Schedule of Topics, Readings & Exams: Fall 2005

9/1 Organization; Introduction to the Study of Political Philosophy Why Is Political Philosophy Different?

9/8 Hebrews: The Bible and the Beginning of Wisdom: Books of Genesis & Exodus

9/15 The Greeks: Plato & Aristotle Plato's Cave

9/22 Romans and Roman Catholics: Augustine & Aquinas

9/29 Midterm Exam on all readings and lectures

10/6 Medieval Thought & the Enlightenment: Machiavelli

10/13 No Class fall break

10/20 Social Contract Theory: Hobbes & Locke

10/27 Liberalism: John Stuart Mill; The Counter-Enlightenments: Rousseau, Hegel & Marx

11/3 Midterm Exam on all readings and lectures

11/10 Anti-Liberal Thought: Nietzsche; Postmodern “Thought”

11/17 The Biological Basis of Morality; James Wilson, The Moral Sense; Look at Schermer, “The Science of Good and Evil” & Pinker, “The Blank Slate”   The Moral Sense Test Also. THE GREAT DISRUPTION by FRANCIS FUKUYAMA

11/22 Midterm Exam on all readings and lectures & “The Moral Sense”

11/24 No Class Thanksgiving

12/1 Conclusion, Review; Grades; distribution of take-home exam

12/8 Final Exam due the beginning of class 6.00 in Duane G131