Office: Scott 206
tel: 607-3178
Ms. Sharon N. Snowiss
email: ssnowiss@pitzer.edu
Fall, 2006 Office hours: MW 4:15-5:30 PM and by appointment

This is a year long course in the history of political philosophy. The fall semester begins with the Judaic tradition and covers the emergence of political philosophy from its origins in Greece to the late medieval synthesis of St. Thomas Aquinas. The second semester focuses on the modern age. Either semester may be taken separately, but it is recommended that students take both semesters since political philosophy proceeds as a dialogue in which thinkers continually debate their predecessors, and the "new" continually appears as a revolt against or a reaffirmation of the "old."

The course will combine lectures and class discussion. Reading assignments must be completed by class time. In addition, each student is required to write three short papers (about five pages each) and to take a midterm and a final examination.

The required texts (available at Huntley Bookstore) are as follows:
The Bible (New American Library) Old and New Testaments
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Plato, The Republic
Greek Tragedies , Vol. I (Grene and Lattimore, eds.)
Plato and Aristophanes, Four Texts on Socrates
Aristotle, The Politics
Cicero, The Republic and The Laws
Epictetus, The Enchiridion
Augustine, The Political Writings of St. Augustine
Aquinas, Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas

Several secondary sources have been placed on reserve at Honnold Library.

Leo Strauss, Cropsey, History of Political Philosophy
Sabine, A History of Political Theory
S. Wolin, Politics and Vision
Hart and Downton, Perspectives on Political Philosophy , Vol. I & II
McDonald, Western Political Theory
Kitto, The Greeks
Barker, Political Thought, Plato and Aristotle
G. E. Wright and R. H. Fuller, The Books of the Acts of God
Cochrane, Christianity and Classical Culture
Fustel de Coulanges, The Ancient City
Conford, Before and After Socrates
F. Dallmayr, Border Crossings , Toward a Comparative Political Theory
Susan Okin, Women in Western Political Thought
Arlene Saxonhouse, Women in the History of Political Thought

READING ASSIGNMENTS

August 30 What is Political Philosophy?

The emergence of Political Philosophy:

The Judaic Tradition

The Bible, Old Testament

Sept. 4 Genesis 1-22, 49, 50; Exodus, and Deuteronomy 1-9, 12, 29-34.

Recommended: Books I-V.

Sept. 6 Judges and Kings: Judges 13, 1 Samuel 1-18,

2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Kings 12-14, Isaiah 1-6, 21, 38, 44-45, Jeremiah 1-12, 21-23

The Chinese Tradition

Sept. 11 Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Book I & II (selections)

Greek Political Thought

Sept. 13 Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound , Agamemnon

Sept. 18 Sophocles, Antigone

Euripides, Hippolytus

Sept. 20 Aristophanes, The Clouds

Plato, Apology , Crito

Sept. 22 Paper Due .

Sept. 25-Oct. 11 Plato, The Republic

Plato, Epistles , "Seventh" and "Eighth" Letters (reprint)

Sept. 25 Part I

Sept. 27 Part II

Oct. 2 Part II finish/Part III to p. 211

Oct. 4 Part III, finish

Oct. 9 Part IV

Oct. 16 Fall Break

Oct. 20 Paper Due.

Oct. 18- Aristotle, The Politics

Nov. 1 Oct. 18 - Bk I

Oct. 23 - Bk II, chp. 1-6

Bk IIIA, chp. 1-8

Oct. 25 - Bk III, IV

Oct. 30 - Bk V, VI

Nov. 1 - Bk VII, VIII

Nov. 6 MIDTERM EXAMINATION

The Roman Empire

Nov. 8-13 Cicero, The Republic and The Laws (selections)

Nov. 15 Epictetus, The Enchiridion

The Christian Era and the decline of Rome

Nov. 20 The Bible , New Testament :

The Gospel According to John

Acts of the Apostles 1-5, 9-10, 22

Letters of Paul to:

Romans

(1st) Corinthians

Christianity and Philosophy: The first synthesis

Nov. 22-27 Augustine, The Political Writings of St. Augustine , Parts I-IV.

Dec. 1 Paper Due .

Medieval Philosophy: The second synthesis

Nov. 29- Aquinas, Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas (selections)

Dec. 4

Dec. 6 Conclusion/review

Wednesday, December 13, 2-5 P.M. FINAL EXAMINATION