Democracy and The Role of Its Citizens Writing Paper You must incorporate and cite several of our course readings.The syllabus for the readings is below Th

Democracy and The Role of Its Citizens Writing Paper You must incorporate and cite several of our course readings.The syllabus for the readings is below Theories of Democracy & Human Rights
Spring 2019
Dr. Farhang Erfani
erfani@american.edu
if needed: farhang@riseup.net
Battelle 123
M & Th.:7-8pm & by appointments
The slightly unorthodox layout of this syllabus should not be mistaken for a qualitative shift of
priorities. Although you will find the course’s pertinent policies and descriptions after the biweekly schedule, they are fully operative. This layout is to give you easy access for our routine.
I. COURSE OVERVIEW
This course traces the philosophical development of the concept of democracy and its relationship to the birth of human rights. The two go together but it is not always an easy relationship.
To understand this complicated relationship, we have to examine the evolution of the concept of
democracy through canonical and contemporary texts. Therefore, this course is very readingintensive. Democracy and philosophy have one thing in common: there is no final argument, but
every argument counts if it is rigorously maintained. This course is therefore also very writing
intensive and emphasizes class participation.
In other words, you are expected to be able to critically engage and discuss philosophical
arguments – the assigned texts, your own, and those presented in class – about democracy and
human rights.
IMPORTANT COURSE POLICIES, IN A NUTSHELL:
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1
No laptops or electronics allowed in the classroom.1
Attendance is very strict.
You will be called upon in class to answer questions on a regular basis.
All assignments are to be submitted on Blackboard. Mac Users: please do not upload .text
files.
Both daily questions must be answered.
Extensions the day before due dates may be granted but there will be a 10% penalty per
day late.
Unless explicitly authorized by AU’s support services.
II. WORKLOAD
As indicated in the overview, the goal is to allow you to grasp the philosophical arguments about
democracy and human rights, and to be able to critically evaluate and discuss these arguments.
Each of these requirements will be covered on the first day of class quite thoroughly and again
throughout the semester. If you ever have any question about any of these requirements, feel free
to ask me anytime.
ASSIGNMENTS
Attendance & Participation
20%
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Attendance counts and is mandatory. You can have two unexcused absences; each absence
beyond that translates into a one-point deduction of this portion of the grade. More than ten
absences would be a failure for the course.
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Success in this course requires your participation. On the first day of class, we will discuss
what is meant by productive class participation. Sheer attendance however does not equate
receiving points either. Perfect attendance without contribution to the course would receive
no points for this portion of the overall grade.
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Tardiness will not be tolerated and may count as an absence at my discretion. Leaving early
also may count as an absence.
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Office meetings: During the semester, you should at least once stop by my office during
office-hours (or make an appointment if necessary). This ten to fifteen-minute meeting is
required.
Definition Essays
10%
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On the first day of class, we will go over this assignment. Before our second class meeting,
you must submit a 300-500 word essay to provide your own definition of democracy and the
role you assign to its citizens. This initial definition is entirely your own and you should feel
free to express your honest perspective.
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April 29th: you must rewrite this essay, this time for at least 1000 words, reevaluating your
initial definition. You must incorporate and cite several of our course readings. More details
will be provided when we approach the end of the semester.
Application Essay
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20%
You must write your first essay on one of the following figures: Machiavelli, Rousseau, or
Tocqueville.
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You must summarize the argument of a philosopher and to apply the argument to politics.
Each dues date is indicated in the “Schedule”. Instructions for this essay are in the Appendix
of the syllabus.
Daily Essay (10 in total)
20%
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The syllabus provides two questions for most readings. You must write ten short papers
based on those questions.
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The essay for April 8th is mandatory.
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These essays ought to be around 500 words and must address both questions based on your
understanding of the reading. They are due before each class, to be submitted on Blackboard.
Submissions after class may not be accepted.
HR Brief
5%
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This is a short assignment that requires you to research a human rights topic and to provide
a brief assessment of the conceptual framework governing the issue.
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This is due on April 18th. Details forthcoming.
Analytic Essay
25%
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This essay may be on a given figure or topic from Mill up to – but not including – Ibsen. In
this essay, your textual analysis must be as rigorous as the Application Essay. Rather than
illustration as a means of grappling with the argument, you are expected to critically analyze
a position. The second half of the course – after Tocqueville – makes this shift, including
during the lecture and discussions.
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This essay serves as your final as well and is due on the day of the final.
GRADES
A: 96-100
A-: 91-95
B+: 88-90
B: 85-87 / B-:82-84
C+:79-81
Demonstration of superior work (written and oral) in fulfillment of course
requirements; improvement during the semester will be weighed in
evaluation.
Excellent work (written and oral) in fulfillment of course requirements;
improvement during the semester will be weighed in evaluation.
