Class Details

Course Description

 

This course is designed to introduce you to the major social theories that have provided the foundation for most modern theories of state, law and sovereignty. When you study the consolidation of the modern state, the development of the institutions of political and legal sovereignty, and the growth of new forms of the state and law, you will be study­ing  social and political processes whose ideas were first articu­lated by Hobbes; when you investigate the growth of the consti­tutional state of the 19th century, you will find the ghost of Locke; and when you learn about the socialist movement and the creation and operation of non-market industrial economies, you will not have to look hard to see the influence of Marx.

If we must study these theories because they have become integral parts of our world, and the history of the creation of that world, we must also study them because they continue to provide the essential ideas we still use to understand and ex­plain that world. One of the principal aims of the social sciences is to develop theories which explain the widest possible range of social phenomena in terms of a few basic principles. Ultimately, the idea is to create a unified theory that could account for many aspects of social life, including such things as war, the structure of families, the level of prices and employment, political revolutions, and the forms of religious practice. Social theories ultimately rest upon certain very basic assumptions regarding human motivation, rationality, sociality and needs. In other words, they presuppose a conception of human nature and society, some image of what it is to be a person and the relationships of people to one another. In order to understand these theories, it is essential that we grasp the basic assumptions upon which they rest.

The theories that we will be studying in this course all put forward a conception of the person and society on the basis of which social scientists have continued to develop theories even to this day. The first theory we will study is Hobbes's Leviathan. In this work Hobbes sets out a conception of the person and of society that will be familiar to many of you, for in many ways it resembles the conception that underlies much of modern economics, political science, and sociology – not to mention our ordinary, unreflective ways of talk­ing about society. Another theory we will study is Marx's, and the connections between his theories of society and contemporary Marxist ideas are obvious. There will be such connections for all of the theories we will study this semester.

We will then work ourselves through the critical theories of Durkheim and Weber who made the first attempts to apply scientific tools to our interpretation of ourselves and our social institutions. This attempt to merge science and interpretation continues with Freud until we come to the 20th Century where science begins to dominate our understanding of our own nature and the way society works. From behaviorism through neuroscience we explore a concept of humanity and society through the lense of external forces as the source of our behavior working in league with the evolution of our genetic pool. Finally, we consider the rejection of any objectivity either in observation of society or the interpretation of our practices. The postmordern critical theories of society argue that no such meaning can exist and any attempt to do so is just the imposition of power of one group over another.

These theories also provide the basic frameworks within which normative issues have been and continue to be posed. If we want to understand such concepts as liber­ty, equality, solidarity, democracy, the public interest, jus­tice, or alienation, then the best place to begin is with the thinkers who first enunciated them, or who first thought about them in a systematic, rigorous, way.*

 

Assignments And Evaluation

 

	Weighting	Assigned	Due	Returned
Class participation	20%	p a s s i m
Test	25%	Feb 29	March 3
Analytical paper	30%	March 25	April 11
Final	25%	Monday, May 6, 2024 11:20AM-01:50PM

Grading standards are in part subjective and excellence in one area may compensate for deficiencies in another. No curve will be used to calculate the grades in this class. Hence, it is theoretically possible for every student to receive an A if he or she meets the standards for that grade. My primary goals are for each student to develop the critical thinking skills and to understand the ideas covered in this course by the time it is completed. If later exams and papers illustrate this proficiency, earlier grades which do not will be discounted. The following will give you a general guide to the typical performance associated with each letter grade.

While displaying an understanding of the course materials is very important, the quality of your writing is a central part of my evaluation of your work. At a minimum, you must make sure that the grammar and syntax of your essays are correct. Papers that are disorganized or poorly written will be graded downwards. Do not hand in the first draft of your work. Apart from the presentation of your work, the following criteria will be used

A: all course requirements met, work shows full understanding of course material and an original perspective on the subject

B: all course requirements met, work shows full understanding of course material (or satisfactory understanding of course material and an original perspective on the subject)

C: all course requirements met, work shows satisfactory understanding of course material

D: work fails to meet minimum course requirements, either in full and timely completion of requirements or in satisfactory understanding of course material.

F: work falls far below minimum course requirements either in full and timely completion of requirements or in satisfactory understanding of course material.

 

 

Skills

The majority of this course consists in abstract reasoning. Even when we apply these ideas to practical situations you will be challenged to consider them in the context of different theories of interpretion, different definitions of law and different principles of morality. It is not assumed that you have had any prior training in philosophical reasoning. However, it is assumed that you are comfortable thinking analytically and conceptually. The latter is particularly important. Philosophy concerns itself with the meaning of things. In many respects it is a matter of establishing definitions. You will not find the answer to these definitions in any dictionary or encyclopedia. In this course you will learn to parse ideas, look for internal contradictions in definitions, make analogies between different concepts and apply them all to existing problems in law and society. By the end of the course you should

1. understand different modes of inquiry in the study of social phenomena including
   1. Empiricism
   2. Interpretation of Social Meaning
   3. Critical Theory
   4. post Modernism
2. be familiar with different theories of interpretation both of posited rules and moral principles.
3. be able to apply these ideas to different legal problems in society.
   

participation

It is not possible to participate without being in class, attendence will be mandatory. You are encouraged to leave time to read the material more than once. Although all the material is ostensibly written in English, much of it is more akin to mathmatics writeen in prose. There are a lot of techinical terms that will take some time to master. I have provided some links at the bottom of the page to various resources that should help you navigate this strange new way of thinking. Although difficult, it will pay off many dividends for as long as you continue to think about the meaning of things in the world (which is to say, forever)..

