DR. JEFF JOHNSON

COURSE SYLLABUS

What follows is so self-evident to me that I have never stated explicitly in words.  But there seems to be a persistent misunderstanding, so here goes.  There are video-lectures that go with this course.  Viewing them is essential to doing well in the course.  They are a formal requirement.  Just as though you could hardly expect to do well in a course you never attended, trying to take this course without watching the video-lectures is just as foolhardy.

The video-lectures are only available by rental through the Eastern Oregon University Bookstore.  This means that even if you use other resources to find the assigned texts for the course, you will still need to contact the Bookstore to get the video-lectures.  Here is a link to the Bookstore:

http://www.eoubookstore.com/

NEW WITHDRAW POLICY

A student may drop from a course for any reason with no record on the student's transcript before the end of the 4th week of the term. Thereafter, a student must withdraw from the course (see withdrawal policy).

Drop fees will be assessed in accordance with the fee policies stated in the Schedule of Classes.

Withdrawal Policy (effective Winter, 2010):

There are two types of withdrawal - withdrawal from a course and withdrawal from the University.

From a course:

A student may withdraw from the 5th week of the term through the 7th week with a grade of "W" indicated on the transcript.

No withdrawals will be issued after the 7th week of the term. Instructors will issue a letter grade (A-F, or I) for all students enrolled after the 7th week. A student making adequate academic progress during the term and needing to withdraw after the 7th week may request an incomplete from the instructor.

Withdrawal forms [for on campus courses] are available in the Registrar's Office.

Our focus this quarter will be the history of political theory. I think you will find the topics we deal with here to be, not only of academic interest, but highly relevant to understanding the contemporary political climate.

We will begin with a detailed examination of the ethical and political thought of Plato. We will read and discuss five short dialogues, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, and Pheado. We will then work through Plato's masterpiece, Republic.

The second half of our course will be a much briefer introduction to the political thought of five early thinkers.

• Aristotle

• St. Agustine

• St. Thomas Aquinas

• Machiavelli

• Thomas Hobbes

We will conclude with a quick look at the thought of the most influential contemporary political theorist, John Rawls.

UWR Outcomes for Upper Division Writing Intensive Courses:

• Students will produce at least 5,000 words (including drafts, in-class writing, informal papers, and polished papers); 2,000 words of this total should be in polished papers which students have revised after receiving feedback and criticism.
• Students will practice the forms of writing and reflect upon the nature of the writing used by graduates and professionals in the discipline the course represents.
• Students will write at least one paper integrating information from more than one source, employing the appropriate documentation style for the discipline represented by the course.
• Students will draft, revise, and edit their formal written work.
• Students will seek assistance from a Writing Tutor in the Writing Lab when needed and when referred by the instructor.

Additional Outcomes:

• Understand the philosophical controversies about the legitimacy of the state.

• Read philosophical texts critically and with understanding.

• Write effectively about philosophical controversies.

Means of Assessment and Grading:

• Open-book,open-note, "take-home" midterm essay examination (outcomes 1, 2, and 3) (33% of course grade).

• Open-book,open-note, "take-home" final essay examination (outcomes 1, 2, and 3) (33% of course grade).

• A two to three thousand word original dialogue or analytical paper (outcomes 1, 2, and 3) (33% of course grade).

• Please note: a grade of at least C- is required in order for this course to count toward the University Writing Requirement 

LINK TO ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

ACADEMIC HONESTY

I am including below Eastern's Academic Honesty Code.  It is vitally important that you carefully read it, and that you understand that it is my intention to follow this code to the letter.  I really can't think of a better way to ruin your experience with this course, than to disregard this code.  Obviously, if you have any questions, I can't urge you too strongly to ask me.

ACADEMIC HONESTY CODE

All members of the Eastern Oregon University academic community are responsible for compliance with its Academic Honesty Code. Students are required to report violations to the respective faculty member of a course. Provisions of the Academic Honesty Code are:

1. Collaboration while taking any quizzes, in-class examinations, or take home examinations without the instructor's written approval is forbidden. The faculty member is responsible for defining limits for other collaborative learning activities for each course.

2. Plagiarism or representation of the work of others as one's own is forbidden. The faculty member will make clear the format for properly citing sources of information not original by the student.

3. Explicit approval by all instructors is required if the same work is to be submitted to more than one course, even if is not within the same term.

Violations of the Academic Honesty Code may result in both academic and behavioral penalties including possible suspension or expulsion from the University.

An automatic grade of zero for any work which is a violation of the Academic Honesty Code will be assigned by the instructor. The instructor may also assign a grade of F for the course after discussion with the respective School Dean. Students may appeal the course grade to the respective School Dean, who is the final level of appeal on the matter of course grade penalties for academic dishonesty.

The faculty member is also required to file a disciplinary complaint to the Vice President for Student Affairs about any student believed to have violated the Academic Honesty Code. If deemed appropriate, hearing procedures will be implemented by a University Hearing Officer as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Possible sanctions considered by the Student Conduct Committee include probation, suspension, and expulsion.

In addition to the six Platonic dialogues [only two inexpensive paperbacks], we will reading excerpts from some of the greatest political writings of all time. These are nicely collected in the Princeton Readings in Political Thought, edited by M. Cohen and N. Fermon.

We are exceptionally lucky that this anthology exists. When the on-campus course, from which the videotapes were made, was taught we used an anthology which is now unavailable. This out of print book included some contemporary essays discussing the various thinkers. These essays are discussed in the video lectures. Don't worry about not having direct access to these essays - the original sources that are in the Cohen and Fermon book are what will be important.

CALENDAR

I have kept the general structure of four lectures per week that was the format when the course was taught on-campus.  It is crucial that one-term, financial aid students come pretty close to the weekly time-table, though they are definitely free to accelerate the pace.