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POL
341/PHI 207 Telephone:
Dr. Knippenberg: (404)-364-8341 There is a most personal question at the core of a liberal education: "How should I live my life?" To answer this question, we must address ourselves to one that is broader still: "What is the best way of life for a human being?" Properly understood, this question lies at the heart of political philosophy. This claim may at first strike us as somewhat paradoxical, for, if it means anything to us, political philosophy means striving for (or having) an understanding of issues like "justice" or "the relationship between state and society." We tend to understand ways of life--"lifestyles," to use a hackneyed contemporary locution--as matters of private opinion or desire, not of public or political concern. The purpose of this course is to provoke a serious questioning of this opinion by contrasting it with an older view, which claims that "ethics" and "politics" are intimately related, that the highest purpose of politics is in fact the cultivation of human excellence. That this opinion strikes us as problematical would not at all surprise those who held it; in fact, they would have agreed. Nevertheless, to say that something is problematical is not that same as saying that it is wrong, impossible, or undesirable. Life may just be very complicated (something students, I know, hate to hear). Just how complicated it is we will begin to see by examining closely the attempt of classical political philosophers to grapple with the relationship between "the city" and "man," between the excellence we can attain through participation in political life and human excellence simply. I expect that the arguments of these great thinkers will challenge us to rethink our own opinions, thereby enabling us to further our "liberal education" in the aforementioned sense. TEXTS: Please purchase the following books. Where I have indicated a particular edition, be sure to purchase only that edition, for in our work the quality of the translation is of the utmost importance. (Of course, if you read classical Greek, then I encourage you to read the texts in the original.) West and
West, eds. and trans. Four Texts on Socrates (Cornell) I would prefer that you devote most of your energies to the careful study of these difficult primary texts, but if you wish to consult any secondary sources, I have found the following works helpful. Leo Strauss,
The City and Man (Chicago) ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING: Short papers
(2-3 pages).....................................25% ACADEMIC POLICIES AND REGULATIONS: In accordance with Oglethorpe's Honor Code, all the work you hand in must be pledged: "I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid in completing this assignment." For the purposes of this course, "unauthorized aid" consists in plagiarism, which (as "The 'O' Boo" states) "includes representing someone else's words, ideas,...or original research as one's own and, in general, failing to footnote or otherwise acknowledge the source of such work." If in completing an assignment you consult secondary sources, be sure to cite them properly. Unless we announce otherwise, you may discuss any assignment with your colleagues, but the work you submit must be your own. You may find the complete text of the Honor Code in "The 'O' Book." Attendance is mandatory. I reserve the right to give the grade "FA" to students who regularly miss class. I penalize late papers two points per weekday, up to a total of ten points, after which I will not accept them. We will not reschedule exams without a medical excuse. I will, however, be pleased to help you manage your academic schedules by granting extensions on papers if you request them one week in advance. If for some reason you have to take an "Incomplete" in this course, you must arrange it with me before the end of the term. We must agree to a contract containing a schedule for the completion of the course requirements. You must then take the initiative in completing the work. You may find the grading scale, as well as the policy governing the S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) option, on pp. 67-68 of the 1998-2000 Oglethorpe University Bulletin. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF READING ASSIGNMENTS: Aristophanes,
Clouds (one week)
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