College of Sciences and Humanities

School of Humanities

2022-2023

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Number POL 210-A	Course Title Western Political Concepts I
Fall Semester X	Spring Semester	Summer Semester	Credit Hours 3
Name of Instructor William Miller
Meeting Day, Time, and Room Number Tuesday-Thursday, 2:00pm to 3:15pm, Ballston Center 3026
Final Exam Day, Time, and Room Number Tuesday, December 13^th , 2:00 to 4:30pm. Ballston Center 3026
Office Hours, Location, Phone Office hours Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:15pm to 1:45pm, 3:30pm to 4:00, Location TBA
E-mail and Web Site Email wmiller@marymount.edu; Web Site www.millerpolitics.com
Course Description (This is the course description listed in the Catalog) An introduction to political theory focusing on political thought from ancient to early modern times and on the fundamental conceptions of political theory. Prerequisite: EN 102. (3)
Check Out: University Policies, Statements and Student Support Resources are now accessible in the menu of each Canvas course and can also be accessed at https://sites.google.com/marymount.edu/academic-success/home?authuser=0
Click: Academic Calendar for Fall 2022 for drop, add or withdrawal dates for the spring semester.

1. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course students will be expected to:

1. demonstrate understanding of the teleological world view of the Ancients, the Classical, the Gnostic, the Hermetic, and the Classical Religious traditions and the non-teleological view of Epicurean and modern theorists ("cosmology" and "ontology");

2. demonstrate familiarity with the theories of knowing (“epistemology”) of the Ancients, the Classical, the Gnostic, the Hermetic, the Classical Religious traditions, and the Epicurean-modern theories of the objects and the processes of knowing ("epistemology");

3. demonstrate understanding of the Classical and Classical Religious concepts of human nature as distinct from the Gnostic, Hermetic, and Epicurean-modern concepts ("anthropology");

4. demonstrate understanding of several of the different Classical, Classical Religious, and Epicurean-modern views of the nature and function of political society and government ("politics");

5.demonstrate understanding of the concepts of good and evil, right and wrong, as presented in Classical and medieval religious thought, in Gnostic thought, and in the writings of Lucretius and Hobbes ("ethics");

6. demonstrate a basic ability to read texts in political theory with critical understanding—i.e., to grasp the author's main points, to identify his supporting arguments and rationales, and to offer cogent internal and external criticism of the readings; and,

7. engage in the practice of writing and critical reasoning by composing well organized, acceptably written, logically argued essays on issues of political theory.

2. TEACHING METHOD

The course will consist primarily of guided discussions of the readings and secondarily of lectures and background information by the instructor. I do not want to lecture all the time! Students must be prepared to discuss, to ask questions, and to answer questions. Fifteen percent of your grade is based on class participation—class discussion and quizzes! All exams are essay exams. Frequent quizzes may be short answer or short essay tests.

3. GRADING POLICY
The value (points and/or percentage of grade) of assignments, exams, quizzes, participation, and other graded course components must be specified.

     Tuesday, September 6, 2022, is the last day to withdraw from a class without academic record

     Friday, November 25, 2022, is the last day to withdraw from a class with a grade of W

The final grade is based on components that include graded class assignments (which also cover answering questions about assigned readings in class and participating in class discussions about them) and quizzes, two short graded papers, two mid-term essay exams, and a final essay exam, as follows:

25% = Three papers (the first is worth 5%, the second and third are worth 10% each)

15% = Lower mid-term exam

20% = Higher mid-term exam

25% = Final exam

15% = Class assignments, quizzes, constructive contributions to class discussions.

The usual scale of 90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D, and 59%-and-below=F will be used for all graded work.

The exams and the written assignments are all based on the primary readings of the course: not on the class lectures, which are intended to help you understand the readings and not to substitute for the readings. No grade of "I" or "Incomplete" will be given. If possible, assignments and exams will be graded and returned within two weeks. Assignments handed in late will receive an F.

ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY

Attendance: Assuming there are no further Covid-19 lockdowns, this is not a distance learning class. Beginning with the second week of classes, students are allowed a total of nine absences, excused and/or unexcused. Students who miss ten or more classes for any reason whatever will receive an “FA” in the course.   

Each unexcused absence beyond three—up to the absolute limit of nine—will result in a lowering of the final grade by two percentage points. To be excused, an absence must be documented, unless I indicate otherwise. Excused absences are typically medical-, legal-, or job-related excuses. Acceptable documentation typically consists of a statement or form on official stationery (1) signed by a third party (doctor, police, judge, supervisor—not a parent or family member!) that (2) refers specifically to the day of absence from class and (3) the reason for the absence. If there is an on-going medical, legal, or employment condition that may affect your attendance, let me know at the beginning of the semester, not after the fact.

A lot of students are commuters. Occasionally coming to class late—even really late once or twice—is not considered an absence, though continual lateness may be considered unexcused absences. Coming to class without hard copies of the text for the day, leaving the classroom for most of the class-time, or leaving class early without the permission of the instructor, however, is always considered an unexcused absence.

Merely informing me ahead of time that you will be absent from class does not mean I excuse the absence, though I appreciate your courtesy. I will not excuse your absence because you are simply not feeling well or because you choose to do something worthwhile other than come to class even if you inform me ahead of time. Proof of a positive Covid test will, of course, excuse the absence for that day or days. If you are coughing and sneezing and coming down with a cold or the flu, and you don't want to spread your virus to your classmates, your fellow students and I salute you! Staying home may be the right thing to do, but it is not an excused absence. You all get three unexcused absences to use as you see fit, and it is your decision to use them to stay home when you don't feel well or want to attend some other event or need to prepare for another class instead of going to my class. Use them for good reasons: that's what they are for.