Satisfactory work (written and oral) in fulfillment of course requirements.
C: 76-78 / C-:73-75
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D+:70-72
D: 63-69
F
Assigned work is not satisfactory or not completed and/or student fails to
meet minimum attendance requirements.
Failure to meet minimum course goals — written assignments, class
participation, and other course requirements.
III. TEXTS & THE COURSE SCHEDULE:
All readings are available as pdf on Blackboard and you must bring a printed version of each day’s
reading with you to the class since the use of electronics is not allowed in this course. Although
this policy requires you to plan the printing cost into your semester’s budget, it is significantly
cheaper than the cost of textbooks.
Please let me know if printing these documents poses a financial hardship and we will find a
solution.
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Thursday, January 17
MACHIAVELLI AND THE ORIGINS OF DEMOCRATIC THOUGHT
Reading: Machiavelli, Prince pp. 3-37
Thursday, January 24
FIRST DEFINITION
ESSAY IS DUE
We begin our course with Machiavelli, who may be seen as an unusual advocate of
democracy. Machiavelli has indeed a terrible reputation, which, as we shall see, is
undeserved. One of Machiavelli’s contributions to the history of political thought is
his dedication to the glory of a city, but also the welfare of its citizens.
Questions:
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According to Machiavelli, there are at least three ways of acquiring power:
through skill (Chap. 6), through fortune (Chap. 7) and through wickedness
(Chap. 8). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each way,
according to him?
In Chapter 9, Machiavelli maintains that there are at least two “humors” in
any given city. Which ones? Which one should the prince prefer and why?
MACHIAVELLI AND THE ORIGINS OF DEMOCRATIC THOUGHT
Monday, January 28
Reading: Machiavelli, Prince, Chaps. 9-23, pp.38-87
As we continue reading the Prince, we get a fuller picture of Machiavelli’s
intentions. We also begin to see why he is often considered unethical. As he lays
out the different qualities of a prince, he seems to posit that the end justifies the
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means. Yet, as you can see, there is a clear dedication or commitment to the people
in Machiavelli’s thought. In other words, we have to understand the “end”, which is
the glory and the prosperity of the city.
Questions:
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In Chapter 15, Machiavelli wonders about the qualities that a prince ought
to have. He is particularly interested in what makes a prince praise- or
blame-worthy. What are these qualities?
What are the three types of intelligence that Machiavelli suggests exist?
How are they in your view related to his position on receiving advice?
MACHIAVELLI WRAP-UP & INTRO TO SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY MODEL
Reading: Machiavelli, Prince, Chap 25 – Rousseau Social Contract 155-164
Questions:
Thursday, January 31
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Machiavelli has a very controversial definition of fortune. What is the role of
fortune in human affairs? How is his definition of fortune related to his
understanding of “virtue”?
What is Rousseau’s goal, announced at the outset in Chapter one? How
does that compare with Machiavelli?
ROUSSEAU AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT TRADITION
Reading: Rousseau, Social Contract Book I-II (chap. 1-3)
Monday, February 4
As we began to discuss: Rousseau is a very influential figure in the history of
philosophy, particularly in democratic theory. The Social Contract laid out the
ground for the French (and perhaps the American) Revolution. Rousseau’s great
contribution is his notion of the general will and how the question of “what is good”
is determined by the community. In today’s reading, he is preparing us for his
definition of the general will.
Questions:
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What does Rousseau say happens in the transition from the state of nature
to civil society?
What is his definition of the general will and how is it different from the will
of all?
ROUSSEAU AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT TRADITION
Thursday, February 7
Reading: Rousseau, Social Contract Book II (chap 4-12).
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We have now seen the importance of the general will and we must now reconcile it
with the forthcoming but also previous arguments.
Questions:
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What does frequent punishment indicate about a society?
What role does Rousseau give to the legislator? What does Rousseau mean
when he says “in the task of legislation we find together two things which
appear to be incompatible: an enterprise too difficult for human powers,
and, for its execution, an authority that is no authority”
ROUSSEAU AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT TRADITION
Reading: Rousseau, Social Contract Book III (chap 1-7, 13, 18) IV (chap 8)
Monday, February 11
MACHIAVELLI ESSAY
IS DUE
We now receive an analysis of “actual” politics regarding the practical
implementation of the previously seen principles. The link between the two
analyses – highly theoretical and applied – is of course a topic we have to discuss.
Questions:
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What is Rousseau’s favored form of government? Why is it not
“democracy”?
What role does Rousseau give to civil religion? Rousseau rejects traditional
forms of religion, such as Christianity. Why this rejection? How is his
suggested Civil Religion superior in his view? How does it address the role
of the legislator?
TOCQUEVILLE AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Reading: Tocqueville, Of Democracy in America, 3-19; 166-179
Thursday, February 14
We unfortunately cannot read all of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Of Democracy in
America. Even though this book is the least theoretical work of the semester (along
with Ibsen’s play), reading Tocqueville is quite rewarding for at least two reasons.
