Course Descriptions

Course Description

In this class, we will explore some of the greatest works of classical epic, tragedy, comedy, and philosophy.  We will use them not only to get a better understanding of a society very different from our own, but also to help us think about questions of enduring importance.  What is justice?  What is virtue?  What is love, and what should we expect from it?  How should we think about God and religion?  What about the life of the mind – what is its place in political society, and in a well-lived human life?  We will examine the answers given to these questions in classical Greece and compare those answers to our own. But beyond that, we will see that the works which we read are more than mirrors of their times; their authors reflected profoundly on these basic questions, challenging and transcending the conventions of their own society.  We will find that many of their insights are still valid, and that they can teach us about today’s moral and political situation.

Grading Policy

Weekly 500-word papers for the first 10 weeks of class: 4% each

5-page paper: 20%

final exam: 20%

attendance, quizzes, and class participation: 20%

Texts

Homer, Odyssey.  Tranlated by Richmond Lattimore.  University of Chicago Press.

Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Antigone. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone.  Translated by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore.  University of Chicago Press.

Aristophanes, Clouds; and Plato, Apology. In West, Thomas G. and Grace Starry.  Four Texts on Socrates.  Cornell University Press. 

Plato, Gorgias.  Translated by James Nichols.  Cornell Univesity Press.

Plato, Symposium. Translated by Seth Benardete.  University of Chicago Press.

Recommended Texts (available at The University Co-op)

H. D. F. Kitto, The Greeks, Penguin Press.

Strunk, William, and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, Penguin Press.

Turabin et al, Manual for Writers of Research Papers, University of Chicago Press.

Course Description

This class provides an introduction to the history of social and political thought, with special emphasis on economic issues. Through the careful study of great works of social and political thought, we will look at the developments in political philosophy that led to the emergence of the modern economy, and to some of the most significant reactions to it.   We will look at these texts, not only as historical artifacts, but as contenders in a continuing debate about the best way to order our lives, as individuals and as members of a community.

Although we will study a few economists, this is not primarily an economics course, but one that explores the political principles that shape different approaches to economic questions.  Our goal is not only to get a better sense of where the reigning answers to such questions came from, but to try to answer them for ourselves as best we can.  As such, this class requires serious engagement, a willingness to think critically about one’s own beliefs, and regular, active participation. 

Grading Policy

Grading will be based on one short paper, a midterm, a final exam, quizzes, participation in discussion sections, and attendance.

Texts

Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Locke, Montesquieu, Smith, Marx, Keynes, Hayek, Schumpeter

Say "Ancient Greece", and the words conjure up timeless images of shining white temples among olive trees, bronze-armored heroes, and bearded philosophers discussing the nature of the universe. Our popular vision of the ancient Greeks makes them seem both familiar and irrelevant to the modern world. In fact, however, Greek culture is deeply alien to our own, and at the same time surprisingly relevant. On the one hand, ancient Greek society is just as confusing, shocking, and easy to misinterpret as any other culture is for an outside observer -- even more so, because we are separated from it not only by space but by time. On the other hand, we have the Greeks to thank for much of the way we think today about politics, art, science, and the meaning of life.

This course is meant to introduce students to this complex and intriguing culture and to its legacy in our own society. We will look at ancient Greece on its own terms through the examination of primary sources of all types -- literary, artistic, archaeological -- in an attempt to develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of Ancient Greek society and culture between the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic period. We will also place the discussion of these sources in the context of the shifting meaning of Ancient Greece in the modern world, from the Homeric romanticism of Heinrich Schliemann to the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. Within a roughly chronological framework, lectures will examine Greek literature to discover what the Greeks said about themselves; Greek art and archaeology to understand how people lived and to hear the voices of those -- women, children, slaves, foreigners and outsiders -- who left no written testimony; and modern controversies to see what the Greeks say about us.

This course carries a Global Cultures flag.

