Capitalism and Democracy: Political Theory in the Face of Globalization

Goals 

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? Is capitalism compatible with a political system that can achieve the required balance, or do we need an alternative? What losses are involved in placing a higher value on equality, or solidarity, than on freedom? This course explores the art of generating mutual respect, and of building and sustaining a community as a shared way of life for free persons of equal standing.

In addition students should learn to:

(1) (a) identify, and (b) analyze, key concepts in contemporary political theory, from a variety of traditions.

(2) (a) develop, and (b) argue for, an interpretation of a text against, (c) plausible alternatives.

(3) use these texts and concepts to (a) articulate, and (b) argue in support of, their own ideas about politics, or political theory.

Books 

The following books have been ordered and should be at the Bookstore:

Moaddel and Talattof, eds., Modernist and Fundamentalist Debates in Islam: A Reader

Friedrich Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo (Vintage)

John Rawls, Justice as Fairness: A Restatement (Belknap Press)

Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political (Univ of Chicago Press)

Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism (Monthly Review Press)

Other readings can be found online or in Canvas.

Attendance Policy: Attendance is mandatory. Roll will be taken. No more than one undocumented absence will be allowed. Additional undocumented absences will lead to an automatic reduction of your participation grade by two numerical points (see grade scale: one point is a third of a letter grade) per session missed (if you have earned a C for participation, based on your participation when present, this would drop to an F with three unexcused absences). Documentation must be verified through the Dean of Students Office, or other appropriate University office (religious holidays excepted, but notice must still be provided in writing), if you will be, or have been absent for more than three class sessions.

Participation: Participation accounts for 15% of your total grade. Your engaged participation is particularly important. Being an active participant involves asking questions and talking, but also listening and responding, in a respectful way, to others. It is important to note, however, that you are not being graded on the frequency of your participation alone, but also the quality of your contribution to the class discussion

Written Assignments:

1. In-class Writing: There will be periodic in-class writing responses, graded on a P/F basis. One point will be assigned for each completed assignment. For full credit, students must complete 12. There will be no make-up opportunities.

2. Quizzes: There will be weekly quizzes on the reading and lecture material for the week. The quizzes are open note and open book, but timed. These quizzes will be made available each Thursday and must be completed by midnight Friday.

3. Midterm Exam: The midterm exam will be in class on Sept 24th.

4. Final Exam: The final exam will be given during the regular exam period (see the end of the syllabus)

Grading

All exams, papers, and quizzes will be returned with a number marked between 0 and 12. This is your grade for this assignment. In calculating your final grade (A, B, C, D, or F) I consider whether your work for the semester has been consistently in the low or high end of the letter grade range. USM does not give + or - grades as final grades.

Grade scale:

All exams, papers, and quizzes will be returned with a number marked between 0 and 12. This is your grade for this assignment. In calculating your final grade I consider whether your work for the semester has been consistently in the low or high end of the letter grade range.

• 12: high A                         6: high C 

• 11: A                                  5: C

• 10: low A                          4: low C

• 9: high B                           3: high D

• 8: B                                    2: D

• 7: low B                            1: low D

• 0: F

Distribution:

• Participation: 15%

• In-class Writing : 10%

• Weekly Quizzes 10%

• Midterm: 30%

• Final Exam: 35%

When you read this section email me a photograph of a location you visited this summer.

Grading Standards

The following general standards guide assessment of work in this course. Use the questions to assess your own written and oral work, as you are developing it.

• Clarity: Are your core ideas communicated clearly? Do you use examples and illustrations?

• Accuracy: Is your argument supported with relevant evidence, or quotes from texts read in class?

• Precision: Is the central argument specific and detailed?

• Relevance: Is your discussion related to the questions you have asked, or the question posed in the assignment? Do you draw on relevant class discussion/lectures and readings?

• Depth: Do you deal with the complexity of the issue you are discussing?

• Logic: Does the essay make sense?

Academic Integrity 

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: https://www.usm.edu/institutional-policies/policy-acaf-pro-012 Note that repeated acts of academic misconduct will lead to expulsion from the University.

