Page Last Updated: April 27, 2011 12:30 PM  
     
  Syllabus Contents  
   

Find your required text.
Find the Dixie College general education objectives.
Find the History 1700 course objectives.
Find the like to student policies
Find the grading system for this class
Find the description of the course exam requirement
Find the description of the micro paper assignment

 
      Content
Purpose
Due Date and Late Papers
Queries

Formatting
Rewrites
Grading
 
    Find the Micro Paper Assignments and Queries  
      Query Assignments
Machiavelli

Locke
Rousseau
Marx
Mill
 
    Find the Micro Paper attendance and grading policy  
    Find the links to the writing aids
Find information on the DSC writing center
 
         
         

           
  Required Texts  
   

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, ISBN 978-0-486-27274-0), $2:50


mach  
   

John Locke, The Second Treatise on Government (We will not read the Letter Concerning Toleration for class), ISBN 978-0-486-42464-4, $2:50


lock  
   

Jean Jaques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origina of Inequality, ISBN 0-486-43414-1, $2:50


rous  
   

John Stuard Mill, On Liberty, ISBN 978-0-486-42130-8, $3:00


mill  
   

Karl Marx and Frederick Engles, The Communist Manifesto, ISBN 0-71780241-8, $2:50


marx  
   

Class Lecture Outlines and Additional Texts

The sixth required text is my Class Lecture Outlines and Additional Texts. It is formatted as a PDF file. You will need it in class each day. Print it out using the link above.
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  Gifts: Gift from students to the teacher can be misinterpreted. While the thought will be appreciated, Mr. Green cannot accept gifts under any circumstances. I would be better for all concerned if they were not offered.  
         

         
  Class Interruptions: Please turn off your cell phones, radios, walkmans, and alarms such as watches and palm pilots during class. Electronic disturbances of this class will not be allowed.  
         

         
  Dixie College General Education Objectives  
 

Students will demonstrate knowledge of human development and the human condition.

 
  Students will understand the ideas, people, and events in the past that are generally thought to be important.  
  Students will develop informed points of view based on knowledge in psychological, social, economic, and/or political theory which can be expressed orally or in writing .  
   


 
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  Political Science 2300 Course Objectives  
 

Students will identify and understand the basic ideas of the major political philosophers in the western tradition including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, Marx, and Mill.

 
  Students will argue and write analytically and coherently about significant issues and problems in Political Philosophy.  
  Students will effectively analyze the ideas of selected political philosophers.   
  Students will learn about Political Philosophy by reading significant authors and authoritative texts.  
         
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  Grades  
    At the end of the quarter, I must make a judgment concerning how much of the content of the class you have learned. I will use the following formula to make this assessment  
    Exams (grade x 60%) link  
        Exam Grade = (midterm exam grade x 40%) + (final exam grade x 60%)  
    Micro Papers (grade times 40%) link  
        Micro Paper Grade = ( average paper grade x 80%) + (paper presentation attendance grade x 20%)  
    You must take both exams and turn in all five papers to pass the class.  
           
    Grade Creation  
      All grades will be determined using one of the following two methods. First, your score on your will be divided by the high score in the class. If your score is within 95% of the high, you will receive an A. The breakdown will then descend by percentages of the high until the a score that is 60% of the high earns a D-. However, if the average grade for the class, calculated using the first method, is less than a C, at my discretion a second method might be used in place the first. Under this second methodology, instead of dividing by the high score, I will divide until the average grade for the class is set near C. Further adjustments will be made if there are several sections of the class and significantly differentiated denominators between the classes. If there are multiple sections of the class that use the same measuring instrument, as when all section take the same exam, the average will calculated from all sections rather than from just your class.  
           
           
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  Policies  
   

"An eminent mathematician once remarked that he was never satisfied with his knowledge of a mathematical theory until he could explain it to the next (person) he met in the street. This is hardly exaggerated; however, we must remember that a satisfactory explanation entails duties on both sides."

 
         
   

http://new.dixie.edu/reg/syllabus

Use the link to find the 1) the semester schedule, 2) information on student resources including the library, disability resource center, IT help, testing center etc., 3) policy statements including academic integrity,, disruptive behavior, absences for college functions and disability accommodation, and 4) D-Mail.

 
         
  Student Duties  
   

You must commit to a fifteen week program of rigorous study. For the average C+ to B-) Dixie College student, this course will demand two hours out-of-class study for every hour we meet in class or 6 hours a week. This means careful reading: in order to perform well on exams and class assignments you will have to work with your textbook, as opposed to just reading it. It also means you will do college level writing. Finally, you must be willing to consider viewpoints different from your own and to express your opinion in class.

