Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2019 - POL 411 E100

Normative Political Theory (4)

Class Number: 6286

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 8, 2019: Mon, 4:30–8:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    POL 210 or 312 or 313; or permission of the department.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Advanced seminar examining selected themes, debates and texts in recent normative political philosophy, with an emphasis on contemporary democratic theory.

COURSE DETAILS:

Normative political philosophy is concerned with how politics should function. What is the best form of government? How should our societies be designed? What is justice? When asking these questions, normative theorists engage in a powerful and imaginative mode of inquiry with a long history that traces back to Plato’s Republic. Yet, the term normative political philosophy is relatively recent, emerging only in the context of American political science during post-World War II period and for the purpose of distinguishing between evaluative forms of political inquiry and positivist-empiricist modes of analysis. In this course, we will examine contemporary normative political theories. Particular emphasis will be placed on the writings of John Rawls and the ways in which critics such as Michael Sandel and Raymond Geuss have challenged his approach to politics and justice. A major theme of the course is the tension between abstract and contextual approaches.

This course is reading intensive and places high value on participation. It is designed as an upper division extension and intensification of themes initially developed in POL 210, Introduction to Political Philosophy.

There will be one 4-hour seminar each week.

Grading

  • Short Essay 20%
  • Two Random Tests on Readings (5% each) 10%
  • Presentation 20%
  • Participation 20%
  • Major Essay 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

John Rawls. Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Harvard, MA: Belknap Press, 2001.
ISBN: 9780674005112

Michael Sandel. Justice: What’s the Right Thing to do? New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.
ISBN: 9780374532505

Raymond Geuss, Philosophy and Real Politics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008.
ISBN: 9780691137889

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism.
For details, see http://www.sfu.ca/politics/undergraduate/program/related_links.html and click on “Plagiarism and Intellectual Dishonesty” .

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS