Social and Political Philosophy I (PHIL 241)

Social and Political Philosophy I (PHIL 241)

Instructor: Sandy Berkovski

Fall 2011

Contact details
sandy.berkovski+comment@gmail.com, Bilkent ext. 1048
Office hours
FA113C, Wed 13:30-15:30

Readings

These texts are all required, and you will need your own copy of them. The texts are available from the campus bookstore. Do get hold of them as soon as possible. Please note that students will not be allowed into class unless they bring their copy of the text we currently study.

[Ari98]
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford University Press, 1998.
[Aug94]
Augustine. Political Writings. Hackett, 1994.
[Mac94]
N. Machiavelli. Selected Political Writings. Hackett, 1994.
[Pla92]
Plato. The Republic. Hackett, 1992.
[Pla02]
Plato. Five Dialogues. Hackett, 2002.

Preliminary term schedule

Week 1
Introduction; Laws and gratitude: [Pla02], Crito
Week 2
Death, suicide, pleasure, pain: [Pla02], Phaedo (59c-63e, 80a-84b)
Week 2
Morality and happiness: [Pla92], Book I
Week 3
Morality and happiness (cont.): [Pla92], Books II, IX
Week 4
Ideal city: [Pla92], Books II, IV
Week 5
Ideal city (cont.): [Pla92], Books IV, V
Week 6
Ideal city (cont.): [Pla92], Books IV, V
Week 7
Happiness: [Ari98], Books I (1, 4-5, 7-8, 10-11), X (7-8); Midterm essay due
Week 8
Happiness (cont.): [Ari98], Books I (10-11), X (7-8)
Week 9
Virtue: [Ari98], Book II (1, 2, 4), III (8-9)
Week 10
Pleasure: [Ari98], Book X (1-5)
Week 11
Responsibility: [Ari98], Book III (1-7)
Week 12
Christian critique: [Aug94], Books IV, V, XIX
Week 13
Empirical politics: [Mac94], Book I (Preface, 1-3, 6, 9, 17, 18, 58)
Week 14
Empirical politics (cont.): [Mac94], Book II (Preface, 1-3, 37), Book III (1, 30, 31, 34, 43); Final essay due
Exam week
Oral exam: 14:00-17:00

Grading

The grades will have the following weight:
Midterm exam                     40%
Final exam                     40%
Class participation                     20%
While your overall grade at the end of the term will be according to Bilkent's standard A-F scale, I shall grade your work during the term by using my own percentage scale. These two scales relate to each other as follows:
Numerical scale (%)                     Bilkent scale
90 - 100                     A
85 - 90                     A-
80 - 85                     B+
75 - 80                     B
70 - 75                     B-
65 - 70                     C+
60 - 65                     C
55 - 60                     C-
50 - 55                     D+
40 - 50                     D
00 - 40                     F


File translated from TEX by TTH, version 3.85.
On 22 Sep 2011, 11:09.