 
         
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Grading Percentages Breakdown

 
     

Above 95%

= A  
      90% to 94.9% = A-  
     

87% to 89.9%

= B+  
      83% to 86.9% = B  
      80% to 82.9%

= B-

 
      77% to 79.9%

= C+

 
      73% to 76.9%

= C

 
      70% to 72.9%

= C-

 
      67% to 69.9%

= D+

 
      63% to 66.9%

= D

 
      60% to 62.9%

= D-

 
      Below 60%

= F

 
           
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  Exams  
   

Two major exams will be given during the semester accounting for 60% of your grade – the midterm and the final. The midterm is worth 40% of your exam grade while the final is worth 60%

 
         
    Students must take both exams to pass the class.  
         
    Exam Grade Options  
     

Most students in the class will not have been exposed to a written exam. Because of this, many will be disappointed by their performance on the midterm exam. They will not really have understood what to expect. To manage this weakness in the course structure, each student will be given a choice as to how his or her exam grade is calculated.

 
         
     

Option One: the midterm will count as 40% of the exam grade while the final exam will count as 60% of the exam grade 

 
         
     

Option Two: The midterm grade will be thrown out and the final exam grade will be the exam grade.

 
         
     

The default grade will be option one. To be eligible for option two, students must comply with all four of the following requirements:

 
    1,

Turn in the midterm exam essay on time. Failure to do so means you will automatically fail the class; in addition, choosing not to take the midterm makes the option meaningless.

 
    2. Retrieve the graded paper from Mr. Green within one week of when the exam is turned back in class. [If you are not in attendance on that day the exam is turned back, be warned that the one week clock begins ticking when that class period ends.]  
    3. Option Visit #1: After completing #3 above, Bring your graded paper to Mr. Green office during his office hours and go over it with him in office. This must be done by Option Visit #1 due date (see your semester schedule for this date).  You lose the opportunity to use the option if this first visit is not completed by that date.  
    4. Option Visit #2: After completing Option Visit #1, you must make at least one follow up visit to Mr. Green’s office to analyze the assignments given to you during the first visit. This must be done before the day of your scheduled final exam. You lose the opportunity to use the option if this second visit is not completed by that date.
 
         
    Exam Schedule  
     

Each exam will be administered in the classroom. The Midterm will cover lecture and discussion material for the first half of the semester. Use the schedule buttons above to find the exact day of the Midterm. The Final will cover lecture and discussion material for the second half of the semester only. The date and time of your final exam are listed in the schedule bulletin and on Mr. Green’s web site. You must take your final with your class on the correct day at the correct time.

 
         
    Late or Make-up Exams  
      Early exams a possible but highly unlikely. (See the attendance policy explained above.) An early or late midterm will require private consultation with Mr. Green (in his office, not the classroom) and will require evidence of school sponsored activities or real emergencies before they will even be considered. In addition, an early final will also require permission of the Dean of the School of Education, Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. .  
         
    Exam Format  
    20 Passage ID Questions =20 points (1 point each)  
    10 Passage Significance Questions = 50 points (5 points each)  
         
      Each exam will be constructed using same format. First, you will match 20 passages for the Midterm and 20 passages for the Final. The passages, are taken from the readings covered in class, must be identified by their authors and sources. Each passage correctly identified is worth one point making a total of 20 points possible. Second, you will choose 10 passages from those listed in Part 1, briefly describing the meaning and significance of each for the study of political theory and based on the class discussion of the passages. Each of these response will be worth a possible 5 points making 50 points possible in part 2 and 70 points for the total exam.
 
         
      Find a sample midterm exam (the final is indentically formatted) using: (Link)  
         
    Exam Administration  
     

This is a written exam. You will need to bring a blue book to class. You can pick them up at the bookstore for $.25 The best answers will receive the highest scores. Failure to show competence with the topic addressed in the question will result in no credit.

You must bring a pen or pencil and a blue book to the test. You may also bring with you any notes, written or typed to your exam and your textbook. Be careful, however. You will put yourself at a disadvantage if you use your notes too much during the exam. Be prepared to answer most of the questions without referring to your notes; use them only to check the details you have forgotten.

 
      Blue Book  
         
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  Micro Papers  
    Micro Papers will account for 40% of your grade. This grade come from two activities: the grades on the paper will account for 80% of the grade and attendance at the paper and movie sessions for 20%.  
             
    You must turn in all five micro papers to pass the class.  
             
  Micro Paper Assignment  
    There will be five micro paper assignments during the semester on which this grade is based. Each paper will be based on a response to an assigned query about your assigned reading. The query assignments will be posted in the Micro Paper Queries section below.  
             
