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political science 404 & 515 Graduate Seminar On
Aristotle’s Politics
fall term, 2010-11
Friday Afternoons, 3-5:40
email: Don.Carmichael@ualberta.ca |
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NB: First Class (Fri, Sept 10th) The first class
(Fri, Sept 10th ) will be an important working session. It is
crucial that you attend (or contact me if you can't). It will be a working session on the
Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1: please prepare by reading this. In addition, a schedule of topics and
deadlines will be established, and participants will be asked to choose dates
and topics for seminar presentations. This course will be a graduate level seminar on
Aristotle's Politics. It presumes a
close appreciation of the Nicomachean
Ethics. On this account, the
course is open to undergraduate students who have this background; similarly,
graduate students without this background should take the Tues seminar (406)
instead. Please contact me directly to arrange your enrolment. The course will be conducted as a seminar. Students will be expected to
contribute actively in discussions and the seminar will be organized around
the presentation of student papers. Two
short papers (6‑7 pp) will be required during the term, plus a somewhat
longer paper (7-10 pp) at the end of the term. One or both of the short
papers will be distributed and discussed as a seminar paper in the class–
preferably on a topic covered in the readings for the current week or the
week before. There will be
considerable choice of topics for all three papers. Students will also be expected (1) to open the discussion
on one of the student seminar papers with a brief oral commentary and also
(2) to prepare brief digests (1‑2 pp) of the readings each week as an aid to
critical reading and mastery of the text. These will be due each week before the class; (though
everyone will get 2 weeks off of their own choosing) Auditors
(students doing the course but not for credit) will be expected to do the
digests each week and to participate fully in the seminar discussions. Essay
Requirements All
essays should be terse, analytical, and "positional" ‑‑ arguing a
definite thesis in relation to some aspect of the readings. Students are encouraged to develop
their own views in these essays ‑‑ eg, by contesting a specific claim made by
Aristotle, or by arguing a rival thesis on the topic, or (in certain cases)
by writing a critical response to a fellow student in the seminar. The only requirement is that the
essay argue a specific and explicitly stated thesis ("In this essay I will argue that... "). Grades* Essays:
(3 @ equal weight)** 80% Commentary
10% contributions
to the seminar*** 10% ‑‑‑‑‑ 100% * The reading digests ‑‑ which
must be done each week before the seminar ‑‑ will be graded only as
satisfactory/ unsatisfactory.
But they are a strict requirement and marks will be deducted from the
final grade (up to two letter grades) for missing digests (note again that
everyone gets two weeks off, at dates of their own choosing). ** As noted above, one of the essays
will be discussed in the class as a seminar paper. Students will be asked to
make copies of their seminar papers available one or two days in advance, by
some date/time and in a format agreed by members of the class. It is an essential course
requirement that seminar papers be available by the agreed time. ***
Seminar contributions will ordinarily be evaluated by the quality of
oral contributions, including questions. It is possible, however, to
contribute to the seminar (and meet this requirement) in non-oral ways;
students who are uncomfortable about speaking in the seminar are invited to
explore these with me. Texts (ordered through the SUB Bookstore): Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics* Aristotle.
Politics* Mary
P. Nichols, Citizens and Statesmen A
number of articles (available through e-journals) will also be assigned on
various topics. Students
may also want to make use of Peter
Simpson’s A Philosophical Commentary on The Politics of Aristotle. *The Ross edition of the Ethics and the
Everson edition of the Politics have been ordered through the bookstore but
you are welcome to use other editions (eg Lord, Simpson) so long as they
clearly mark the Becker pages ( eg "1126a5"). All readings are required unless they are indicated
as “recommended”. Most of the
secondary readings are available on line through the university’s e-journal and
e-book connections; those which are not available on line will be
distributed. Essay due dates: Oct 15, Nov 19, Dec 10. Seminar papers will be distributed by email by
midnight on the Wednesday* before their discussion date. (*except for Keegan’s,
which will be distributed on the Tuesday, Oct 5 for discussion Fri Oct 8) Sept 10 -- Introduction Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, chs 1-6. Available at: http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/aristotle/Ethics.pdf Politics , Book 1,chs 1-2.