 

Class Culture

Freedom of expression is at the root of academic discourse and the advancement of knowledge. This course will deal with a wide range of topics, some of which may challenge a student’s deeply held beliefs and perhaps even cause offense. While no topic will be censored simply because it has this effect, students are expected to treat the differing views of others with respect. While tolerance toward the opinions of others does not preclude expressions of disagreement, which are, indeed, encouraged, it does require that these expressions be based on the content of the ideas expressed and not on personal traits or values of the speaker. All class participants will be expected to tolerate the expression of opposing views and to engage in reasoned discourse about them. While hate speech will not be tolerated, discussion of hate sppech is part of the course. This entails recounting, discussing and analyzing incidents of hatefulness that have occured and continue to occur in American Society. This is a painful but necessary step in understanding the society we live in and the law that governs us. I will endeavour to ensure that the classroom is free of any conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating or hostile environment. But hearing another point of view about an idea, however distasteful, must be tolerated in an academic setting in order to learning to occur. I will attempt to give each student an opportunity to express his or her own views and to treat them with respect. But to paraphrase Milton in the Areopagitica  one can't know the value of one's idea without first testing it against all other ideas. Part of my role is to help you test your ideas against others. Any student who believes that he or she has not been given adequate opportunity to contribute to class discussions is encouraged to bring this to my attention. Extremely Important: If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, please don’t hesitate to consult with me. In addition to the resources of the department, a wide range of services is available to support you in your efforts to meet the course requirements.  Academic Support Centre (x3360, MGC 243) offers study skills workshops, individual instruction, tutor referrals, and services for students with learning disabilities.  Writing Center provides support for all stages of the writing process. in the ASC Writing Lab or in the Writing Centre, Battelle 228.  Center For Well Being And Counselling Center (x7979, MGC 214) offers counselling and consultations regarding personal concerns, self-help information, and connections to off-campus mental health resources.  Disability Support Services (x3360, MGC 206) offers technical and practical support and assistance with accommodations for students with physical, medical, or psychological disabilities. If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please notify me in a timely manner with a letter from the Academic Support Centre or Disability Support Services so that we can make arrangements to address your needs.   Academic Integrity The American University’s “Academic Integrity Code” governing standards for academic conduct apply. Students may discuss the subject matter of their essays with anyone. All students, however, must compose their own essays and may not show or read their essays to any other persons, except for proofreading or typing assistance by a person not enrolled or previously enrolled in the course. The use of another person’s words or ideas without proper attribution constitutes plagiarism or false authorship. Both are serious academic offenses. By turning in an essay, a student is certifying that the essay is entirely his/her own work. If there are any questions about this matter, consult the Academic Integrity Code or see the instructor. It will never be tolerated, under any circumstances and your case will be referred to the Dean – WITHOUT EXCEpTION AND IMMEDIATELY. It is your responsibility to be familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Code, which you find on-line at: http://www.american.edu/academics/integrity/code.htm Emergency preparedness In the event of a declared pandemic (influenza or other communicable disease), American University will implement a plan for meeting the needs of all members of the university community. Should the university be required to close for a period of time, we are committed to ensuring that all aspects of our educational programs will be delivered to our students. These may include altering and extending the duration of the traditional term schedule to complete essential instruction in the traditional format and/or use of distance instructional methods. Specific strategies will vary from class to class, depending on the format of the course and the timing of the emergency. Faculty will communicate class-specific information to students via AU e-mail and Canvas, while students must inform their faculty immediately of any absence due to illness. Students are responsible for checking their AU e-mail regularly and keeping themselves informed of emergencies. In the event of a declared pandemic or other emergency, students should refer to the AU Web site (www. prepared. american.edu) and the AU information line at (202) 885-1100 for general university-wide information, as well as contact their faculty and/or respective dean’s office for course and school/ college-specific information. What do I expect from you? punctual attendance This is mandatory and forms part of your overall grading. please contact me preferably prior to absence, or as soon as possible after the missed class. Come to class prepared Engage with your reading. With everything you read ask yourself: What the author is trying to say? From what perspective are they writing? In what social/historical/philosophical context have they written what they have written? Do you disagree/agree with their view? Why? Don’t forget: Class participation forms a huge part of your overall grade! Be honest with me I am here to help you learn and form your opinions and I really care about doing that well. If you feel there is a certain area I could improve the class in, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Treat your peers with respect Keep an open mind, engage with the material, participate in discussion and treat your classmates with respect. This means respecting divergent views as well as allowing them to learn – class disruptions (walking in and out, chatting etc) will be reflected in your participation grade.