Sunteți pe pagina 1din 7

The University of Texas At Austin

CTI 302 / GOV 314 #34112/38783


CLASSICS OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THOUGHT
TTh 5 6:30, WAG 112
Fall 2014
Instructor: Marco Paoli
marco.paoli@utexas.edu

Office hours MEZ 3.228 TTh 3:30-5


This class is a study of classic texts in the history of political economy. The basic problem of
this course is to look at questions about economics from a political point of view. This is not
a class in economic theory, but one that attempts to achieve a broader perspective on how
economic questions are resolved.
We will approach this problem through the study of the great books. The writings that we
read are among the greatest and most influential ever to address these subjects. These
books contain insights of permanent importance that can help us our own history, but
which are also of direct relevance for the way we understand our own society today. They
do not take for granted that maximal economic prosperity is always the highest goal.
Rather, they try to see the implications of different ways of dealing with economic issues for
society as a whole. Though prosperity is one of societys goals, it is not the only one. In this
course, we will consider other goals of the community, as well, including the inculcation of
virtue, the protection of freedom and equality, the cultivation of religion, and adherence to
the moral law. We will see how the answers to economic questions also matter for these
goals.
The approach in this class will be roughly chronological. We will begin by studying how
classical and medieval thinkers addressed the problems of political economy. We will then
explore at length the development of the capitalist economy, and the political, moral, and
cultural changes that accompanied it, by studying the works of Locke, Montesquieu, and
Adam Smith. The course will finish with an examination of some of the works examining the
modern economy. We will treat first Jean-Jacques Rousseaus Discourses, with their biting
critiques of bourgeois society. Then we will read Karl Marxs famous critique of capitalism
and his prediction that it would be superseded by a communist social and political order.
We will close by looking at the key 20th Century debates about the market and whether it can
persist in its current form absent some radical political change. This will include a treatment
of the debate between John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek concerning the causes of
the Great Depression.
The class also involves a substantial empirical component, in which we familiarize ourselves
with the historical and cultural data that our thinkers used as the basis of their thinking
about economics. Our early thinkers were great philosophers, but also, great empirical
political scientists: Aristotle based his politics on a broad survey of all the regimes existing in

his time, and Montesquieu mounted a defense of commercial life by comparing commercial
societies to others throughout the world, including the Chinese, Japanese, Greeks, and the
Native Americans. Then, with the modern economists, beginning with Smith, we will see
how their theories responded to the emergence and development of capitalism and
industrialization, and caused them to depart in important ways from the early capitalist
thinkers. Toward the end of the course, we will also examine the debate between Hayek
and Keynes on the causes of the Great Depression. We will see how the fact of the
Depression raised serious questions for capitalist theory, forcing it to rethink its basic
principles from the ground up.
Class will proceed mainly by way of close textual analysis. Make sure you do each reading
carefully before coming to class. You are required to bring your copy of the assigned
text to every class so that you can follow the discussions.

Assignments and Grading Policy


Two short essays, 15% each
Option 1: A 5-6 page paper selected from topics to be distributed during the first week of
class. Due in hard copy in my hand at the beginning of class on September 18 th.

Option 2: A 5-6 page paper selected from topics to be distributed during the fourth week of
class. Due in hard copy in my hand at the beginning of class on October 16 th.
Option 3: A 5-6 page paper selected from topics to be distributed during the eighth week of
class. Due in hard copy in my hand at the beginning of class on November 13 th.
Take home final exam 35%
An 6-8 page take home final, consisting of an analytical essay on a topic of your choosing
derived from a general theme. Exam prompt to be distributed no later than the second to
last Friday of class, exams are due electronically to me no later than 5pm on December 11 th.
Attendance and participation 35%
Attendance will be taken daily and will count for 10% of your final grade. You will begin with
a perfect grade: after two unexcused absences each subsequent unexcused absence will
drop your grade by one point. This means that twelve unexcused absences will result in a
grade of zero out of ten. Participation will be assessed through a series of quizzes
administered throughout the semester. Your best 5 quizzes will be worth 25% of your grade.
If you miss a quiz due to an unexcused absence you may retake the quiz at a later date by
paying a penalty of three points on that quiz.
Grading policies
Plus and minus grades will be used in the final grades. No extensions will be granted on
written work except with good cause. You yourself may purchase an extension at a cost of 3
percent plus 2 percent per calendar day. This penalty will attach to all late papers
unaccompanied by a doctor's note. No further late papers will be accepted once your
classmates papers have been returned to them. If you fail to turn in your final exam before
the grade deadline you will receive a grade of zero on the final. In the case of medical

emergency or personal tragedy contact me as soon as possible.


We will use the plus / minus grading system for this class. Quizzes, tests, and attendance
will be graded numerically. Papers and participation in discussion sections will be given
letter grades and these will be translated into number grades as follows:
A: 96; A-: 91; B+: 88; B: 84.5; B-: 81; C+: 78; C: 74.5; C-: 71; D: 65; F: 30
Final grades are calculated numerically, then translated into a letter grade using the
following scale. Please note: Grades will not be rounded up! You need a 93 average to
get an A.
A: 93-100; A-: 90-93; B+: 87-90; B: 83-87; B-: 80-83; C+: 77-80; C: 73-77; C-: 70-73; D: 60-70; F:
below 60.