The limit of nine total absences recognizes that excessive excused absences may also be a problem. You should discuss such situations with me well before the last month of the semester. Any absence prevents you from participating in the class, but if your job or an illness keeps you away from class, it will significantly affect the class participation component of your grade and may be a good reason to drop the course and take it another time. All of us find ourselves in these situations from time to time and have to deal with them appropriately. You also have an obligation to report this to a University office (see the section titled “Attendance” in the University Catalogue).

When in doubt about any of these policies, please come and talk to me. The policies have been formulated with our substantial commuter and working student population in mind and are intended to be fair to everyone. You should also review the University's policies on absenteeism in the section titled “Attendance” in the University Catalogue.

Make-up Exams: The same basic rules about excused absences apply to taking mid-terms. My policy of giving makeup exams on the same day as the final does NOT mean that you may choose to take the mid-term exam on that day rather than on the regularly scheduled day: it is not an alternative test date. To be eligible for a makeup, you must qualify for an excused absence, and this you should do a reasonable time before the day of the mid-term, if that is at all possible. You may be excused from taking a mid-term if you are certifiably sick or your job prevents you from attending class or you have a legal or employment emergency on the day of the test. If one of these applies, and I am informed in a reasonable time before the exam, and you have written documentation to support your request, you may take the exam on the same day as the final exam. If none of these reasons apply, you may not take the exam at another time, and you will get a zero for the exam. Travel plans will never excuse an absence. Parental or family notes do not constitute proper documentation. If you are late for the exam because of events outside of your control, let me know immediately or as soon as possible that day, and I will let you take the exam that same day if possible.

A Few Further Rules

For the benefit of the class and your classmates, the following rules regarding electronic devices also apply to this course:

1. No open lap-top or other computers are allowed in class without my prior permission. Devices such as tablets, Ipads, Kindles, and Nooks that lie flat on the desk and on to which the readings can be loaded are permitted if approved by me, but hard copies of the readings are better. You can mark them up and take notes on them in class. Most assignments will be handed out in hard copies.

2. Turn your cell phones off during the class. If you are expecting an important call, put your phone on “Vibrate,” sit near the door, and, when the call comes, answer it outside the classroom.

3. It follows from the foregoing rule, but it must be separately stated: no talking and no texting on cell phones during class. If you do not follow this rule, I will publicly ask you to leave the room for the remainder of the class and will do my best to have you removed from the course for the rest of the semester.

4. Be sure to check your Marymount email address regularly! This is Marymount’s and my principal way of contacting you with important information. Perhaps you rely mostly on gmail, Yahoo, or some other provider, but check your @marymount.edu mail daily to make sure you do not miss school information.

These rules are necessary to foster a suitable learning environment in the classroom during class. There are enough distractions with lawnmowers, air conditioners, noisy traffic, and other outside forces to combat during class lectures and discussions.

4. REQUIRED TEXT

Lucretius. On the Nature of Things. Trans. Martin Ferguson Smith. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 2001. ISBN 978-0-87220-587-1. Note: This is a new edition of Lucretius’s poem. The Penguin edition that I used in the past is no longer in print. You must buy or possess this paperback edition for this course.

5. CLASS SCHEDULE

As stated, this schedule is approximate and subject to revisions. Revised assignment deadlines and midterm exam dates may be announced from time to time in class and on the Weekly Assignments link, but I will try to stick to the dates below.  In the Weekly Assignments section of the <millerpolitics.com> webpage, check the link to "Western Political Concepts I (Fall 2022)" for the particular assignments for each class and the links to “Readings for Western Political Concepts I (Fall 2022)” for many of the assigned readings. You must have a hard copy of the designated Lucretius text, the only required book for the course, by the second week of class.

Week I (8/30-9/1) Tuesday: Introduction to course; Thursday: The fundamental conceptions of political theory.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022, is the last day to withdraw from a class without academic record

Week II (9/6-8) TOPIC I: Ontology and Cosmology Readings. Ancients and Epicureans.

Week III (9/13-15) Classical and Classical Religious. First short paper due.

Week IV (9/20-22) Gnostics and Comparisons.

Week V (9/27-29) Mid-Term Exam, 9/27. TOPIC II: Epistemology Readings, 9/29: Review Ancients and Gnostics.

Week VI (10/4-6) Epicureans and Aristotle.

Week VII (10/11-13) Plato and St. Augustine.

Week VIII (10/18-20) Second short paper due. TOPICS III & IV: Anthropology and Ethics Readings. Epicureans.

Week IX (10/25-27) Epicureans and Aristotle.

Week X (11/1-3) Plato and Stoics; St. Augustine.

Week XI (11/8-10) Gnostics and Hermeticists. Mid-Term Exam.

Week XII (11/15-17) TOPIC V: Politics Readings. Ancients and Epicureans.

No Tuesday-Thursday classes during the Week of November 21-25.

Friday, November 25, 2022, is the last day to withdraw from a class with a grade of W

Week XIII (11/29-12/1) Aristotle, Plato and St. Augustine. Third short paper due.

Week XIV (12/6-8) Political Ideologies and Hermeticists.

The final exam will be given only at the date and time prescribed by the University Final Exam Schedule, which has not yet been published. All mid-term exam make-ups will be given only on Tuesday or Wednesday of finals week. If this final exam time conflicts with another final exam on your schedule, talk with me immediately. Make your travel plans accordingly!