Nepa School of Social Sciences and Humanities

First Semester
2011 Winter Session
Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences
Nepā School of Social Sciences and Humanities

Instructor: Hari Sharma

Course Description

The study of politics is shaped by concepts and methods that have developed over the last three centuries and beyond. The study of political theory is concerned with the meanings and justification of those concepts and their continuing relevance to the nature of modern politics. The course is primarily a reading of modern political thought as a history of political thought.

Course Objectives

The main goal of this course is to familiarize students with some of the major thinkers and movements within political thought and to trace some of the major theoretical questions through modern political thought, including: What is the purpose of politics? Is politics natural or positive? What is the role of coercion in politics? What is the relationship between the individual and society? How is gender significant to politics? The course will orientate students to how modern political philosophers have addressed core theoretical concepts, such as liberty, equality, human nature, virtue/morality, citizenship, law, religion, sovereignty, epistemology, among others. Students will explore rival theoretical frameworks such as natural law, utilitarianism, egalitarianism, communitarians and Marxism. Above all, the objective of the course is to cultivate students’ abilities to critically engage with primary texts, participate in and contribute to the shared inquiry of theoretical dialogue, and to write concisely and analytically. The course is designed to help students become more self-conscious of their assumptions about political life and to develop their abilities to critically assess and evaluate complex theoretical arguments.

At the end of this course and after having completed the essential readings, the student should be able to identify and explain different concepts and how they vary among thinkers; assess the strength and weaknesses of different theories; and write analytical essays that explain and paraphrase clearly and concisely complex arguments.

Course Requirements

Class Participation: We will have two classes a week; each class will be 90 minutes. The classes are to be divided into two components: lecture and seminar discussion. The first class of the week will be lecture based and for understanding the context, life and times of the thinkers while the second will be held in the seminar format where we will read the text assigned for the week.

Periodic Assignments and Tests

Final Sit-in Written Examination


Detailed Course Outline

Week 1: Puzzling through Politics and Political Philosophy and Political Thinkers
Introduction to the nature of political thought and theory: theory as conceptual tools for everyday understanding and living, philosophical considerations, political thought as history, political thought and the claims of science, political thought and practice, political thinkers: an overview; perennial problems; what is a classic text?

Required Readings
Zuckerman, Alan S., “The Point of Departure” in Howlett, Michael and David Laycock (eds.), The Puzzles of Power: An Introduction to Political Science (2nd ed.), Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 6-15.

Isaak, Alan C., “Is Political Science a Science?” in Howlett, Michael and David Laycock (eds.), The Puzzles of Power: An Introduction to Political Science (2nd ed.), Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 16-26.

Required Readings
Boucher, David and Paul Kelly, “Introduction” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 1-20.

Week 2: Classical Political Thought and the Legacy of the Past

Required Readings
Pocock, J.G. A., “Theory in History: Problems of Context and Narrative” in John S. Dryzek, Bonnie Honig  and Anne Philips edited The Oxford Handbook of  Political Theory, New York. Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 163-174.

Frank, Jill. , “The Political Theory of Classical Greece” in John S. Dryzek, Bonnie Honig  and Anne Philips edited The Oxford Handbook of  Political Theory, New York. Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 175-193

Nelson, Eric. , “Republic Visions” in John S. Dryzek, Bonnie Honig  and Anne Philips edited The Oxford Handbook of  Political Theory, New York. Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 194-210.

Farr, James. , “The History of Political Thought as Disciplinary Genre” in John S. Dryzek, Bonnie Honig  and Anne Philips edited The Oxford Handbook of  Political Theory, New York. Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 211-225.

Week 3: Hobbes: Idea of Contract and Order
Introduction, three treaties, solipsism and egoism, contractarianism, agency and authorization, the non-resistance and compact between subjects, de-facto authority.

Required Readings
Baumgold, Deborah, “Hobbes” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 190-202.

Hobbes, Thomas, “Leviathan” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 205-242.

Week 4: Locke: Lockean Freedom: Idea of Property
Introduction: Locke as a liberal theorist and his use of the social-contract idea, foundation; equality and natural laws, property, economy and disagreement; limited government, toleration and the rule of law; Locke’s legacy.

Required Readings
Waldron, Jeremy, “John Locke” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 209-222.

Locke, John, “Second Treatise of Government” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 243-279.

Week 5: Rousseau: Idea of General Will
Introduction, Rousseau’s state of nature, Rousseau’s criticism of Hobbes, natural law and natural rights, freedom and dependence, women and dependence.

Required Readings
Boucher, David, “Rousseau” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 266-279.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, “On the Social Contract” and
“Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality and Among Men” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 280-292 and 293-313.

