Text:  There are 6 books required for the course (all of them are very reasonably priced) and there may be additional information provided on-line or on reserve as needed.  The books are:

1. Equality, ed. David Johnston, Hackett Publishing Company, 2000.  An anthology of works on the issues of human and political equality.

2. Theories of Rights, ed. Jeremy Waldron, Oxford UP, 1984.  Another anthology, this one dealing with absolute rights, natural rights, and the relationship between ethics and rights.

3.  Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, ed. Gregory Claeys, Hackett Publishing Co., 1992.  This is a classic, original work published in 1791-92 as a response to Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) and is now recognized generally as an important defense of universal natural (human) rights.

4.  John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, ed. Elizabeth Rapaport, Hackett Publishing Company, 1978.  Another classic original work, published for the first time in 1859 and remains an enduring and important work on censorship, paternalism, and the autonomy and integrity of the individual.

5. Authority, ed. Joseph Raz, New York UP, 1990.  Another anthology, this one on the authority of government and law, and the place of the individual in a larger political and moral context.

6. Justice, ed. Jonathan Westphal, Hackett Publishing Company, 1996.  Finally, another anthology, this time on the closing (of this course) theme of justice.  Works range from the period of Ancient Greece to the present, dealing with issues relating justice to equality, to authority, to economic systems, to political representation, and the distribution of natural and social resources.

A note about this course:  Sometimes it is useful to know the structure of a course you are taking, and how it is intended by the instructor to play itself out.  Suppose that the following things are true.  A person's autonomy, integrity and dignity are to be upheld, protected and respected by others and no government, no society, no religious institution, and no other person has any legitimate right to interfere with the actions, beliefs, or ways of life of others EXCEPT in cases in which the actions of a person or group pose a definite, immediate, or imminent danger to others.  Suppose that Mill is right that over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.  Suppose that human beings are fundamentally equal in a moral, social and political sense, and that as intelligent, rational beings, we are capable of understanding that all human beings possess rights (or ought to possess them) that are inalienable.  Suppose that we set up governmental and social institutions rightly for the purpose of protecting and upholding our individual rights, dignity, humanity, and autonomy.  Suppose, at same time, that those institutions, as well as individuals, may pose a threat to those things we hold most valuable even though government and the social institutions created by government are ideally designed to ensure against abuses.  Further, assume that a conception of justice that does not manifest itself in protection of the individual from insidious forces that would violate his rights is not a true conception of justice at all.  If you suppose and assume these things, just for the sake of argument, just for the sake of understanding the structure of the course, you will see why the course is organized around the themes of EQUALITY, RIGHTS, AUTHORITY AND JUSTICE; you will see how these themes are related; and you will be armed with the information not only to understand the world in which we live and our relations with others, but also, perhaps, you will be able to take this information, these theories, these arguments about our relations with each other, and apply them also to other animals, the environment, and the world as a whole.  Our knowledge of these things may illuminate our responsibilities to ourselves, to others, and to other beings, institutions, and living things, and help us all to understand how this knowledge is applicable to the personal and social realms in which we live.

Course Requirements, Grades, Attendance Policy, and Related Issues:

Requirements: Two examinations/tests and two short papers are required and determine your grade for the course.  Tests will be primarily essay-based, though some questions may be in "objective" format.  Tests will be announced prior to their administration (as well as listed in the syllabus schedule, below).  Tests will be based on readings and lectures completed or assigned prior to the date of their administration.  Both tests are sectional tests.  Tests and papers count equally in determining your final grade.

Click here for important information about academic integrity.

Grades and Grading Scale: A, 90-100; B, 80-89; C, 70-79; D, 60-69.

Attendance Policy: Attendance is strongly encouraged and expected but it is not considered in determining your grade for the course.  You do not get "credit" for showing up for class - being in class is (one would think) a given.  Much of the material covered in class may not appear in the text.  Though I will not take attendance on a regular basis (or at all), your participation in class and your attentive presence can and will make a very significant difference in your appreciation of the issues, problems, theories and subject-matter we will discuss - and in your grade.  If you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining notes and any other information or assignments you missed.  Office hours are held to clarify issues, to provide assistance, and otherwise attend to academic matters relevant to this course.  They are not held to repeat a lecture already given in class.

Missed Tests: If you are not present on a day on which the first test is administered and if you have missed class for a good, legitimate, and verifiable reason, you may make it up within 2 class meeting days of its initial administration.  Be aware that a test taken late may be in a different format from the one given on the original test date.  After 2 class meeting days, you may not take the test and must either forfeit the grade (in other words, you will receive a "0" for that test) OR you must write a 15-page paper due no later than 1 week after the administration of the test you missed to replace the missing test grade.  Exam replacement paper topics must be approved by the instructor and the finalized paper must be typed and double spaced, containing appropriate references, ordinary font size, and substantial content.  If you miss the first test without a good, legitimate and verifiable reason, your only options are to write a paper (described above) or receive no credit.  There is no provision for making up the last examination.  Don't miss it.

The 2 short papers are described in the following link.  Go to paper requirements.

Extra Credit:  Extra credit is NOT available.