at: . http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.1.one.html Sept
17 B Politics
1 Aristotle,
Politics Book 1 Nichols,
pp 1-35 Jill Frank, “
Citizens, Slaves, and Foreigners: Aristotle on Human Nature”, American
Political Science Review 98:1, 14p (Feb 2004) Sept 24 B Politics 2 Politics Book 2 Nichols, pp
35-52 R.F. Stalley, "Aristotle's Criticism of Plato's Republic",
in D. Keyt and F.D. Miller (eds), A Companion to Aristotle's Politics
Oct 1
-- this class will be held two days earlier,
Wed Sept 29, 6-9 pm Wed, Sept 29 Politics
3 (i) Politics
Book 3: chs 1-11 Nichols,
pp 53-72 Waldron, “The
Wisdom of The Multitude” (reflections on 3.11), Political Theory, Vol. 23, No. 4. (Nov., 1995), pp. 563-584. seminar
paper: Joseph Milos commentary: Adam Ollenberger Oct 8 B Politics 3 (ii) Politics
Book 3: chs 12-18 Nichols,
pp 72-84 Carnes Lord, “The Character and Composition of
Aristotle's Politics”, Political Theory, Vol. 9, No. 4. (Nov., 1981),
459-478 Oct
15 B The Polis to Wish for:
Politics 7 (1-13) (► Essay 1 due) Politics
Book 7: chs 1-13 Nichols,
pp 125-51 Samaras, “Aristotle’s Politics:
The City Of Book Seven And The Question Of Ideology”, Classical Quarterly 57.1
77–89 (2007) Oct
22 B Education in the Best
Polis: Politics, Books
7(14-17) and 8 Politics
Book 7: chs 14-17, and Book 8 Nichols,
pp 151-67 William T. Bluhm, “The Place of the "Polity" in
Aristotle's Theory of the Ideal State”, The Journal of Politics,
Vol. 24, No. 4. (Nov., 1962), pp. 743-753. D.J. Depew, "Politics, Contemplation and Music in Aristotle's
Ideal State", in D. Keyt and F.D. Miller (eds), A Companion to Aristotle's
Politics seminar
paper: Sarolta Saskiw commentary: Joseph Milos Oct 29 B The Best Life in the Politics in relation to The
Best Life in the Ethics Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Books 1 (1-6) and 10
(6-9) Wilkes, AThe Good Man and the Good for Man in Aristotle=s Ethics@, Mind 87
(1978), 553-571 W. H. Adkins , “The Connection between Aristotle's Ethics and
Politics” Political
Theory,
12:1. (Feb., 1984), pp. 29-49 Lyon, The Golden Mean, 171-75 (distributed) Recommended:
Heidegger, Plato’s Sophist, §§
1-32, especially § 8 Recommended: Burnyeat, AAristotle on Learning to be Good@ in Rorty (ed) Essays on Aristotle’s Ethics (1980). Recommended: pp 1-23 of Lawrence, “Aristotle and
The Ideal Life”, Philosophical Review 102:1 1993 seminar paper: Kat Furtado commentary: Graeme Alm Nov 5 B Politics 4 Politics
Book 4 Nichols,
pp 85-100
Jill Frank, A
Democracy of Distinction, pp 138-42 & 163-80.
seminar
paper: Graeme Alm commentary: Sarolta Saskiw Nov 12 B Mid-tem Break
Nov 19 B Politics 5 (1-9) (Essay 2 due)
Politics
Book 5 : chs 1-9 Nichols, pp 100-114 Annas, “Aristotle on Human Nature and Political Virtue”, Review of
Metaphysics 49:4 1996 seminar
paper: Adam Ollenberger commentary: Keegan Gibson Nov 26 B Politics
5 (10-12) and 6 Politics 5 (10-12)
and 6 Nichols, pp 114-23 seminar
paper: Keegan Gibson commentary: Kat Furtado Dec 3 B Aristotle’s
‘Politics’: Was Aristotle a Social Democrat? Note: the topic and readings for this session may changed to reflect
interests of the seminar participants.
The default readings are: Nussbaum, “Aristotelean Social Democracy”, in Liberalism and The
Good, ed R. B. Douglass et al (New York, 1990). Critique by
Mulgan: “Was
Aristotle an "Aristotelian Social Democrat"? Ethics, 111: 1.
(2000), 79-101 Recommended: Rejoinder by Nussbaum: “Aristotle,
Politics, and Human Capabilities: A Response”. Ethics, 111: 1. (2000). Recommended: John
Wallach, Contemporary Aristotelianism”
(just sections I-II, pp 613-27) Political Theory 20:4, 1992 ► Essay 3 due: Fri, Dec 10 |
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