Political Theory @ Southern Miss

You might be concerned that something is missing: that education isn't solely about the desires of employers or achieving a certain dollar income. You're not wrong: The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge, by Abraham Flexner provides a different idea of why we might value education, and the kind of education we might value.

What is Political Theory?

What is 'freedom'? What does it mean to live a 'free' life? What kind of political institutions would we need to establish a 'free' society?

You may think you already know the answer to these questions: that you have a basic idea of what we mean by 'freedom.' But consider the following:

• not being subject to the absolute, arbitrary power of another person

• not being restricted in what you can choose to do

• living under a legal system you consent to

• having a private sphere protected from external interference

• living only under laws you have given to yourself

• governing your life according to reason rather than emotion

• developing your own inner capacities and character to the greatest degree possible

Each of these has been advanced as a definition of 'freedom.' Do any of them match what you mean by freedom? How would you defend your definition against these other alternatives? How would you choose among them?

This is the central task of political theory (not just about 'freedom' or 'liberty,' but also equality, justice, security, virtue, solidarity, and so on). You will gain clarity about what you (want to) mean by freedom by examining and evaluating a range of possible alternatives. You may think that there can be no correct answer here, that each definition is as good as the others, or that it is simply a matter of personal preference. Maybe. But how you define freedom, and whether you value it highly or not, will affect the kinds of political institutions or policies you want to defend or oppose. So getting it right matters and has consequences for your overall picture of politics.

Political theorists approach this task by reading and analyzing texts. In the form of treatises, essays, stories, poems, and so on, we can identify how the author is understanding freedom and how that shapes their picture of politics. The goal, however, is always to develop your own judgment and understanding. You become a more complex thinker about freedom by analyzing these alternatives. You become a better analyst and reader of sometimes difficult texts.

Liberté, Egalité, Solidarité

The French Revolution gave us a slogan (slightly modified here) for a political community that successfully combined and balance three political values: freedom, equality, solidarity. Arguably, this set the task for the next two centuries, and for our current political moment, namely to discover institutions capable of making the slogan a lived reality. The three core political theory classes at USM are organized around this theme, with each class centrally focused on one of the three.

PS 420: Ancient and Medieval Political Theory (Virtue and Desire)

This class examines the concept of solidarity through the lens of the 'virtuous community.' Many ancient and medieval writers posited an ideal political community in which all members shared an idea of virtue and organized their common way of life around putting that idea into practice. Solidarity would be achieved by educating people into this shared understanding of a virtuous life. But what kind of virtue should this community pursue? And could the virtuous community really be achieved? Are most human beings capable of living a life of virtue, or of dedicating themselves to a community devoted to virtue? If not, was there a second best alternative? Are political communities perhaps sustained by legal constraints more than by the virtue of their members? The course explores politics as the art of making community, of building and sustaining a shared way of life.

PS 421: Modern Political Theory (Constraint and Freedom)

This class examines the variety of accounts of freedom that emerged in early modern Europe and the different kinds of political community these accounts of freedom suggested. 'Modern' Europeans often started from the idea that all individuals were in some sense free and equal and then asked what kind of political community was consistent with this freedom. What kind of political authority could legitimately rule over 'free' people, and how could they retain their freedom and submit to this authority? Of course, modern Europeans also denied freedom (however defined) to a wide range of people, either excluding them from community, or including them only as subordinate and unfree people. The course explores the art of being free, and of building and sustaining political community as a shared way of life for free persons.

PS 426: Contemporary Political Theory (Capitalism and Democracy)

This class examines efforts to balance equality against the claims of freedom and solidarity in the wake of the French Revolution. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, modern nation states with industrial economies emerge, and pressure to involve (or at least reflect) 'the will of the people' in political decision making grows. Democratically organized polities seek to find an appropriate balance between freedom, equality, and solidarity. But what kind of equality should we be trying to realize? Does political equality require economic equality, and if so, of what kind? What losses are involved in placing a higher value on equality, or solidarity, than on freedom? This course explores the art of achieving equality, and of building and sustaining a community as a shared way of life for free persons of equal standing.

