POL S 201 A: Introduction to Political Theory

Political Science 201: Introduction to Political Theory

Mondays (via Zoom) & Wednesdays (in-person, ARC 160), 1:50 – 4pm

Professor: Dr. Chelsea Moore

Email: mooreche@uw.edu

Office Hours: By appointment

Course Zoom: https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125 

Course Description

In this course we will read, analyze, and compare canonical texts in Western Political theory, in order to put them in conversation with each other and with current political contexts through written assignments. The class is organized around four major themes - freedom, power, domination, and resistance. How does the organization of states provide for or limit the flourishing of our lives? How do individuals interact with the power of the state while protecting their own interests? How do groups of people decide on the best way to govern? These and other questions will guide our lectures, discussions, and analytical writing.

Assignments

Take Home Midterm Exam (25%) DUE July 24^th

Reading Discussion Questions (20%)

You will sign up for one week where you are responsible for bringing 3 discussion questions to class. The discussion questions should be open ended questions that will spark an interesting discussion in the class. At least one of the questions should engage current events as they relate to the readings. During your week, you will be responsible for running the first part of class discussion around the readings. After class, submit upload your discussion questions to Canvas under the Assignments tab. 

Zine/Public Information Campaign (35%) DUE August 19^th

Your final project will be a public information campaign of your choice. This can take many forms such as a Zine, a presentation, a podcast, a multi-prong social media campaign, a manifesto. Further directions to come. 

Participation (20%)

All written work will be graded on the 4.0 scale. This course will follow the conversion scale below:

Course Materials & Texts: All course materials are available on the course Canvas under the Files tab.

UNIT 1: Liberalism, the Contract and Domination

Week 1

Wednesday, June 23 (CLASS WILL BE HELD ON ZOOM because it is a syllabus day) https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125 

• Introductions to the course

Week 2

Monday, June 27 (NO CLASS, but reading)

• Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679), Leviathan, Part I, Ch. 13 – 16

Wednesday, June 29 (in-person)

• Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679), Leviathan, Part II, Ch. 17, 18, 21

(Manar) 

Week 3

Monday, July 4 (NO CLASS, JULY 4^th)

Wed, July 6 (in-person)

• John Locke (1632 – 1704), Second Treaties of Government, 1 – 5, 7 – 9
  • (Jacob)

UNIT 2: The Marxist Tradition

Week 4

Monday, July 11 (Zoom) https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125 

• Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)
  • Philosophic and Economic Manuscripts and Capital, “Alienated Labor”, “The Secret of Primitive Accumulation” and “The Historical Tendency of Capitalist Accumulation”
  • The Communist Manifesto (excerpts)
  • (Jonathan)

Wednesday, July 13 (in-person)

• Catharine MacKinnon, “Feminism, Marxism, Method, and the State: An Agenda for Theory.” (1982)
  • (Jessica)

Week 5

Monday, July 18 (Zoom)

https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125

• Karl Marx (1818 – 1883), “On the Jewish Question,” (excerpt)
  • (Anab) 

Wednesday, July 20 (in person)

• Patricia Williams. “The Pain of Word Bondage” from The Alchemy of Race and Rights. (1991)
  • (Manar) 

****MIDTERM DUE SUNDAY JULY 24^th *******

UNIT 3: Power, Domination, & Freedom

Week 6

Monday, July 25 (Zoom) https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125 

• Foucault (1926 – 1984), excerpts from Discipline and Punish, “The Body of the Condemned”, “Docile Bodies”, and “Panopticism”
  • (Ricardo)

Wednesday, July 27 (in-person)

• Franz Fanon (1925 – 1961), Black Skins, White Masks, Introduction, Ch. 5
  • Karis 

 Week 7

Monday, August 1 (Zoom) https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125 

• Malcom X (1925 – 1965), “Message to the Grassroots”
  • Listen: https://youtu.be/a59Kwp35Z80
  • Read: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/message-to-grassroots/ 
• MLK (1929 – 1968), “Letter From Birmingham Jail”

(Tyler) 

Wednesday, August 3 (in-person)

• Audre Lorde (1934 – 1992) excerpts from Sister Outsider, “The transformation of Silence into Language and Action”, The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House”, “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference”, and “Sexism: An American Disease in Blackface”
  • Howsai 

Week 8 

Monday, August 8 (Zoom) https://washington.zoom.us/j/92767027125 

• James Baldwin (1924 – 1987), Fire Next Time, 1 - 47
  • Baldwin 

Wednesday, August 10 (in-person)

• James Baldwin (1924 – 1987), Fire Next Time, 48 – 106

Week 9: Final Exam Prep

Monday, August 15 (No Class, Individual Meetings for Final Prep)  

Wednesday, August 17 (No Class, Individual Meetings for Final Prep)

Sickness Policy: PLEASE do not come to class sick. If you are sick, reach out and we will set up an alternative form of participation for you when you feel better.

Basic Needs Policy. Your safety, health, and well-being is far more important than anything going on in class. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need to talk. Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing or personal safety should be encouraged to come to the instructor or TA so that we can connect you with any resources available through the university.

Student Disability. Your experience in class is important to me, and it is my goal to create an

accessible and inclusive learning environment for all students. Students needing academic

accommodations for a disability should contact Disability Resources for Students, 448 Schmitz Hall, V: (206) 543-8924, TTY: (206) 543-8925, uwdss@u.washington.edu. If you have a letter from Disability Resources for Students documenting the need for academic accommodations, please present this letter to the instructor and/or TA as soon as possible in the quarter, so that we can work together to make the necessary accommodations.

Religious Accommodations. Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for

accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy . Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.

Late Work. You will not be penalized for late work if you notify me prior to the due date of the assignment and we work together to set up a new deadline.

Grade appeal policy.

To request a re-grading of your work (outside of tabulation errors), you must:

1. Wait 24 hours. Carefully review your answers, and comments on them.
2. Provide a typed statement to the me (no more than one page) explaining why you believe the grade you received should be altered. This must be about the substance of your work, not the effort you put into it or this class.
3. Send me your explanation and assignment within one week of the assignment being

returned to the class.

4. I will then reread your work, re-evaluate if appropriate, and return the assignment to

you within two weeks.

*** Note that when your work is submitted for reevaluation, your grade may go up or down.

Academic Integrity. Any material that you quote, paraphrase, summarize or draw ideas from

requires proper citation. Cases of suspected cheating and plagiarism will be referred to the Arts and Sciences Committee on Academic Conduct and may result in a grade of 0.0 for the assignment in question. All papers will be turned in via Canvas and checked with Vericite, a plagiarism detection software. University policies and guidelines regarding cheating and plagiarism can be found here: https://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf