HUMAN NATURE AND THE
SOCIAL ORDER I
Oglethorpe
University
Fall 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTRUCTOR
Professor Woolfolk
111 Robinson Hall
Phone: 404-364-8340
E-Mail: awoolfolk@oglethorpe.edu
Office Hours: M @ 2:45-4:00 pm, W @
2:45-5:30 pm
& F @ 8:30-9:30 am,
1:00-2:00 pm.
CLASS TIME AND LOCATION
Section 1: MWF @ 9:30-10:20 am, R-104
Section 2: MWF @ 10:30-11:20 am,
R-104
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on the
relationship between individuals and communities,
examining visions of the good life and the extent to which
they can be pursued within the confines of the social
order. The course investigates issues such as the nature
of human excellence and virtue, the conflict between faith
and reason, the character of justice and natural law, the
relationship between the state of nature and the social
order, the justification of political power, and the
nature of citizenship.
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and
Politics, edited by William Baumgarth and Richard Regan
(Hackett Publishing, second edition, 1988).
2. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics,
translated by Terence Irwin (Hackett Publishing, 1999).
3. Aristotle, The Politics,
translated by Carnes Lord (University of Chicago Press,
1984).
4. Augustine, Political Writings,
translated by Michael Tkacz and Douglas Kries (Hackett
Publishing, 1994).
5. Albert Camus, The Stranger,
translated by Matthew Ward (Vintage, 1989).
6. John Locke, Second Treatise on
Government, edited by Richard Cox (Harlan Davidson, 1982).
7. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Basic
Political Writings, translated by Donald A.
Cress, Introduced by Peter Gay
(Hackett Publishing, 1987).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
All students are expected to attend
class regularly and to participate in class discussions.
Three examinations and one paper of
moderate length (5-8 pages) are required. Please make
note of the following dates:
1. First Exam: September
24, 27
2. Second Exam: October
29, November 1
3. Essay: due November 19
4. Final Examination:
December 8 @ 11:30 am (section 1)
December 10 @ 8:00 am (section 2)
COURSE OUTLINE AND READING
ASSIGNMENTS
I. Introduction
Course introduction and
explanation of assignments
August 25: No
reading assignment
A piece of evidence
August 27:
Read Martin Luther King, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
(handout).
II. Aristotle: Virtues, Politics,
and the Good Life
The good life, virtues of
character and thought
August 30,
September 1: Read Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book I,
chapters 1- -13 (pages 1-18); Book II
(pages 18-30).
September 3,
8: Read Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book III, chapters
6-12 (pages 40-49); Book IV (pages 49-67).
September 6:
Labor Day Holiday
September 10:
Read Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book VI (pages 86-99);
Book X, chapter 6-8 (pages 162-167).
Political regimes
September 13,
15, 17, 20: Read Aristotle, The Politics, Book I, chapters
1-13 (pages 35-54); Book III, chapters 1-18
(pages 86-116); Book IV, chapters 1-14
(pages 118-141).
III. Augustine and Aquinas: Virtues,
Politics, and Religious Life
A defense of Christianity
September 22:
Read Augustine, Political Writings, Books I, II, IV, and
V.
September 24,
27: First Exam
The two cities
September 29,
October 1, 4: Read Augustine, Political Writings, Books
VIII, XI, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XIX and
pp. 202-212.
Natural law and justice
October 6, 8,
13: Read Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and Politics, 10-69;
164- 172.
October 11:
Columbus Day Holiday
IV. States of Nature, Rights, and
Community
Hobbes: the state of
nature
October 15,
18: Read Thomas Hobbes, selection from Leviathan
(handout).
Locke: the state of
nature; conjugal society and civil society
October 20:
Read John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chapters
1-4 (pages 1-16).
October 22,
25, 27: Read Locke, Second Treatise of Government,
chapters 5-15,
17-19 (pages 17-108; 121-148).
October 29,
November 1: Second Exam
November 3,
5: Read Dostoyevsky, “The Grand Inquisitor” (handout).
Rousseau: the state of
nature and the corruption of society
November 8,
10, 12: Read Jean-Jacques Rousseau, First and Second
Discourses, The Basic Political
Writings, pp. 1-81.
Wollstonecraft: the
rights of women
November 15,
17: Read Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights
of Women, pages to be assigned (handout).
Rousseau: the social
contract
November 19,
22: Read Rousseau, “The Social Contract,” The Basic
Political Writings, pages to be assigned.
Essay due November 19.
November
24-28: Thanksgiving Holiday
Rousseau’s legacy:
civilization versus culture
November 29,
December 1, 3: Read Albert Camus, “Summer in Algiers”
(handout); Camus, The
Stranger, pp. 3-123.
December 6:
open day
December 8 @
11:30 am (section 1): Final Examination
December 10 @
8:00 am (section 2): Final Examination
Course grades are based upon three
examinations and an essay according to the following
weighting:
First
examination
100 points
Second
examination 110 points
Essay
120 points
Final examination
120 points
Class attendance/participation 50 points
Total possible points
500 points
Letter grades (including pluses and
minuses) will be assigned according to the scale listed in
the Oglethorpe University Bulletin. For this course, the
point scale is as follows:
Grade
Quality Points
A
465-500
A-
450-464
B+
435-449
B
415-434
B-
400-414
C+
385-399
C
365-384
C-
350-364
D+
335-349
D
300-334
F
Below 300
All students are expected to attend
class regularly. A grade of "FA" (failure due to excessive
absences) will be given if a student is absent from more
than four class sessions without an acceptable excuse. Note
that repeated spelling and grammatical mistakes on exams and
especially papers will result in a loss of points.
Late papers will be penalized ten
points per weekday when classes are meeting. No paper will
be accepted that is more than one week late. Each student
is responsible for keeping a duplicate copy of his/her
paper. No paper will be accepted via e-mail.
Make-up exams will only be given for
exceptional reasons at the instructor's discretion.
Documentation may be required. All excuses must be approved
by the instructor at the earliest possible date.
Incompletes will be given for only exceptional reasons and
in accordance with current University policies.
Tape recording class lectures and/or
discussions is not permitted without permission of the
instructor. All cell phones must be turned off during
class.
An Honor Code is in effect at
Oglethorpe University. This code will be strictly adhered
to in this course. Note that student work will not be
graded unless it contains a signed, properly worded honor
pledge.