Grading:

Course requirements include frequent quizzes, an interactive group project, contributions to an online discussion board, two midterms, and a final exam. Grading will be roughly as follows: discussion board (5%), group project (10%), quizzes (15%), midterms (2 x 20% = 40%), and final exam (35%).

Required Texts:

Exploring the World of the Ancient Greeks (J. Camp and E. Fisher, Thames and Hudson, 2010: ISBN 0500288747)

Homer, Odyssey (trans. Robert Fagles, Penguin Classics, 1997: ISBN 0140268863)

The Landmark Herodotus (R. Strassler, Anchor, 2009: ISBN 1400031141)

Aeschylus, Oresteia (trans. Robert Fagles, Penguin Classics, 1984: ISBN 0140443339)

Thucydides on Justice (P. Woodruff, Hackett, 1993: ISBN 0872201686)

Ten Plays by Euripides (trans. P. Roche, Signet Classics, 1998: ISBN 0451527003)

Four Texts on Socrates (T. West, Cornell University Press, 1998: ISBN 0801485746)

Other readings will be made available in digital form.

This course provides an introductory-level survey of the history of Rome from its origins in the Iron Age (c. 800 BC) to its sack by the Gothic general Alaric in August 410 AD. In general, individual lectures will closely follow the narrative of the course textbook and will trace out a chronology of important events, with some attention to the broader significance of these events.  Lectures will also explore such aspects of Roman culture as religion, the theater, slavery, gladiatorial games, and the relationship between the Roman state and the Christian church.  These textbook-based lectures will be pre-recorded and available online.  Students will be expected to listen to them prior to class.  Class time will be devoted to the presentation and careful analysis of famous “case studies” from Roman history (e.g. Aeneas’ departure from Carthage; the suicide of Lucretia; the assassination of Julius Caesar).  As a group, we will look carefully at our evidence for these events in substantial detail in order to better understand the ethical complexities at work.  Fridays will be reserved for the review of the at-home readings and lecture-viewings.  Exam weeks will likewise be devoted to review and preparation for the exams. 

By the end of the semester, you will be familiar with the most important events and historical figures that shaped the history of Rome from its origins as a small city in Italy to its emergence as a world power.  As well, you will have learned how to analyze historical events from the perspective of a student of ethics.  Your final grade will be determined by attendance/quizzes; your performance on four non-cumulative midterms; and a short review of Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus.  In lieu of a cumulative final exam, students will be required to produce a 5-page ethical analysis of a case study.  The topic will be distributed on the last day of class.  There are no prerequisites for this course and it is assumed that students are new to the course material.  This course carries a global cultures flag and an ethics flag. 

Required Textbook

Boatwright, Mary T., et al., The Romans: From Village to Empire, 2nd Ed. (Oxford: OUP, 2012).  Pb.

ISBN 978-0-19-973057-5

Course Description

What is justice?  What are its demands as a virtue of individuals?  What is its status as a guiding principle of domestic politics and as a restraint or standard in times of war?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of political orders in their quest for justice or in their pursuit of alternative ends?  What is the relationship between politics and philosophy?  In this course we will consider these fundamental and enduring questions of political philosophy primarily through a careful study of two of the masterpieces of classical antiquity:  Plato’s Republic and Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War.  Although we will supplement our study of these two great texts with a look at other works, such as Plato’s Apology of Socrates, our focus will be on reading and discussing the Republic and The Peloponnesian War.  These works will be approached, not just as crucial documents for our understanding of a distant age, but as works that still speak directly and profoundly to permanent questions of moral and political life.  

Grading Policy

Paper: 20%

First exam: 25%

Second exam: 25%

Attendance: 10%

Participation: 10%

Quizzes: 10%

(Note:  These percentages are approximate, and the paper may be made optional.)

