Classical Political Philosophy

Political Science 301

Fall 1992

Prospectus

This course has two purposes. One is to introduce students of political science to the works of Plato and Aristotle. We'll be concerned with what these thinkers understand to be distinctive about politics in their time, what they imagine politics ought to be, and what approaches they recommend for understanding or undertaking a political life.

The other purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of texts and to improve their interpretive and writing skills. We all expect that scholars read the books we use thoughtfully. But reading texts thoughtfully need not be taken for granted and in this course we'll try to make these thought processes explicit. We'll place special emphasis on contrasting alternative translations and commentaries of The Republic and The Politics.

Class Formant and Requirements

I expect the usual goodwill in thinking about, preparing for and conversing in class. In addition to regular conferences, we will also read aloud various texts and I will lecture on new material.

You can expect to write six (6) short discussion papers - 2 pages, double spaced at most - (3 on Aristotle and 3 on Plato). Most of these will be due before fall break. You will expand and rewrite one of these into a 5-7 page paper, one which incorporates other commentaries from other students, major commentaries and discussions of relevant passages. I am quite serious about these length requirements; submissions in excess of these limits or that display a reckless disregard for margins or the eyes of readers will not be read.

You can expect a final exam on the material covered in the course.

Computers

We are currently working on a variety of different possibilities in the manner in which the papers you write will be made accessible to your peers. All of them will involve the computer. You should be prepared then to spend one session to learn a new program (possibly a hypertext, quickmail, conversation).

Translations and Books to Buy

On Friday we will spend a long time talking about the writing assignment and the nature of translations. For the moment you may read from any translation. In the long run, you will be assigned different books for the basis of your translations. Until that time, you may find the reserve desk the most helpful and cheapest route.

Books

The reserve desk has copies of all the translations, commentaries, and supplementary articles we will be using in this course. Asterix indicates the text is available only on reserve.

Plato, Republic
Translation by Grube
Translation by Bloom (includes extensive commentary and interpretive essay)
Translation by Shorey (on reserve in Hamilton and Cairns, Collected Dialogues)*
Shorey is the text for the Loeb Greek/English parallel text edition (on reserve)*

Aristotle, The Politics
Translation by Apostle (includes extensive commentary)
Transltaion by Barker (includes extensive commentary)
Translation by Cairns-Lord

Annas, Introduction to Plato's Republic
White, Commentary on Plato's Republic

Readings

Week I

Aristotle, Politikon (The Politics), 1252a-1260b 26

Aristotle, Politikon, 1260b 27-1264b 25, 1269a 29-1271b 19

Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition, Sections 4 - 5 (pp. 22-38);7 - 9 (pp. 50-73) and 31 (pp. 220-230) (Xerox)

Reading the Republic: Translations and the Course

Allan Bloom, "Preface" to his The Republic, pp. vii-xx

First Assignment Due: Aristotle

Week II

Plato, Politeia h pepi Dikaion, Politikos (The Republic or On Justice, Political), 449a-480d

Wendy Brown, "Supposing Truth Were a Woman...: Plato's Subversion of Masculine Discourse," Political Theory 16:4 (November 1988): 594-616.(Xerox)

Translations: Discussion

Second Assignment Due: Plato

Week III

Julia Annas, An Introduction to Plato's Republic, Chapters 8, 9.

Julia Annas, An Introduction to Plato's Republic, Chapters 10, 11.

Plato, Politeia, 484a-541b

Week IV

Plato, Politeia, 595a-621d
Nicholas White, A Companion to Plato's Republic, pp. 30-43

Plato, Politeia, 543a-592b

David Reeve, Philosopher Kings, pp. 3-24, 39-42.

Third Assignment Due: Plato

Week V

Allan Bloom, "Interpretive Essay," in his The Republic, pp. 307-412, 434-6

Julia Annas, An Introduction to Plato's Republic, Chapters 2, 3, 7, 13, 14 (only 344-353)

Plato, Politeia, 327a-354c

Week VI

Julia Annas, An Introduction to Plato's Republic, Chapters 4, 5, 6

Ellen Meiskins Wood and Neal Wood, Class Ideology and Ancient Political Theory: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in Social Context, pp. 119-128, 134-171

Plato, Politeia, 357a-445e

Fourth Assignment Due: Plato

Week VII

Plato, The Symposium (Whole Week)


FALL BREAK


Week VIII

Aristotle, Politikon (The Politics), 1252a-1260b 26

Aristotle, Politikon, 1301a 16-1323a 11

Discussion

Fifth Assignment Due: Aristotle

Week IX

Aristotle, Politikon, 1267b 23- 1269a 28, 1274b 33-1288b 7

Leo Strauss, The City and Man, pp. 13-49

Cairns Lord, "Introduction" (only pp. 17-22) of his The Politics

Ellen Meiskins Wood and Neal Wood, Class Ideology and Ancient Political Theory: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in Social Context, pp. 209-252 (Xerox)

Sixth Assignment Due: Aristotle

Week X

Aristotle, Politikon, 1288b 10-1301a 15

Ernest Barker, The Social and Political Ideas of Plato and Aristotle, Ch. 8 (321-356) and Ch 5 (231-237)

Curtis Johnson, Aristotle's Theory of the State, Introduction, 2, 4, 5, 6 (xv-xxii, 16-30, 47-57, 66-86, 91-110)

Aristotle, Politikon, 1337a 10- 1342b 35

Week XI

Martha Nussbaum, The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy, Chapters 7, 8

Nussbaum, Chapter 10

Nussbaum, Chapters 11 and 12

Revised Assignment Due

Week XII

Plato, Symposium

I.F. Stone, "Plato's Ideal Bedlam" Harper's (January 1981):66-71. (Reserve)

Dale Hall, "The Republic and the Limits of Politics" Political Theory (1977):293-313

Alan Bloom, "Response to Hall" Political Theory (1977): 314-329
Plato, "Seventh Letter" in Hamilton and Cairns eds.Collected Dialogues

Week XIII

Peter Steinberger, "Ruling: Guardians and Philosopher Kings, " APSR (1989):1207-1227

Arendt, "The Public and the Private" from the Human Condition

Charles Taylor, "Plato's Self-Mastery" from Sources of the Self, pp. 115-126