e-mail: mmartine@luna.cas.usf.edu

Office Hours: Tuesday: 1:00-3:00, before and after class on both Tuesday and Thursdays. If these times are not convenient feel free to send me an e-mail or leave me a voice message to arrange a different time.

Objectives: The course is designed to introduce students to a number of contemporary philosophers and political theorists. Looking at both secondary and primary literature we will consider the ideas promoted by contemporary thinkers. The topics to be considered more specifically will be the following: Part 1-Liberalism and Its Critics, Part 2-Democracy, and Part 3- Public and Private Spheres and the Limits of Political Neutrality. By the end of the semester students should understand some of the issues that are plaguing both philosophers and political theorists today.

Christopher Wolfe and John Hittinger eds. 1994. Liberalism at the Crossroads. Rowman and Littlefield.

Seyla Benhabib ed. 1996. Democracy and Difference: Contesting the Boundaries of the Political. Princeton University Press.

John Rawls 1993. Political Liberalism. Princeton University Press.

Chrisopher W. Morris ed. The Social Contract Theorists: Critical Essays on Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Rowman and Littlfield.

*There will also be a number of selections placed on RESERVE at the library. I will talk about this during our first class meetings.

Short Essays 30% of grade

Each student will be expected to write 8 one-page essays on assigned topics. I will assign an essay question each week and it will be the student’s responsibility to ensure that he/she has 8 essays by the end of the term. The only caveat is that all essays have assigned dates. As a consequence, you cannot turn in 8 essays on the last day of class. I am of the opinion that the sooner you begin to write these essays and receive what I hope amounts to constructive criticism the better prepared you will be to write a final paper.

Class Presentation 30% of grade

Each student will be expected to lead a discussion at least once during the semester. (This will depend on our class size.) The student will have to prepare a handout and turn in both the handout and a 3-4 page essay on the selected topic. I will discuss class presentations more fully during our first week.

Final Paper 30% of grade

Each student will be expected to write a final paper on a selected topic. The paper will be 7-8 pages in length and will deal critically with one of the topics discussed in class. You will have the option to write your final paper on the topic you presented in class. I will talk more about this during our first week of the semester.

Participation and Quizzes 10% of grade

While attendance is not mandatory it can considerably affect your ability to participate in class. Furthermore, I have a tendency to give unannounced quizzes when a number of students appear unprepared or not present.

August

1. Introduction
2. Introduction

September

1. Liberalism: An Introduction

1. Hobbes-Recommended Readings: Essays 1, 3, and 4 in Morris.

12 Locke-Recommended Readings: Essays 6,7, and 8 in Morris

1. Rousseau-Recommended Readings: Essays 9, 10, 11, 12 in Morris

1. Rawls- Chapter 1in Wolfe and Hittinger (Required)

1. Nozick-Chapter 4 in Wolfe and Hittinger (Required)

1. Sandel-Chapter 5 in Wolfe and Hittinger (Required)

1. Rorty-Chapter 8 in Wolfe and Hittinger (Required)

October

1. Unger-Chapter 7 in Wolfe and Hittinger (Required)

5 Unger-

1. Oakeshott- Reserve:Koerner "Michael Oakeshott: Liberalism as Rationalism in Politics" (Required)

1. Does Democracy need Foundations? Essays 17, 18 in Benhabib. (Required)

19 Essays 19, 20 in Benhabib (Required)

24 Dewey and Democratic Experimentalism

26 Dewey continued

31 Foundations and Perspectives Essays 1, 4 in Benhabib (Required)

November

2 Equality, Difference and … Essay 7 in Benhabib (Required)

7 Culture, Identity, and Democracy Essay 12 in Benhabib (Required)

9 Radical Democracy- What is Radical about Radical Democracy?

14 Public/Private Sphere and Political Neutrality

1. Rawls continued

December

5 Political Neutrality and the Rule of Law

7 Conclusion

14 Papers Due by 5:00 pm.