Texts

Plato and Aristophanes, Four Texts on Socrates, trans. by T. West and G. West (Cornell)

Plato, The Republic of Plato, trans. by Allan Bloom (Basic Books)

Thucydides, The Landmark Thucydides, ed. By Robert Strassler (The Free Press) 

Course Description

This course examines the philosophic origins of modern political thought by means of a close textual analysis of Machiavelli's Prince, Hobbes' Leviathan, Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, and Rousseau’s Second Discourse and Social Contract. Taking as our starting-point some of the leading questions of modern political philosophy – such as the aims and limits of politics, the role and function of religion, and the status and end of philosophy –, we will attempt not only to come to grips with the sometimes profound disagreements between the thinkers under consideration, but also to come to appreciate the fact that in spite of these disagreements, they all fought one and the same power: the kingdom of darkness.

Grading Policy

Attendance and Participation- 15 %

Papers- 35 %

Midterm Exam- 20 %

Final Exam- 30%

Texts

Machiavelli: The Prince (transl. Harvey C. Mansfield), second edition, Chicago UP, 1998 ISBN: 0226500446)

Hobbes: Leviathan (ed. E. Curley), Hackett Publ., 1994 (ISBN: 0872201775) 

Locke: Two Treatises of Government (ed. P. Laslett), Cambridge UP, 1988 (ISBN: 0521357306)

Rousseau: The Discourses and other early political writing, (ed. V. Gourevitch), Cambridge UP, 1997 (ISBN: 0521424453); The Social Contract and other later political writings (ed.V. Gourevitch), Cambridge UP, 1997       (ISBN: 0521424461)

Course Description

This class is a study of international relations through the lens of political philosophy.  Through a careful study of classic texts, we will raise and attempt to answer basic questions about relations among states, including: What place does justice in issues of war and peace?  Under what circumstances is war just?  How do religious teachings affect one’s approach to foreign policy, and whatdifferences are there between different religions?  Are there any natural laws which govern how states should conduct themselves to each other?  How have modern political institutions shaped international relations?  Is it reasonable to hope for an era of lasting international peace, and if so, how might it be attained?  How can looking at war and peace help us come to a better understanding of what justice itself is?

We will see the answers which competing philosophic schools have given to these questions, and the arguments they made for them. 

 Our study will cover: the classical republican struggle for and against empire in Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War; Christian Just War theory in Aquinas and Vitoria; Islamic Jihad Theory; the moral supremacy of independent national sovereignty in Hobbes; the defense of a globalizing moral community achieved through commercialization by Montesquieu; and the proposal of a world legal order achieved through international legal organization byKant.

 By studying these works, we will gain a better understanding of the most common contemporary approaches to war and peace.  Our goal is not only to get a better sense of where the reigning answers to our questions came from, but to try to answerthem for ourselves as best we can.  As such, this class requires serious engagement, a willingness to think critically about one’s own beliefs, and regular, active participation. 

Grading Policy

Grading will be based on two short papers, a midterm, a final exam, quizzes, participation in discussion sections, and attendance.

Prerequisites

Some previous study of political philosophy is recommended.

Course Description

This course will explore the themes of morality and leadership in the writings of two great political philosopher, the ancient Athenian Xenophon and the renaissance Florentine Machiavelli. First, we will read Xenophon’s Education of Cyrus, a rich fictional depiction of a virtuous ancient polis and the process by which a man of boundless talents and ambition easily subverts it. In place of the virtuous republic, Xenophon’s Cyrus creates a progressive, dynamic, multi-ethnic society, aimed at wealth and expansion and glory, in which merit is rewarded and a self-sacrificing view of justice is replaced by a frank pursuit of the good things of this world. Yet in exploring this entrancing vision, Xenophon gives clear reasons why, in the end, he rejects it as the best model for a healthy society. Thus we will turn next to Xenophon’s Memorabilia of Socrates, in which he presents an alternate model of human excellence, that of the philosopher Socrates. Machiavelli had the highest opinion of Xenophon and gave all his works the closest study. Yet he came to the opposite conclusion from Xenophon, and devoted his writings to promoting the progressive, expansive political vision and the embrace of ambition that Xenophon rejected. We will read next Machiavelli’s two great masterpieces, the Prince and Discourses on Livy. What did Machiavelli see that Xenophon did not, or what did Xenophon see that Machiavelli did not? How can these contrasting works help us understand and assess the deepest differences between ancient and modern republicanism and the fundamental presuppositions of modern liberalism?

