Syllabus

Submitted by becks on Tue, 08/28/2007 - 10:39am.

Course Schedule

Note: This schedule is subject to revision; I will inform you of changes in class.

Date

Topics and Readings

Work Due

Wednesday 9/26

Program Introduction

Reading:

Saturday

 9/29

The Social Contract Tradition

Reading: Locke, chs. I-V;  Rousseau, Book I, chs. I-V

Wilder, "How to Read Philosophy"

Initial Paper on the State of Nature

Wednesday 10/3

The Founding Era

Reading: Wood, part I; Locke, chs. VII- XIII

Carr, "The Historian and his Facts"

Wednesday 10/10

The Founding Era, continued

Reading: Wood, part II; Rousseau, Book I, chs. VI-IX and Book II, chs. I-IV

First Essay

Saturday 10/13

The Founding Era, concluded.

Reading: Wood, part III

Wednesday 10/17

The Civil War and Reconstruction

Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"; Lincoln and Douglas, Fifth Debate; Lincoln, Second Inaugural

First Essay Rewrite

Wednesday 10/24

The Reconstruction Era

Reading: Foner, chs. 1-6

Saturday 10/27

The Reconstruction Era, concluded

Reading: Foner, chs. 7-12

Film: "Reconstruction: The Second Civil War"

Second Essay

Wednesday 10/31

The Progressive Era

Reading: Dawley, part I; Mill, "What Utilitarianism Is"

Wednesday 11/7

First World War and Aftermath

Reading: Dawley, Part II; Mill and Taylor, "The Subjection of Women" chapter 1; Stanton, "Declaration of the Rights of Women"

Second Essay Rewrite

Saturday 11/10

Marxism and the "Red Scare"

Marx, "Estranged Labor" (from the Economic and Political Manuscripts of 1844), "Idealism and Materialism" (from The German Ideology) and The Communist Manifesto Parts I and II.

Wednesday 11/14

Depression and New Deal

Reading: Dawley, Part III

Draft of Position Paper

Wednesday 11/21

Thanksgiving Break

Wednesday 11/28

The Social Contract Tradition Today

Reading: Rawls, from "Justice as Fairness"; Mills, introduction and ch. 1

Position Paper Rewrite

Saturday

12/1

The Social Contract Tradition Today, continued

Reading: Mills, chs. 2 & 3

Film: "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow"

Wednesday 12/5

Polished Position paper and portfolio

Evaluation conferences are required and will be held during evaluation week. Evaluations will be based on your depth of understanding and progress as evident in written work, and class participation.