Tentative schedule of topics and reading assignments_______________________

Date

Topic

Reading Assignment (Read before class for each week)

IPT = Issues in Political Theory ed. By Catriona McKinnon
ORPT = Political Thought (Oxford Reader) ed. By Michael Rosen and Jonathan Wolff

Week 1

Aug.25

Introduction to the course and to each other

Week 2

Sept.1

Political Authority and Obligation

IPT Intro and Chapter 1; ORPT pp. 52-88. Update: please also read ORPT, pp. 10-18 and the selections from Locke found here

Selections from Locke

Notes on Locke

Week 3

Sept.8

Nationalism and Patriotism

IPT Chapter 2; ORPT pp. 267-285, 288-291

Week 4

Sept.15

War

IPT Chapter 3; ORPT pp.257-266

Handouts: Just War Principles; Four Perspectives on War; General Smedley Butler says War is a Racket;

Longer version of Butler's "War Is A Racket"

General McChrystal on US strategy in Afghanistan

Week 5

Sept.22

Democracy

IPT Chapter 4; ORPT pp.89-118

Week 6

Sept.29

Liberty

IPT Chapter 5; ORPT pp.119-141; 1st exam

Week 7

Oct.6

Toleration

IPT Chapter 6; ORPT pp.142-154, 326-334

Week 8

Oct.13

Social Justice and Property
(Note: This week and next we are reversing the order of topics in IPT)

IPT Chapter 8; ORPT pp. 187-223

Week 9

Oct.20

Equality

IPT Chapter 7; ORPT pp.224-254 

Week 10

Oct.27

Human Rights

IPT Chapter 9; ORPT pp.172-180; 2nd exam

Week 11

Nov.3

Multiculturalism

IPT Chapter 10; Selections from Okin and Parekh (online here: Okin, "Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?"); Parekh, "Equality in a Multicultural Society"

Week 12

Nov.10

Citizenship

IPT Chapter 11; ORPT pp.155-172, 394-402

Week 13-

Nov.17

Gender

IPT Chapter 12; ORPT pp.34-51, 151-154

Week 14

Nov.24

Global Justice

IPT Chapter 13; ORPT pp.300-318

Week 15

Dec.1

Environment

IPT Chapter 14; Other selections online here: Leopold, "Thinking Like a Mountain;" EcoEquity, "The right to development in a climate constrained world." (PDF); 3rd exam