    The purpose of the paper is to get your response to the reading. Research in secondary sources is, therefore, discouraged. Answer the query based on the ideas in the primary text.  
             
    One the day the paper is due come with two copies of your paper. The due dates are on the schedule. (See schedule you received on the first day or the posting at the schedule button above) You will give one copy to Mr. Green at the beginning of the class. The second will be necessary if you are asked to read your paper to the class. We will spend one or two days listening to the papers, so there is a high likelihood that you will be assigned to present your paper.  
             
  Purpose of the Assignment  
    One purpose of each Micro Paper is encourage you to consider antinomies, like those listed below, associated with governing. Antinomies are a fruitful way to think about the readings we will encounter this semester.  
      antinomy: 1) contradiction or opposition, especially between two laws or rules; 2) a contradiction between principles or conclusions that seem equally necessary and reasonable; a paradox.  
    All societies must confront the problem of how and to whom to allocate and distribute power. However, making one policy or institutional decision to solve one problem always creates other problems that require new solutions, and the new solutions often lead to the resurrection of the old problem. The point is that societies cannot escape these spectrums of choices. Each political philosopher we study is usually choosing and defending points along one or more of these spectrums in order to suggest solutions to some pressing and current (for his/her time) problem related to power. You will also notice that by choosing one set of solutions, the philosopher rejects the values and possible solutions at the other end of each spectrum. Many of the queries for each of the assigned books are designed to get you to identify and analyze some of these antinomies.  
    Antinomies  
    realism vs. idealism  
    culture vs. interests  
    stability vs. change  
    personal liberty vs. security (order)  
    economic freedom vs .economic equality  
    majority rule vs. minority rights  
    passion and intuition vs. reason and calculation.  
         
  Micro Paper Due Date and Late Paper Policy  
   

Micro Papers are due on the date listed in the schedule. Late papers, those [for what ever reason], not ready for presentation in class, will loose one full grade. That is, the highest grade they can achieve is a B. Papers will not be accepted for any grade if they are one or more class periods late.

 
             
  Micro Paper Queries  
   

The topic for each paper is one of the queries that accompany the assigned readings listed below. The one query you will write on will be assigned by Mr. Green in class. As you read, you should think about all the questions and sketch out a tentative answer in your mind. Your paper must deal with the query you are assigned in a substantive and informed way, and it must show Mr. Green that you have read the book.

 
             
    Printable Version of the Queries  
    Query Assignments  
             
 
Nicollo Machiavelli, The Prince
 
      Query List for the Machiavelli Paper Assignment  
      1. Is Machiavelli's political theory evil?  
      2. How is Machiavelli's political philosophy different from that of either Plato or Aristotle (choose only one)?  
      3. Antinomy Question: Where does Machiavelli fit on the continuum between whether culture determined social behavior or whether it is interests that explain social outcomes?  
      4. How would Machiavellian react a current American 1) domestic policy or 2) foreign policy?  
        Choose and focus on a specific policy currently in the news.  Also, choose EITHER  #1 or #2: Domestic policy includes health, welfare,  spending, regulation, homeland security, etc. Foreign policy includes war, trade, immigration, and diplomacy.  
      Other Issues to Consider While Reading Machiavelli  
       
    Where does Machiavelli fit on the other antinomy continuums besides culture vs. interest in #3 above.
 
      5. What is "virtu" and why is it significant in Machiavelli's philosophy?  
      6. What is the significance of fortune in The Prince?  
      7. Could the Prince's immoral precepts really be the result Machiavelli possessing a different moral system that the Greek-Christian one that most readers first bring to the work? See Donald McCloskey, Bourgeois Virtue.  
      8.
Watch the movie Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth and Geoffery Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham. What Machiavellian principles are portrayed in the advice Walsingham gives to Elizabeth? In what ways does Elizabeth become a Machiavellian prince?
 
             
  John Locke, Second Treatise on Government  
      Query List for the Locke Paper Assignment  
      1.
    Should Locke be considered a father of classical liberalism?
 
        Liberalism, in the 18th and 19th Centuries, meant  a belief in government limited by written constitutions, separation of powers, clearly defined and enforced property rights, and the rule of law.  
      2. Does Locke successfully refute the Theory of Divine Right of Kings?  
        Locke says he wrote to book to refute the philosophy of Robert Filmer whose theory of divine right of kings precluded ever removing even a bad king.  
      3. Antinomy Question:  Where does Locke fit on the continuum between freedom and security?  
       

Advocates of freedom want individuals to control al choices about their lives while advocates of security favor government interference with individual choice to protect the public good.