Getting in Touch 

1. For quick questions about the class, please use the email address above. You should us a valid usm.edu email account whenever possible.

2. For discussions about the material office hours are better than email.  Simply stop by my office (see above) during the listed hours, or email for an appointment.

Reading

Don't approach these texts like easy-going, casual acquaintances; approach them like cranky, difficult people who you need to get to know to appreciate. You are going to have to read these texts slowly, possibly more than once. You may still not understand them fully. 

General principles:

• Read through the text once, carefully, trying to figure out what it is saying and how.

• Take notes, underline the words or phrases that caught your attention.

• Then go back to passages that were difficult, thought provoking, or annoying to see why they seemed so.

• Be patient, and budget your time appropriately.

• "Carefully" does not mean you read it over quickly a few minutes before class.

Structure

This class will meet twice a week. There will also be (short) posted lectures in Canvas to help you understand the readings.

• For this to work, you must have read the assigned text with some care before coming to the class session.

• You should be prepared with your own thoughts and reactions (however provisional).

• You will be best prepared if you write them down and bring them to class.

Important University Policies and Resources:

Course Workload Statement

Students are expected to invest considerable time outside of class in learning the material for this course. The expectation of the University of Southern Mississippi is that each week students should spend approximately 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour in class working on reading, assignments, studying, and other work for the course. For online classes, the average amount spent on a three-credit-course is roughly ten hours per week, including all assignments and interactions.

We realize that most students work and have family or other obligations. Time management is thus critical for student success. All students should assess their personal circumstances and talk with their advisors about the appropriate number of credit hours to take each term, keeping in mind that 30 credit hours each year are needed to graduate in four years. Resources for academic support can be found at on our Advisement Center’s Resources page or at the virtual Student Success Library in our Center for Student 

Grading Policies and Calculation

A list of possible grades at the University can be found in the Bulletin (http://catalog.usm.edu). Note that students will receive an “interim grade” at the seven-week point to give them an indication of their performance at that point in the semester.

Students may drop a course with no penalty in the first week of the semester. If students wish to leave a course with a grade of “W” (for “withdrawal”), they may request to do so before the 50th day (specific dates can be found here: https://www.usm.edu/registrar/calendars).  Important note: Students who receive a grade of W do not receive any money back and that grade is permanently included on their transcripts.

Students should be aware that “Incompletes” can only be assigned in cases of “extraordinary circumstances” beyond the student’s control.

ONLINE ACCESS STATEMENT

To access the online components of this course, you must first go to https://usm.instructure.com/login/canvas, then follow the log-in instructions. You will need to have your EMPLID and password (the same information you use to access SOAR and register for classes). If you have any questions or run into difficulty accessing the Canvas material for this course, please call the iTech Help Desk at 601-266-4357 or helpdesk@usm.edu. You can also get specific instructions on how to use components of Canvas by visiting www.usm.edu/lec.

MENTAL WELL-BEING STATEMENT

USM recognizes that students sometimes experience challenges that make learning difficult. If you find that life stressors such as academic workload, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, difficulty concentrating, alcohol/drug problems, or other stressful experiences are interfering with your academic or personal success, consider contacting Student Counseling Services on campus at 601-266-4829. More information is also available at https://www.usm.edu/student-counseling-services. All students are eligible for free, confidential individual or group counseling services. In the event of emergency, please call 911 or contact the counselor on call at 601-606-HELP (4357).

Food Insecurity and Student Homelessness Statement

The University of Southern Mississippi recognizes that students and staff members may experience challenges beyond their control that impact their ability to take care of their essential needs, such as having food or a safe place to sleep. If you find yourself in need of food or shelter, please consider contacting the Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry on the Hattiesburg campus at 601-266-4025 or eaglesnest@usm.edu. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to come to the Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry and utilize the available resources free of charge. 