Note 2:  The schedule below is meant only as a guide.  Changes and alterations in the schedule, scheduled topics, or test dates may be necessary to facilitate completion of all major sections listed below.  Also note that additional material may be added from time to time, either through lectures, Internet sources (such as additions and links within this syllabus), journal articles, or any other appropriate sources.  If they are to be added, they will be announced in class or noted in this syllabus as needed.

Schedule:
        Review Questions are listed in links, below.  They will be added from time to time.
    Note on Review Questions:  Review questions are designed for review of major concepts presented throughout the course and do not necessarily reflect actual content, format, number or sort of questions that will appear on examinations.
    The link below was created for use in this course and others as an on-line forum for discussion of review questions between and among people registered for this course and the others I am teaching in the fall term.  I occasionally check the message board and perform maintenance on it, but do not necessarily contribute to your on-line discussions.  When you use the board, use your REAL NAME and put your e-mail address in the appropriate field.  Anonymous postings or notes posted with the use of an alias should not be used on the board and will be deleted by the board's administrator.  Please do not use any person's name but your own when you post messages, answers to review questions, questions of your own, or any comments.

    Message Board Link

PART ONE:  EQUALITY

8/23:  First class meeting; overview of requirements, readings; general background

8/25:  In Equality, Plato and Aristotle from Republic and Politics.

8/28:  In Equality, The Levellers from "An Agreement of the People" and Thomas Hobbes, from Leviathan.

8/30:  In Equality, Rousseau, from Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men and Edmund Burke, from Reflections on the Revolution in France.

9/1:  In Equality, de Toqueville, from Democracy in America and Marx, from Critique of the Gotha Programme.

9/4:  LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

9/6:  In Equality, Tawney, from "Equality in Historical Perspective," and von Hayek, "Equality, Value and Merit," from The Constitution of Liberty.

9/8:  In Equality, Rawls, from A Theory of Justice and Nozick, from Anarchy, State, and Utopia.

9/11:  In Equality, Sen, "Equality of What?" and Dworkin, "Equality of Resources."

9/13:  In Equality, Walzer, from Spheres of Justice, and Young, from Justice and the Politics of Difference.

PART TWO:  RIGHTS

9/15:  Introductory Discussion on the Background of the Concept of Rights.

9/18:  Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, Part One, "Rights of Man," pp. 12-77.

9/20:  Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, Part One, "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens...,"  "Observations on the Declaration of Rights," "Miscellaneous Chapter," and "Conclusion," pp. 78-80, 81-83, 84-105, and 106-113.

9/22:  Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, Part Second, pp. 113-228.

9/25:  Thomas Paine, continued.

9/27: John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, pp. 1-113.

9/29:   Mill, continued.

10/2:  Mill, continued.

10/4:  In Theories of Rights, "Natural Rights," by Margaret McDonald, and "Are There Any Natural Rights?" by H.L.A. Hart.

10/6:  In Theories of Rights,  "Are There Any Absolute Rights?" by Alan Gewirth.

10/9:   In Theories of Rights, "Utility and Rights," by David Lyons, and "Rights, Goals and Fairness," by T.M. Scanlon.

10/11:  In Theories of Rights, "Can There be a Right-Based Moral Theory?" by J.L. Mackie and "Right-Based Moralities" by J. Raz.

10/13:  Mid-Term Examination

10/16:   Review of Major Concepts

PART THREE:  AUTHORITY

10/18: First Paper is Due.  Lecture:  A Hobbesian Concept of Authority and Persons.

10/20:  In Authority, Wolff's "The Conflict Between Authority and Autonomy."

10/23:  In Authority, Ladenson's "In Defense of a Hobbesian Conception of Law."

10/25:  In Authority, Friedman's "On the Concept of Authority in Political Philosophy."

10/27:  In Authority, Hart's "Commands and Authoritative Legal Reasons."

10/30:  In Authority, Raz's "Authority and Justification."

11/1:  In Authority, Anscombe's "On the Source of the Authority of the State."

11/3:   In Authority, "Finnis' "Authority,"  and Lukes' "Perspectives on Authority."

11/6:  In Authority, Dworkin's "Obligations of Community" and Green's "Commitment and Community."

11/8:  In Authority, Greenawalt's "Promissory Obligation:  The Theme of the Social Contract" and Nagel's "Moral Conflict and Political Legitimacy."

11/10:  VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY

PART FOUR:  JUSTICE

11/13:  In Equality, Kymlicka, from "Justice and Minority Rights,"

11/15:  In Theories of Rights, Vlastos' "Justice and Equality."

11/17:  In Justice, Plato from Republic.

11/20:  In Justice, Aristotle from Nicomachean Ethics

11/22:  In Justice, Aquinas from Summa Theologica

11/24:  THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

11/27:  In Justice, Hume from An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals.

11/29:  In Justice, Kant, from The Metaphysical Elements of Justice.

12/1:  In Justice, Mill, from Utilitarianism

12/4:  In Justice, Marx, from Critique of the Gotha Programme and Kelson from What is Justice?

Final Exam Week:

This page was last updated on 08/11/2000.