 
      4. Some claim that Thomas Jefferson relied on Locke when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson denied the connection.  From your reading of Locke, is the claim justified.  
           
      Other Issues to Consider while Reading Locke  
      5. Where does Locke fit on the other antinomy continuums besides freedom vs.security in #3 above.  
      6. How doe Locke's state of nature and his social contract differ from Hobbes?  
      7. Can Locke’s ideas about property (Chapter 5) be a foundation for the theory of capitalism?  
      8. Is Locke’s theory of the executive prerogative (Chapter 14) consistent with his ideas about separation of powers?  
             
  Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality  
      1. In his book The Social Contract, Rousseau’s says,, "Man was born free but everywhere he is in chains." Based on your reading of the Discourse on the Origin Inequality, what did he mean?  
      2.
    How does Rousseau's state of nature differ from that of __________? (Choose either Hobbes or Locke to fill in the blank.)
 
      3. Antinomy Question:  Where does Rousseau fit on the continuum between making decisions by trusting the passions and intuition and making decisions using reason and calculation?  
      4. Should we consider Rousseau a founding father of the idea of the idea of socialism?  
       

Define socialism as government ownership of all productive assets and the equal distribution of incomes and material resources among the members of the community or state.

 
      Other Issues to Consider while Reading Rousseau  
      5. Where does Rousseau fit on the other antinomy continuums besides passion and intuition and reason and calculation in #3 above.  
      6. Can Rousseau be considered a classical liberal. Use the working definition of classical liberal in the query #1 in the Locke queries above.  
      7. How does Rousseau compare with Locke on the issue of property?  
      8. Rousseau followed The Discourse on the Origins of Inequality in1754 with The Social Contract in1760. In The Social Contract he constructs the political constitution that he thinks logically follows from his analysis in the Discourse. Based on your reading of the Discourse alone, what characteristics do you guess the constitution developed in The Social Contract will possess?  
       
  Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto  
      1. What parts of Marx's analysis might have been influenced by Rousseau?  
      2. Marx claimed his theory was scientific. Was he right?  
       

Scientific for our purposes means 1) evidence for ones assertions about society are bases on facts that are repeatedly observable and repeatable, and 2) generalizations about the way the way society is structured and the way it functions can be factually (see #1) tested.  

 
      3. Antinomy Question:  Where does Marx fit on the continuum between economic freedom and economic equality?  
       

Advocates of economic freedom want the market to determine most outcomes including the distribution of wealth and the prices of all goods while advocates of economic equality want government to manage the market by redistributing income and regulating prices for the public good.

 
      4. Some commentators claim the Marx is the last great philosopher in the Christian tradition.  Do you agree or disagree?  
      Other Issues to Consider while Reading Marx  
       
    Where does Marx fit on the other antinomy continuums besides economic freedom vs. economic equality in #3 above.
 
      5. Are there any politicians, issue positions, or Ideologies currently prominent in modern American politics might have been influence by Marx?  
      6. Would Marx have joined either the Soviet or Chinese Communist Parties after they gained power in the 20th Century?  
      7. Watch Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 classic Modern Times. What Marxist principles are portrayed and illustrated in this movie?  
             
  John Stuart Mill, On Liberty  
      1. Mill disagrees with all of the laws listed below. Using two of controversies in the list, indicate whether you agree or disagree with his position.  
        laws that criminalize undesirable drugs  
        laws that criminalize hate speech (racial, ethnic, religious epithets)  
        laws that criminalize pornography  
        flaws that would criminalize flag burning  
        laws that prohibit gay marriage  
        laws that criminalize polygamy  
      2.

Rousseau defended the positive concept of liberty while Mill defended a negative concept of liberty Which of the two is right?

 
        An Example of the Positive Concept of Liberty: Rousseau, The Social Contract, Chapter 7 "In order then that the social compact may not be an empty formula, it tacitly includes the undertaking, which alone can give force to the rest, that whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. This means nothing less than that he will be forced to be free;  . . .."  
        An Example of the Negative Concept of Liberty: Mill, On Liberty, Introductory:. the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right."  
      3. Antinomy Question:  On the continuum between majority rule and minority rights Mill sides with the minority rights position. Is he right?  
      4. Mill's view of limited government involvement in issues of conscience and morality differs from that of Plato, Aristotle, and Hobbes. Compare one of these philosophers to Mill and indicate your reasons for agreeing with one or the other.  
      Other Issues to Consider while Reading Mill  
        Where does Mill fit on the other antinomy continuums beside majority rule vs. minority rights in #3 above.  
      5.
    How would Mill 5. react to recent controversial government policies like the Patriot Act, NSA phone taps, California’s proposition 8 (which bans gay marriage), and its attempt to censor violent video games? 
 