Grading Policy

Attendance, quizzes, and participation- 20%

5-page paper on Xenophon- 25%

5-page paper on Machiavelli- 25%

Final exam- 30%

Texts

Xenophon, Education of Cyrus, trans. Ambler, Cornell University Press, ISBN 0-8014-8750-1.

Xenophon, Memorabilia of Socrates, trans. Bonnette, Cornell University Press, ISBN 0-8014-8171-6.

Machiavelli, Prince, trans. Mansfield, Chicago, ISBN 0-226-50038-1

Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, trans. Mansfield, Chicago, ISBN 0-226-50036-5

Course Description

Politics is often defined as "the authoritative allocation of values."  In the American political system, the Constitution is an important source of authority, and it gives preference to certain values.  The Constitution is a document of law, politics, and political theory.  Determining what the Constitution means, determining how to determine what it means, and determining who should determine what it means are fundamental tasks for participants in the American political process and for students of it.  The course may be of interest to those thinking about attending law school, but it is equally valuable to those who have no such interest.  Given the nature of our society, understanding the Constitution and constitutional law is part of a liberal arts education.  For the most part, the course does not focus on the "civil liberties" provisions in the Constitution; those important subjects are left to other courses.One objective of the course is for the student to become a constitutional interpreter who contributes intelligently to this ongoing process.  Judges have never been, nor should be, the only ones engaging in constitutional interpretation.  Presidents, members of Congress, and many others engage in constitutional interpretation.  A more complete course would examine their statements and actions in greater detail.  Judges, however, play a very important role in defining the meaning of the Constitution.  As such, it is important to learn what judges have said the Constitution means and to understand how they came to such conclusions.  This necessitates learning how to read and analyze judicial opinions.  The student should develop a sufficient comfort level with legal analysis so that she or he can evaluate intelligently some important interpretations of the justices and ask the questions that a student of politics should ask.  Prominent among such questions are those concerned with the proper role of courts and judges in the American political system.  We concentrate on the primary material--the Constitution and cases--so that the student can begin to develop his or her own ideas without undue influence.     Another objective of this course is to improve reasoning and communication skills.  Engaging in constitutional reasoning can assist in developing intellectual precision and political persuasiveness.  As in most courses, good writing is demanded, but it is also important to develop the capacity to think and speak on one's feet.  Mastering the use of language, orally and in writing, increases the ability to think and communicate clearly.  Moving toward such mastery is a vital part of education.    The course requires a substantial time commitment.  The time required varies greatly over the course of the semester, and as described below, it is hard to plan ahead.

Course Description

This course is designed for government majors, students who are interested in some of the core issues of "retail" politics, students who want to become political practitioners or are political “junkies,”  students who want a little taste of what law school might be like, future government teachers, and students who are interested in some of the difficult and current theoretical issues at the intersection of law and politics.

There are many ways to conceptualize the structure of this course. One way is to see it as being about the way institutional structures affect or cause results in our political system. For example, how requiring a voter i.d. law may affect the outcome of elections. From another viewpoint, it is a course in constitutional and statutory interpretation with the subject matter being elections and electoral law. From still another point of view it is about what structures and processes are necessary or sufficient to create the American form of republican government. Of course, that also requires constantly defining what is "republican government."

The course is a discussion course, not a lecture course. Students are expected to prepare for each day's assignments so they can discuss the assigned material in class. There is no way to be highly successful in this course without such preparation.