Week 6: Bentham on Utilitarianism and Mill on Rights
Bentham: Obligation and rules, sovereignty and law, representative democracy, Bentham and liberalism.
Mill: the philosophy of Swine, utilitarian liberalism and the illiberal liberal

Required Readings
Kelly, Paul, “J.S. Mill on Liberty” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 384-398.

Bentham, Jeremy, “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 371-374.

Mill, John Stuart, “On the Subjection of Women” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 375-396.

Week 7: Kant: Enlightenment and political theory
Introduction: Kant and contemporary Liberalism, the Copernican turn, Virtue and Right, Property and Political Obligation, Revolution and Reform, The Global Research of Justice.

Required Readings
Flikschuh, Katrin A., “Kant” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 422-436.

Kant, Immannuel., “One the Proverb: That May be True in Theory, But Is of No Practical Use (1784) in Immannuel Kant, Perpetual Peace and Other Essays, Translated by Te Humphrey, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1994 (Fourth Printing), pp.61-92.

Week 8: Hegel: Freedom of Mind
Introduction, freedom, spirit and dialectic, from property to state, Hegel’s significance.

Required Readings
Patten, Alan, “Hegel” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 440-456.

Hegel, G.W.F., “Philosophy of Right” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 425-434.

Week 9: Marx and Marxism
Introduction, the manifesto of the Communist Party, ideology, the critique of political economy, ‘forces’ and ‘relations’ of the production, revolutionary politics and the state, Engel’s contribution to Marxism.

Required Readings
Marx, Karl,  “A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy”,
“Estranged Labour”,
“The Communist Manifesto” and “After the Revolution” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 435-466.

Lenin, V.I., “What is to be Done?” and
“The State and Revolution” in
Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 530-534 and 534-543.


Understanding Justice

Week 10: Rawls, Nozick and A. K. Sen: Distributive Justice
Introduction, ‘the first principle’ equal basic liberties, the second principles; distributive economic justice, the original position and debates in and around A Theory of Justice (Rawls’ path-breaking work).

Required Readings
Martin, Rex., “Rawls” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 554-574.

Rawls, John, “A Theory of Justice” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 669-697.

Nozick, Robert, “Anarchy, State and Utopia” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 698-708.

Sen, Amartya, ‘Justice: Freedom versus Means’ in Philosophy and Public Affairs, 19(1990), pp. 111-21.

Week 11: Rawls and Sandel: The Communitarian Critique to Liberalism

Required Readings
Rawls, John, ‘Justice as Fairness: Political not Metaphysical’ in Freeman, Samuel (ed.), Collected Papers, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 388-414.

Sandel, Michael J., “Chapter 4: Justice and the Good” and
“Postscript: A Response to Rawls’s Political Liberalism” in
Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (2nd ed.), New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp. 133-174 and 184-218.

Week 12: Gender and Justice
Introduction, sexual equality and sexual discrimination, the public and private, an ethic of care.

Required Readings
Wymlicka, Will, “Feminism” in Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction (2nd ed., Indian ed.), New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2002, pp. 377-430.

Pateman, Carole, “Feminism and Democracy” in Howlett, Michael and David Laycock (eds.), The Puzzles of Power: An Introduction to Political Science (2nd ed.), Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 39-50.

Okin, Susan, ‘Justice and Gender’ in Philosophy and Public Affairs, 16 (1987), pp. 42-72.

Nussbaum, Martha, “Chapter 1: Women and Cultural Universals” and
                    “Chapter 2: The Feminist Critique of Liberalism” in
Sex and Social Justice, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 29-54 and 55-80.

Week 13: Habermas and Critical Theory
Introduction, early writings prior to the theory of communicative action, Between Facts and Norms and later political essays: discourse theory, the principles of democracy and the system of rights, procedural democracy, and ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ publics, democracy beyond the nation-state.

Required Readings
Baynes, Kenneth, “Habermas” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 539-551.

Habermas, Jurgen, “Part 1: A Social-Scientific Concept of Crisis” in Legitimation Crisis, (trans. Thomas MacCarthy), Boston: Beacon Press, 1975, pp. 1-8.

Week 14: Foucault: Power and Beyond Structuralism
Introduction: critique of the present, history of system of thought, power and freedom, governmentality, subjectivity, ethics, and care for the self.

Required Readings
Patton, Paul, “Foucault” in Boucher, David and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (2nd ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 577-591.

Foucault, Michel, “Governmentality” in Faubion, James D. (ed.), Power: Essential Works of Foucault 1954-1984, London: Penguin Books, 2000, pp. 201-222.

Foucault, Michel, “Discipline and Punish” in Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon (eds.), Princeton Readings in Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996, pp.
715-740.

Week 15: Critique of Modernity and Alternatives
Introduction, life and times of Gandhi, the idea of Satyagraha, non violence, resistance and political power.

Required Readings
Gandhi, M.K, Hind Swaraj, Ahmadabad: Nav Jivan Trust, 1975.

Week 16: Review