Required Texts
The following texts and editions are required for this class. No other translations or editions
may be used. They are available in the Co-Op bookstore. You should always bring the book
we are discussing that day to class. There is also a Course Reader which will be available
online

Aristotle. Politics. Trans. Peter Simpson. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN
0807823279.
Thomas Aquinas. On Law, Morality, and Politics, Hackett Publishing. ISBN
9780872206632.
John Locke. Second Treatise of Government. Crofts Classics. ISBN 0882951254.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Major Political Writings. Trans. John Scott. The University
of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226921860.
Karl Marx. Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. Prometheus Books. ISBN
087975446X.
Friedrich Hayek. The Road to Serfdom. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226320553.

University Requirements
This course counts towards the Certificate Program in Core Texts and Ideas, a 6-course
sequence in the great books, ideas, and controversies that have shaped Western civilization.
The program is open to students in all majors and colleges. For more information, visit
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/coretexts/ or email the academic director, Professor
Lorraine Pangle, at: lorrainepangle@austin.utexas.edu.
This course may be used to fulfill the social and behavioral sciences component of the
university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills,
empirical and quantitative skills, and social responsibility.

Class Schedule
Part 1: What is Political Philosophy?
Thursday August 28
Introduction (no readings)
Part 2: Virtue

Thematic reading: Aristotle, Ethics V.1-5

Tuesday September 2
Aristotle, Politics I 1-7
Thursday September 4
Aristotle, Politics I.8-13
Tuesday September 9
Aristotle, Politics III.1-5
Thursday September 11
Aristotle, Politics III.6-14
Tuesday September 16
Aristotle, Politics III.12-18
Part 3: Love Thy Neighbor

Thematic reading: Pope Francis I EVANGELII GAUDIUM (selections)

Thursday September 18

Bible excerpts (CR) & Thomas Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and Politics, pp. 1-4, 10-29

Tuesday September 23
Thomas Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and Politics, pp. 1-4, 10-59
Thursday September 25
Thomas, pp. 76-83, 98-108/Thomas, 130-163
Part 4: Liberalism and Capitalism
Thematic reading: The Federalist #9, 10 and 51

Tuesday September 30
John Locke, Second Treatise Chapters 1-4

Thursday October 2
John Locke, Second Treatise Chapter 5-8
Tuesday October 7
John Locke, Second Treatise, Chapter 9-14, 19
Thursday October 9
Montesquieu, Spirit of the Laws XIX,27, XX.1-5 (CR)
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Introduction and Plan of the Work
Book I
Chapters 1-3
Chapter 4 (last 6 paragraphs only)
Chapters 6-7
Tuesday October 14
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Book I
Chapter 8 (paragraphs 1-27, 35-45, last paragraph)
Chapter 9 (first 4 paragraphs)
Chapter 10 (Introduction, Part I paragraphs 1- 26, Part II paragraphs 1-17, 41end)
Chapter 11
Conclusion
Thursday October 16
Book II
Introduction, Chapters 1-3
Book III
Chapters 1, 3, and 4
Book IV
Introduction
Chapter 1 (paragraphs 1-12, 34-end)
Chapter 2 (paragraphs 1-15, 40 end)
Chapter 3 (Part II)
Chapter 9 (last 3 paragraphs)
Tuesday October 21
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Book IV (continued)
Introduction
Chapter 1 (paragraphs 1-12, 34-end)
Chapter 2 (paragraphs 1-15, 40 end)
Chapter 3 (Part II)
Chapter 9 (last 3 paragraphs)
Book V

Chapter 1, part III, article 2 (paragraphs 48-end)


Chapter 1, part III, article 3 (paragraphs 1-25)
Part 5: Romanticism and Revolution

Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America Vol. I, Introduction, I.3, Vol. II, I.1-2, 4, 8, 10-16, IV. 1-3, 6-8

Thursday October 23
Rousseau, First Discourse (5-36)
Tuesday October 28
Rousseau, Second Discourse (37-63, with notes: 119-120)
Thursday October 30
Rousseau Second Discourse (65-74, with notes: 119-145)
Tuesday November 4
Rousseau Second Discourse (74-90, with notes, 145-147)
Thursday November 6
Rousseau Second Discourse (91-97, with notes 147-149)
Rousseau Second Discourse (97-117, with notes: 149-150)
Tuesday November 11
Marx, Communist Manifesto
Thursday November 13
Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1848, pp. 69-140
Tuesday, November 18
Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1848, pp. 69-140 (continued)
Part 6: Reformers

Frdric Bastiat, The State (selections) and Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century (selections)

Thursday November 20
Keynes, The End of Laissez-Faire
Tuesday November 25
Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom, Preface to 1956 edition and 1973 edition,
Introduction, Chapters 1-3, 5-6, 9
Thursday November 27
THANKSGIVING, NO CLASS
Tuesday December 2

Friedrich Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty (selections)


John Rawls, Justice as Fairness: A Restatement, Part II
Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State and Utopia, Chapter 7

Thursday December 4
Conclusion

Miscellaneous
Students with disabilities: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic
accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community
Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259,
http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/!!!
Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty will be treated extremely seriously. Plagiarism
will result in a failing grade for the course. The universitys policy on academic integrity may
be found at the following website:
http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/gi09-10/ch01/index.html

S-ar putea să vă placă și