Grading Policy

    3 Hour Exams -approx 65%(19, 22, 24%)

    Papers - approx 17%

    Class participation, quizzes and attendance - approx 18%

Examinations

Each examination will be divided into two parts, 60% essay and 40% objective or short answer.  The objective will be 30 or so true/false, multiple choice or similar kinds of questions. Generally, there will be 2 essays  worth approximately 30 points each. 

Papers and Class Project

There will be a briefing assignment using the full text of one of the cases we cover in this course Everyone in the class will be required to participate in some aspect of the 2012  elections in Travis County, mainly as poll watchers at early voting.   If you do not want to register to vote in Travis County, you can go to your home county to complete the project. If you cannot register to vote in the U.S., we will have an alternate project. The second paper will be about your observations during the elections. A couple of times during the semester you  may be asked to turn in one of your daily class briefs.  These will be graded on a 4 point scale, well done, adequate, unacceptable, not done.  These points will count toward your class participation grade

Class Participation and Attendance

This part of your  grade consists of the following:

         A. Demonstrating a reasonable level of daily preparation and understanding of the material covered.

         B. Contributions made to class discussion and analysis.

         C. Overall attendance.  More than 3 unexcused absences will affect this part of your grade. More than      5 will lead to a loss of one grade.

Texts

Election Law: Cases and Materials: by Daniel Lowenstein and Richard HasenDemocracy in America,  by Alexis De TocquevilleDon’t Vote It Just Encourages The Bastards by P.J. O’Rourke

In this course we will examine representative works from 19th and 20th-century French literature, from Balzac’s Realism of the 1830s to Duras’s post-modern novel of the 1980s.  We will consider literature in its relation to history, with special attention both to form and style in the development of narrative, prose poetry and avant-garde theatre.  All students will be expected to give one in-class presentation on an aspect of French culture and history related to one of the works we are reading, and this presentation will be turned into a brief (5-7 page) paper.  A final paper on a French novel from this period not included on the syllabus will be due the last day of class.

Participants in this course will examine various definitions and cultural representations of love, as expressed in major Eastern and Western literary works, and explore the question, "To what extent do conceptions and representations of love differ cross-culturally?"  Class activities will include mini-lectures and performance reading, as well as comparative analysis and discussion of the portrayal of topics like "love and beauty," "love and separation,"  "love and madness," "love and marriage," "love and time," "love and war," "love and self-sacrifice," "love and death," and "love for the divine and love for the human".  Participants will also, on occasion, be introduced to significant musical, visual art and cinematic forms/productions related to the poetry, prose and theatrical works read.  Students’ engagement in reader response writing and peer review of that writing will enhance the quality of their small and large group discussions.  This course hold a UT Writing Flag.

As all texts will be read in English translation, there is no language prerequisite.  However, students capable of reading some texts in the original language/s will be encouraged to do so.

Prerequisites:  The course has no prerequisites.

Languages Across the Curriculum Component:  Students who have completed the Intermediate Turkish sequence (ie. have earned a grade of C or higher in TUR 320L) are eligible to sign up for an additional credit hour in Turkish language via the “Languages Across the Curriculum Program”.  Students taking this credit hour with Dr. Okur will read and discuss short texts in Turkish (and view and discuss additional Turkish films) related to the main course topics.

Texts

The Story of Layla and Majnun by Nizami; The Romance of Tristan and Iseult; Yusuf and Zuleyha. An Allegorical Romance;  The Sorrows of Young Werther;  Jamilia;  The Forty Rules of Love. A Book of Rumi.

Grading Policy

Attendance and Participation       20%

Reader Response Papers   15%

Mid-Term Exam        15%    

Final Paper/Presentation  35%

Final Exam    15%

Instructor- Professor Lang

Course Description

In this course we will investigate a perennial subject of the dramatic arts: the nature and pursuit of justice. We will seek to examine how different playwrights from different eras of Western literature have balanced elements like mercy, vengeance, fairness, due process, authority, prejudice, and public service in their definitions of justice. Students will consider whether the dramas in our selected classical, medieval, Shakespearean, and modern plays are idealistic, realistic, or polemical in their portrayals of the  (imperfect) enforcement of the law and its courts. Students will also consider the relationship between justice and the “court of public opinion.” We will bookend the semester by examining the way justice is portrayed as being served by the American criminal justice system in contemporary pop-culture dramas (e.g. Law and Order) and the way drama is used in some American prisons to facilitate rehabilitation among inmates. Our course requirements will include close reading and in-class discussion of plays, light exploration of philosophies of justice, informal impromptu acting, and written analysis.

