PHIL 499 - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy - Spring, 2023 - Conceptions of Freedom
Metropolitan State University
Tentative schedule of assignments (almost certain to be revised in light of students' preferences)
Date |
Topic |
Reading Assignments |
Writing assignments due |
Jan. 12 |
Introductory Session |
None |
|
Jan. 19 |
A classic exposition of the liberal philosophy of freedom |
Chapters One and Two of John Stuart Mill, On Liberty; Choose your version: 1. The original text as written |
Response paper |
Jan. 26 |
Mill on Liberty continued | Chapters Three, Four, and Five of On Liberty by John Stuart Mill (links to several versions above) | Response paper |
Feb. 2 |
The distinction between negative and positive liberty (or freedom) | Isaiah Berlin, "Two Concepts of Liberty" Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from The Social Contract (On being forced to be free) |
Response paper |
Feb 9 |
Hannah Arendt's philosophy of freedom | Hannah Arendt, "Revolution and Freedom" Hannah Arendt, "Freedom and Politics" (JSTOR, login with star ID) |
Response paper |
Feb. 16 |
Capitalism, Socialism and Freedom: 1. The case for a strong connection between capitalism, private property and freedom | F. A. Hayek: Chapters 1 and 9 from The Constitution of Liberty. Milton Friedman, Chapters 1 and 2 from Capitalism and Freedom |
Response paper |
Feb. 23 |
Capitalism, Socialism and Freedom: 2. The case against a strong connection between capitalism, private property and freedom | Richard Norman, "Does Equality Destroy Liberty?" G. A. Cohen, "Capitalism, Freedom and the Proletariat" and "Freedom and Money"
|
Response paper; |
| March 2 | Psychological Oppression and the situation of the colonized | Albert Memmi, "Situations of the Colonized" Sandra Bartky, "On Psychological Oppression"
|
Response paper |
March 9 |
No Class - Spring Break |
|
|
March 16 |
Sen's 'capabilities' approach to freedom | Amartya Sen, "Individual Freedom as Social Commitment" (JSTOR, login with star ID) | Response paper; Paper proposal due |
March 23 |
TBD | Response paper |
|
March 30 |
TBD | Response paper |
|
April 6 |
TBD | Response paper |
|
April 13 |
TBD | Response paper; paper draft due |
|
April 20 |
TBD | Response paper; |
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| April 27 | TBD | Response paper; | |
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Paper due May 1. |