Calendar (readings should be completed before coming to class on the date they are pasted under)

See Canvas for Quiz dates

Week 1

Mon. 8/18

Introduction

A. The End of History

Wed. 8/20

Hegel, The Essential Writings (selections, pp. 273-284) (CANVAS)

Week 2

B. Bourgeois Dialectics

Mon. 8/25

Marx, "The German Ideology, Part 1," pp. 147-163; 193-200 (CANVAS)

Wed. 8/27

Nietzsche,On the Genealogy of Morals, pp. 15-56

Week 3

Mon. 9/1 LABOR DAY

Wed. 9/3

Nietzsche,On the Genealogy of Morals, pp. 57-96

Week 4

Mon. 9/8

Mill, On Liberty, chapters 1-2

Wed. 9/10 

Mill, On Liberty, chapters 3-4

Week 5

Mon. 9/15                   

T.H. Green, "Liberal Legislation and Freedom of Contract" (CANVAS)         

C. Novelty and Nostalgia

Wed. 9/17

Nakae Chomin, A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government (selections) (CANVAS)

Week 6

Mon. 9/22 

Hu Shih, "The Civilizations of the East and the West" (CANVAS)

Li Dazhao, "Women's Liberation and Democracy" (CANVAS)

He Zhen, "The Declaration of Women," "On Women's Revenge," and "What Women Should Know About Communism" (CANVAS)

Wed. 9/24 

MIDTERM EXAM (in class)

Week 7

Mon. 9/29

Modernist and Fundamentalist Debates in Islam, selections

Moulavi Chiragh Ali, "Islamic Revealed Law versus Islamic Common Law" (pp. 29-34) 

Sayyid Qutb, "Islam and the Foundation of Knowledge" (pp. 197-206)

Qasim Amin, "The Liberation of Women" (pp. 163-181)

Murtaza Mutahhari, "On the Islamic Hijab" (pp. 361-371)

D. Crisis

Wed. 10/1

Weber, "Politics as a Vocation" (CANVAS)

Week 8 

Mon. 10/6

Schmitt, The Concept of the Political, 19-45

Wed. 10/8

Schmitt, The Concept of the Political, 45-79

Week 9

Mon. 10/13

Gramsci, "The Modern Prince," pp. 135-188 (CANVAS)

E. Perspectives on the Crisis I: Explanations

Wed. 10/15

Hayek,  "Individualism: True and False" (CANVAS)

Week 10

Mon. 10/20

Schumpeter, "Can Capitalism Survive?," chs. XII-XIV (CANVAS)

Wed. 10/22

Polanyi, "Freedom in a Complex Society" (CANVAS)

Week 11

F. Perspectives on the Crisis II: Return?

Mon. 10/27

Strauss, "Progress or Return? The Contemporary Crisis in Western Civilization" (CANVAS)

Wed. 10/29

Arendt, "Introduction into Politics" and "Epilogue" in The Promise of Politics (CANVAS)

Week 12 

Mon. 11/3 

Foucault, Discourse and Truth (lectures 1, and 3-6) (CANVAS)

Wed. 11/5

Mou Zongsan, "Appearances and Things-in-Themselves," and "The Principles of Authority and Governance" (CANVAS)

Week 13

G. Renewing the Enlightenment

Mon. 11/10

Rawls, Justice as Fairness, 1-38

Wed. 11/12

Rawls, Justice as Fairness, 39-79

Week 14

Mon. 11/17

Habermas, Inclusion of the Other, chapter 9 (CANVAS)

Wed. 11/19 

Habermas, Inclusion of the Other, chapter 10 (CANVAS)

Week 15

H. Psychic Legacies and Cyborg Futures

Mon. 11/24 

Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism (entire)

Wed. 11/26 THANKSGIVING BREAK

Week 16

Mon. 12/1 

Rubin, "The Traffic in Women"

Wed. 12/3

Haraway, "A Cyborg Manifesto"

Wednesday, December 10 : FINAL EXAM: 10:45am-1:15pm