle Ages and Renaissance
Aquinas, On Kingship (Book 1) https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/DeRegno.htm
Salutati, On Tyranny
Week 7
Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies (Part I, Chapters 1-11) https://www.docdroid.net/lFahHSo/the-book-of-the-city-of-ladies-by-christine-de-pizan-earl-jeffrey-richards-transl-z-liborg-pdf
Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies (Part III, Chapters 1-19)
Week 8
October 21: Midterm Review
October 23: Midterm
Week 9
Machiavelli, The Prince (Prologue and Chapters 1-7) https://apeiron.iulm.it/retrieve/handle/10808/4129/46589/Machiavelli%2C%20The%20Prince
Machiavelli, The Prince (Chapters 8-18)
Week 10
Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy (Book 1.9-10, 1.18, and 1.34) https://identityhunters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/niccolo-machiavelli-discourses-of-livy.pdf
Machiavelli, The Prince (Chapters 19-26)
Week 11 Early Modernity
Hobbes, Leviathan http://files.libertyfund.org/files/869/0161_Bk.pdf
Hobbes, Leviathan
Week 12
Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/125494/5019_Rousseau_Discourse_on_the_Origin_of_Inequality.pdf
Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
Week 13
Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf
Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party
Week 14
Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality (selections) https://philosophy.ucsc.edu/news-events/colloquia-conferences/GeneologyofMorals
Final Review
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