      6. Read the posted selection from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' dissent in Abrams vs. U.S. (1919).What evidence is there for believing  Holmes was influence by "On Liberty"?  
             
  Micro Paper Formatting  
    Sample Paper Formatting Guide  
  The paper must have a recognizable purpose statement. (see the graphic in the writing guide)  
  The paper must be typed.  
  The paper must be double spaced  
  The paper must a word count in parethesis at the end  
  The paper must have 1" margins all around.  
  The paper must use a 12 point font.  
  The paper can use simple referencing. If you wish to cite a passage from the text, put the paraphrase or quotation's page number after the quote in brackets( ex. [307] ). You do not need the author, title etc.  
  :Put the class name or the date on the same line in a header. Put both on the same line. (see the formatting model)
 
  The paper must be only one page  
    It must be no less than 310 and not more than 360 words. (see the formatting model)  
    Put your name and either the class name in a header.at the top of the page and on the same line (see the formatting model)  
  Papers will be turned back ungraded to be fixed and re-handed in if:  
    they contain more that one page  
    they have the wrong font size .  
    they have incorrect margins  
             
  Micro Paper Rewrites  
   

If you do not like the initial paper grade, you will have one opportunity for a rewrite. The rewrite is due on or before the class period positioned one week before the next micro paper is due. You may, if you wish, bring the paper to Mr. Green's office (office hours) and discuss ways of improve in the paper. (Mr. Green's first question will be: "Did you read the material in the Writing Aids furnished to you below?).

 
             
 

Micro Paper Grading

 
   

Your paper will be judged by four criteria:

 
    1.

content quality: is it clear that you read the book and understood the query, and can I tell that you have thought carefully about the ideas suggested by your topic?

 
    2. organization: is the essay unified, coherent, and clear (see the wring terms section and the graphic in the writing guide).  
    3. correctness: do you use correct diction, punctuation, grammar, etc. (see the section on punctuation and usage in the writing guide)  
    4. originality: is the paper your own work.
 
    5. formatting: does the paper meet all the formatting requirements. (see the paper formatting model)  
           
  Attendance  
    Micro Papers. Each micro paper reading day is a class discussion activity and requires each student’s attendance and participation to be successful. On each paper day each student (or, if the class is too large, a group selected at random) will read their papers to the rest of the class. After the paper is presented, class members and Mr. Green will ask questions about the author’s interpretation and answer to the query and the text. This is expected to be one of the main sources of instruction and learning in the class. Therefore, roll will be taken at each session and 10 points awarded to all those present during the whole period. (Points will be deducted for coming late or leaving early).  
       
    Three Blackboard Tests. During the semester you will be assigned to take three timed on-line tests using Blackboard's "Assessment" tool. At the beginning of the semester, two tests -- the syllabus quiz and the pre-test will be posted. You will have the two weeks to complete these two test before they are taken down. At the end of the semester, a post test will be posted for the final weekend of the semester. Each test will be worth 15 attendance points. for the Pre and Post test, the 15 points will be automatic. Each student who takes the assessments will receive the points. The score of the syllabus quiz, however, will depend on knowledge of the syllabus.
 
           
    Chaplin Movie.In addition to the points earned on each paper day, 10 points will be awarded for attendance at the Charlie Chaplin film (see the semester schedule). On this day we will conduct three activities: first, we will discuss Marx's essay "Estranged Labor" using a worksheet that will be handed out at the beginning of class; second, we will view Chaplin's movie Modern Times during which you will answer the questions on the worksheet; finally, we will discuss your worksheet answers. This, like the paper days, is an in class activity and attendance is required to earn all the points. A make up worksheet and activity is posted. link A maximum of 5 points is all that can be earned if you miss the film day and do the make up activity.
 
           
    Attendance Grade. The attendance portion of the paper grade (20%) will be based on the high score (probably 105 points) achieved in class. Since all most everyone will attend all of these sessions, it is expected that each student earn 60 points and an A for this portion of the class.  
           
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  Writing Aids  
       
     
       
   

The following set of writing guides were developed by Dr. Allan Payne of the Dixie College English faculty to help students compose papers that are unified, coherent, and correct. When Mr. Green grades your paper, he will assume that you have read and incorporated the standards these guides contain.

 
           
    Guide 1 A two page list of key writing terms with their definitions. Mr. Green uses most of these term when explaining his assignment.  
       
    Guide 2 A one page graphic example of a properly structured paper and a one page sample paper that follows the example.  
         
         
    Guide 3 A six page guide to basic grammar and punctuation rules.  
         
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