Lecture: W, Th, F, 10–12:30 in 109 Dwinelle
Discussion section: Tu, 10–12:30 in 109 Dwinelle
Website: http://sophos.berkeley.edu/kolodny/Su07Phil115.htm
Instructor:
Niko Kolodny, kolodny@berkeley.edu
Office hours: W 2–4 144 Moses Hall, or by appointment
Graduate Student Instructor:
Stanley Chen, GSIstan@gmail.com
Description:
What is political philosophy? How does it differ from political science? In political science, one seeks to describe, explain, and predict political phenomena. (Why did Italy and Germany unify when they did? What impact will demographic shifts have on the presidential election?) These questions must be settled empirically: by consulting history, observing differences between countries, taking polls, and so on.
Political philosophy asks different questions, which it is less clear that we can settle empirically. Some of these questions are conceptual. What makes a particular form of human interaction political? Other questions are normative. What sort of government should we have? How should we, as individuals, relate to it?
This course focuses on the political philosophy of John Rawls, 1921–2002.
Readings:
Requirements:
Note: The GSI will not give extensive comments on the last paper and final exam. However, the GSI will be available to meet to discuss them in person.
Syllabus:
Two interpretations of RawlsÕs project
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤1–4, 7–9
The threat of utilitarianism
Sidgwick, Methods of Ethics, Bk. III, Ch. V ¤¤ 1–6; Ch. XI ¤¤1–2, 5, 9;
Bk. IV, Ch. I–II, III ¤¤1, 4, 7
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, pp. xi–xii, xvii–xviii, ¤¤5–6
Justice as fairness as reconstruction of the social contract
*Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Ch. I–II, VIII
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤3–6 (review), 18–19, 51–52
Rawls, Justice as Fairness, ¤6
First paper assigned
First paper due: At the start
of section Tuesday, May 29.
The principles of justice as fairness
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤11–15, 17
Contrast with libertarianism
Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. ix, 9–35, 48–53
Contrast with libertarianism
Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 149–164, 167–182, 280–294, 331
Contrast with libertarianism
Rawls, Political Liberalism, lect. VII
Rawls, Justice as Fairness, ¤¤6 (review), 14–16
Criticism of RawlsÕs treatment of natural endowment
Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 183, 198–204, 213–231
*Gauthier, ÒJustice and Natural EndowmentÓ
Rawls on legitimate expectations, desert, and natural endowment
Sidgwick, Methods of Ethics, Bk. III, Ch. V ¤6 (review)
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤17 (review), 47–48
Rawls, Justice as Fairness, ¤¤20–22, 48
Rawls, Political Liberalism, lect. VII ¤¤7–8 (review)
Second paper assigned
Second paper due: At the start
of section Tuesday, June 12.
The argument from the original position: set-up and intuitive presentation and the two principles over average utility
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤20–29
The equality and priority of the basic liberties
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤31–37, 39, 54, 82
*Hart, ÒRawls on Liberty and Its Priority,Ó ¤¤III, VI
*Excerpt from the revised edition of Theory, ¤82
Rawls, Political Liberalism, lect. VIII
The argument from the original position: the difference principle over a social minimum; and a summary of the stability and congruence arguments
*Cohen, ÒDemocratic EqualityÓ
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤¤40, 69, 75–77, 86
Third paper assigned
Third paper due: At the start
of section Tuesday, June 19.
Justice as fairness as a political conception: the fact of reasonable pluralism and recasting the ideas of Theory
Rawls, Political Liberalism, Introduction, lect. I, II ¤¤1–3, V ¤¤3–4
Justice as fairness as a political conception: overlapping consensus and public reason
Rawls, Political Liberalism, lect. IV, VI, pp. li–lvii
The claims of nations and the claims of persons
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, ¤19 (review)
*Simmons, Moral Principles and Political Obligations, ch. II, ¤1; VI
*Scheffler, ÒLiberalism, Egalitarianism, and NationalismÓ
*Pogge, Realizing Rawls, ch. 6
Final exam questions
distributed
The law of peoples
Rawls, The Law of Peoples, Introduction, parts II–IV, Conclusion
Review
Final Exam
Course Policies:
Extensions:
Plan ahead. You
may request extensions from your GSI up until 72 hours before papers are due. After then, extensions will be granted only for
medical and family emergencies.
Submitting Work:
Papers must be submitted, on paper, by you, to your GSI,
in discussion section, by 10:10am.
Papers submitted later will lose one
step (e.g., B+ to B) immediately and then an additional step every 24 hours. If you
cannot come to lecture on the due date, you may request to make other
arrangements with your GSI, so long as you do so well before the deadline. Whatever the circumstances, you are
responsible for ensuring that your GSI gets your paper. Forgotten or unopenable attachments,
bounced or lost emails, and so on, are your responsibility.
ÒRe-gradingÓ:
You are strongly encouraged to discuss grades and comments
on papers with your GSI or me.
However, grades on particular papers and exams will not be changed
under any circumstances. While there is no perfect system,
selective Òre-gradingÓ at studentsÕ request only makes things worse. ÒSecondÓ grades are likely to be less
accurate and less fair than ÒfirstÓ grades. This is because, among other things, the GSI does not have
access to other papers for purposes of comparison, the student will inevitably
supply additional input (clarifications, explanations, etc.) that the original
paper did not, and there are certain biases of self-selection.
The only exception, to which none of these concerns apply,
is a suspected arithmetical or recording error in your final course grade. Please do not hesitate to bring this to
your GSIÕs or my attention.
Academic Dishonesty:
Plaigiarism, cheating, and other kinds of academic
dishonesty will result in an ÒFÓ in the course as a whole and a report to
Student Judicial Affairs. You are
expected to be familiar with the definitions of academic dishonesty, from the
Student Code of Conduct, that can be found at the following URL: http://students.berkeley.edu/osl/sja.asp?id=983&rcol=1202.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
If you have an official accommodation letter that is relevant to this course, please notify both me and your GSI at a reasonable time. We will do whatever we can to help.