Grading Policy

Grades will be based on (1) regular class attendance, careful preparation of the readings, timely submission of all written work, and active participation in class discussions and activities (10%); (2) approximately three writing assignments of varying lengths totaling 15-20 pages and a revision of one of these papers (50%); (3) a dramatic presentation of one or two short monologues from the required readings (10%); and (4) a midterm and final exam (10% and 20% respectively.)

Texts/Films

Law and Order, excerpts from selected episodes

Reginald Rose, Twelve Angry Men

Aeschylus, The Oresteia

Sophocles, Oedipus the King

Euripedes, Herakles

Medieval Mystery Plays: Christ Goes Before Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiphas

Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure, Merchant of Venice

Henrik Ibsen, Pillars of Society

Arthur Miller, The Crucible

David Mamet, Oleanna

Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005 documentary by Philomath Films)

This course covers essential developments in Greek history during the Archaic and Early Classical Periods (ca. 800-400 B.C.). Emphasis will be divided between political/military history and ancient Greek society and culture (e.g. gender and class, religion, economy, performance). The course will consist of two hours of lecture per week plus a required one-hour discussion section. Particular attention will be paid to the interpretation of ancient sources, both written works and the archaeological remains. 

This course carries a Global Cultures flag; it may also be counted as an elective.

Grades will be based on:

35%    2 midterm examinations

30%    final examination

35%    discussion section (short quizzes, 8 short writing assignments, active and informed participation in discussion)

There are no prerequisites.

 Required Texts:

1. Ian Morris and Barry B. Powell, The Greeks. History, Culture, and Society. Prentice Hall

2. Robert B. Strassler (ed.), The Landmark Herodotus. Simon and Schuster

3. Robert B. Strassler (ed.), The Landmark Thucydides. Simon and Schuster

4. Charles W. Fornara (ed.), Translated Documents of Greece & Rome 1. Archaic Times to the End of the Peloponnesian War. Cambridge UP

Islamic Theology may be understood as that branch of knowledge that comprises the way that Muslims have conceived the natures of God, humanity and the natural world, as well as the relationships between these three.  Muslim contemplation of these subjects has given rise to a number of debates and doctrines.  Some of these have had to do with issues such as the relationship between human will and the divine will, or the origins of sinfulness.  Other disputes have had to do with the nature of governance and the role of the ruler in effecting salvation.  Yet another area of questioning has had to do with the limits of rational knowledge and possibility of meta-cognitive experience of God.  These three classical areas of inquiry – that is, political theory, systematic theology (dogmatics) and mystical theology (sufi theosophy) – will form the main areas of focus in this upper division course. 

In this course, we will study the religion of Islam through its sacred text, the Qur’an. To this end, this course will entail extensive reading of the Qur’an itself, as well as of other texts. In our studies, we will focus on the following themes of the Qur’an: cosmology and theology, ethical principles, ritual prescriptions, and legal injunctions. We will also examine some of the prominent symbols, images and rhetorical structures of the Qur’an. Through reading the prophetic narratives, we will have an opportunity to compare Qur’anic and Biblical accounts of the major prophets shared by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The syllabus also includes an inquiry into role of the Qur’an in Muslim devotion and as a medium for artistic expression. We will also discuss the tradition of interpretation (or “exegesis”), especially as it pertains to those verses that engender the most debate today: those surrounding politics, intercommunal (i.e. interreligious) relations, and women/gender. Prior knowledge of Islam is helpful but not required for this course.