Academic Integrity Statement

All students at the University of Southern Mississippi are expected to demonstrate the highest levels of academic integrity in all that they do. Forms of academic dishonesty include (but are not limited to):

• Cheating (including copying from others’ work)

• Plagiarism (representing another person’s words or ideas as your own; failure to properly cite the source of your information, argument, or concepts)

• Falsification of documents 

• Disclosure of test or other assignment content to another student 

• Submission of the same paper or other assignment to more than one class without the explicit approval of all faculty members’ involved

• Unauthorized academic collaboration with others

• Conspiracy to engage in academic misconduct

Engaging in any of these behaviors or supporting others who do so will result in academic penalties and/or other sanctions. If a faculty member determines that a student has violated our Academic Integrity Policy, sanctions ranging from resubmission of work to course failure may occur, including the possibility of receiving a grade of “XF” for the course, which will be on the student’s transcript with the notation “Failure due to academic misconduct.” For more details, please see the University’s Academic Integrity Policy: Academic Integrity | The University of Southern Mississippi (usm.edu)  Note that repeated acts of academic misconduct will lead to expulsion from the University. 

Academic Support Resources

Please see our Student Success Website: http://www.usm.edu/success for information on where you can find tutoring and other academic assistance, as well as the location of key resources on campus.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS)

SAS is Southern Miss’s designated office to assist the University in its commitment to protect the civil rights of students with disabilities. SAS protects students from discrimination and offers reasonable accommodations to give them equitable access to university courses and resources. Disabilities covered under the ADA may include but are not limited to ADHD, learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, physical disabilities, chronic health disorders, temporary injuries, and pregnancies. If a student feels that they need classroom or housing accommodations based on a disability they should contact SAS by phone at 601-266-5024, by email at sas@usm.edu , in person by visiting the SAS office located in Bond Hall Room 114, or online at www.usm.edu/sas .

Speaking and Writing Centers

The Writing Center and the Speaking Center are friendly spaces that provide individualized feedback and support to help Southern Miss students succeed with writing and speaking assignments for any class. The Centers offer one-to-one consultations for any stage of the process, including brainstorming, creating an outline, revising, learning editing strategies, and developing presentation skills. In Fall 2020, all Writing Center appointments are online only. The Speaking Center has online appointments, virtual drop-in hours, and limited in-person availability for the Fall 2020 semester. To make an appointment, visit usm.mywconline.com and create an account with your USM email address. Detailed instructions for making an appointment can be found at usm.edu/writing-center. Contact the Writing Center by email at writingcenter@usm.edu or by phone at (601) 266-4821. The Speaking Center can be reached at speakingcenter@usm.edu or (601) 266-4965.

CAREER SERVICES

Why wait until your senior year to start thinking about your career? Career Services is free, open to all students, and able to assist you now. Students are strongly encouraged to stop by for guidance with selecting an academic major, choosing a career, seeking an internship, finding a part-time job or entering the full-time job search. 

Career Services is located in #125 McLemore Hall (601.266.4153) and also provides an array of resources available online at https://www.usm.edu/career-services/index.php. Please check out the online info, and call to set up a personalized appointment now!

Nondiscrimination Statement:

The University of Southern Mississippi offers to all persons equal access to educational, programmatic and employment opportunities without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, gender identity, genetic information, religion, race, color, national origin, and/or veteran status pursuant to applicable state and federal law.

Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create and maintain a safe learning environment on our campus. I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility related to my role as a faculty member. I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on USM’s campus with certain University officials responsible for the investigation and remediation of sexual misconduct. The information will remain private and will only be shared with those officials necessary to resolve the matter. If you would like to speak in confidence, resources available to students include Confidential Advisors with the Shafer Center for Crisis Intervention, the Counseling Center, Student Health Services, and Clergy. More information on these resources and University Policies is available at https://www.usm.edu/sexual-misconduct.