Course name: Social and Political Philosophy II (PHIL 242, Summer) = 3 credits
Instructor's name: István
Aranyosi. E-MAIL: aranyosi@bilkent.edu.tr
Office location: FA 113A
COURSE SCHEDULE and PLACE:
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday
OBJECTIVE: To familiarize students with
the main topics and debates in modern political thought.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
(a) Weekly homework and attendance.
(b) Oral presentation 1 (a fragment of the texts we read), oral presentation 2 (the first draft of the term essay).
(c) Short midterm paper (500-700 words) on a topic of the instructor’s choice.
(d) A 1000-1500 word term essay on a
topic of the student's choice (but from the set of topics we will have covered
in the course).
GRADING: Weekly homework and attendance- 20%
Oral
presentation 1 and 2 - 30%
Short paper
- 20%
Term essay –
30%
TEXTBOOKS:
- Hobbes, Leviathan, edited by C.B. MacPherson, Penguin (1981)
- Bentham and Mill, The Classical Utilitarians, edited by J. Troyer, Hackett (2003)
- Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, edited by T.L. Beauchamp, Oxford Philosophical Texts (1998)
- Locke, Second Treatise of Government, edited by C.B. MacPherson, Hackett (1980)
- Rousseau, Political Writings, edited by A. Ritter, translated and edited by J.C. Bondanella, Norton (1987)
Weekly schedule, with
readings and homework:
Week 1: read Hobbes:
part 1, chapters 13 and 14.
Homework:
What are the three causes of quarel in human nature?
Explain the nature of time in the state of war as analogous to the nature of time in whether.
What is the argument (page 188) to the effect that the notions of right and wrong are inapplicable in the state of war?
What is the Fundamental Law of Nature?
What is the second Law of Nature?
What is a contract?
Why a covenant not to defend oneself is void?
Why no man is obliged to accuse himself?
Read Hobbes:
part 2, chapters 17, 18, 21.
Homework:
What is the goal of creating a Commonwealth?
What is the only way to erect a Commonwealth? What does it involve?
What are the ways of attaining sovereign power?
How does Hobbes respond (pages 238-239) to the objection that the subjects’ condition is miserable under the absolutist regime?
Why are liberty and fear consistent? Why are liberty and necessity consistent?
Why is the libert of the subject consistent with the unlimited power of the sovereign?
Presentatıons: Thursday: part 1, chapter 13 (Seda Cömert)
Part 1, chapter 14 (Gözem Çece)
part 2 chapter 17 (Osman Eken)
part 2 chapter 18 (Ahmet Erenoğlu)
part 2 chapter 21 (Görkem Gİtsİn)
Week 2: Read
Locke: chapters II, III, IV, V.
Homework:
What are the two characteristics of the state of nature?
Explain part 13 of chapter II.
What is the definition of a state of war?
What are the differences bewteen the state of nature and the state of war?
What is the reason for moving from the state of nature to political government?
What is the difference between natural liberty and liberty in society?
How is slavery related to the state of war?
Presentatıons: Tuesday: chapter II (Güneş Gönülalan), III (Ömer Onur Gülerİm), IV (Müge Gün), V (Sinan İzzet Hocaoğlu)
Read Locke:
chapters VII, VIII, IX.
Homework:
How does Locke define civil society?
How does the executive and legislative powers emerge in the civil society?
Why is absolute monarchy inconsistent with civil society?
How does Locke respond to the objections (pages 53-54) against his view of how political societies emerge?
What are the three things lacking in the state of nature that make the emergence of political society desirable?
Presentations: Thursday: chapter VII (Emre Kartopu), VIII (Duygu Keskİn), IX (Yasemİn Oruç)
Week 3: Read Locke:
chapters XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV.
Homework:
What are the four constraints on the supreme legislative power?
What is the function of the federative power?
What is the reason the executive should have the power of assembling and dismissing the legislative?
What is the notion of the prerogative on the part of the executive (prince)?
What are the characteristics of despotical power?
Presentations: Tuesday: chapters XI (Gökçe Öndül), XII (Enes Öner),
XIII (İmdat Öner)
Homework:
1. Explain
Rousseau’s idea expressed in this passage (p. 87): “If there are, therefore,
slaves by nature, it is because there have been slaves against nature”.
2. Why does Rousseau think that the phease “the right of the
strongest” does not make sense?
3. Explain why Rousseau thinks that the phrase “the right to
make slaves” is ultimately contradictory?
4. What is the goal of the social pact (social contract)? (compare with Hobbes).
5. Explain Rousseau’s view on private porperty (land).
Presentations: Thursday: book I, chapters 6 (Sinan Öztürk),
7 (İlke Papİla), 8 (Emre Saricaoğlu).
Week 4: Read
Roussseau: On social contract, II, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Homework:
1. Why does Rousseau think that sovereignty is not alienable?
2. Explain chapter 3, paragraph 3.
3. Explain Rousseau's view of the function, rights and qualities of a lawgiver.
Presentations: Tuesday: book II,
chapters 8 (Seda Seyman), 9 (Mustafa Koray Tezel), 10 (Mert Tuncay).
Short Paper due on Thursday (bring printout to class)
Read Bentham: Prıncıples, chapters 1, 2, 4, 8.
Homework:
What is utility according to Bedntham?
What is the principle of utility?
What is the community? What is the interest of the community?
What is the principle of ascetism?
What are the rpinciple s of sympathy and antipathy?
How is utility to be measured?
Presentations: Thursday: chapter 8 (Gözde Tunçkilic).
Week 5: Read Mill: Utilitarianism, chapters I, II, III, IV.
Presentations: Tuesday: chapter II (Elif Türkmen) and Chapter III (Şehnaz Ünlü)
Read Mill: On
Liberty, chapter II, chapter IV
Presentations: Thursday: chapter II (Fatİh Yilmaz), chapter IV (Çağlayan Bulut)
Week 6: Read Mill: On
Liberty, chapter III.
Paper Presentations (Tuesday): Çağlayan Bulut, Seda Cömert, Gözem Çece, Osman Eken, Ahmet Erenoğlu, Görkem Gİtsİn, Güneş Gönülalan.
Paper Presentations (Thursday): Ömer Onur Gülerİm, Müge Gün, Sinan İzzet Hocaoğlu, Emre Kartopu, Duygu Keskİn, Yasemİn Oruç.
Week 7: Read Hume:
chapters 2, 3, 4.
Paper Presentations (Tuesday): Gökçe Öndül, Enes Öner, İmdat Öner, Sinan Öztürk, İlke Papİla, Emre Saricaoğlu
Read Hume:
chapters 5, 6.
Term Paper due on Monday, 28 July (bring printout to Philosophy Department secretary by 3pm, and sign the sheet)