To begin with, he is a good writer and addresses his concerns rather clearly.
Second, his work is about America and it should be more familiar to us.
Nevertheless, we ought to be careful not to misread him. Tocqueville wavers quite
a bit in his writings. In some places, he seems to be an ardent defender of
democracy; in other places, he is quite critical of it.
Questions:
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In the “Introduction”, which you ought to read carefully, Tocqueville tells us
that he feels a kind of “religious terror” in front of democracy. Why? He also
tells us that democracy is like an abandoned child in the street. Who ought
to educate this child?
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What is the role of the printing press or the postal service for democracy?
TOCQUEVILLE AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Reading: Tocqueville, Of Democracy in America, 166-179 (again) and 212-237.
Monday, February 18
ROUSSEAU ESSAY IS
DUE
Depending on the first class on Tocqueville, there is a good chance that we would
need to revisit pages 166-179. But the focus on the virtues that he assigns to
democracy here. Contrast them with Machiavelli’s notion of virtue.
Questions:
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Tocqueville tells us that democracy can make repairable mistakes. Why is
that important, especially in comparison to, say, monarchy?
Choose your own second question and explain your choice in addition to
answering it.
TOCQUEVILLE AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Reading: Tocqueville, Of Democracy in America, 237-250; 391-399
Thursday, February 21
Last time, we addressed some of Tocqueville’s concerns about this new form of
government that is democracy. In today’s reading, we see some of the most
famous passages of the book, particularly about Tocqueville’s concern with the
majority’s omnipotence. But there is room for hope as well, as Tocqueville provides
us with a solution to keep the tyranny in check.
Questions:
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What solution does Tocqueville consider against the majority’s
omnipotence?
On page 229, Tocqueville speaks of the “art of being free”. What does he
mean by that and why is he concerned with this issue?
TOCQUEVILLE AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Reading: Tocqueville, Of Democracy in America 403-428; 479-485
Monday, February 25
We now begin the second book of Of Democracy in America. This portion of the
overall project was written later, after the first book was more successful than he
expected. The tone here shifts. Whereas in the first book, he was mainly speaking
to other aristocrats or the elite of society, here he addresses a more general
audience and grounds his work differently. For instance, right from the start, there
is a mention of Descartes, which means that Tocqueville wishes for his work to be
remembered as a theoretical pursuit as well. In today’s reading, we see Tocqueville
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address many of topics that he had mentioned before but in a more systematic
way.
Questions:
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What is the role of religion in democracy, according to Tocqueville?
What is the influence of democracy on religion?
TOCQUEVILLE AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Reading: Tocqueville, Of Democracy in America 567-578 – 607-617; 639-677
Thursday, February 28
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On page 570, Tocqueville mentions the difficulties that aristocratic women
had in marriage. How is that connected to the question of “the art of being
free” that we had seen before?
How do Revolutions behave at the start, according to Tocqueville?
MILL’S LIBERALISM
Reading: Mill, On Liberty, Chaps. 1 & 2
Monday, March 4
John Stuart Mill was a friend of Tocqueville’s and encouraged him to continue his
work on democracy. Nevertheless, there are some significant differences between
them. Whereas Tocqueville was closer to what we may call a republican (in the way
that we defined it in the course), Mill is a liberal. He is more concerned with
individual freedom, which, for instance, makes him less sympathetic to religion
than Tocqueville was.
Questions:
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Mill defines the main object of his essay: how do you summarize it and how
is it related to the “modern liberty” he defines earlier?
What does Mill mean when says that the “grounds of the opinion are
forgotten in the absence of discussion”? How does that relate to his overall
commitment to discussion?
MILL’S LIBERALISM
Reading: Mill, On Liberty, Chaps. 3; Considerations Chap. 3
Thursday, March 7
TOCQUEVILLE ESSAY
IS DUE
We have here the continuation of the previous arguments, with a greater emphasis
on individual freedom, particularly the freedom of the great minds to do as they
wish. But Mill also shows that the great minds ought to be left alone for the sake
of the community. In other words, there is a general benefit to individual freedom.
In the Chapter from Considerations on Representative Government, Mill urges us
to take the duty of citizenship seriously and not be passive recipients.
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Questions:
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Why is Mill so concerned about customs? Could one live without them?
Mill rejects the idea of tricking the people, unlike, say Rousseau or
Machiavelli. He also rejects the notion of absolute power. How does he
justify his position?
TOCQUEVILLE ON ALGERIA
Reading: Richter, “Tocqueville on Algeria”
Monday, March 18
We do not have the time to read the speeches of Tocqueville on Algeria, but this
essay provides a detailed analysis of his texts. There is no formal written question
for today but the issue to consider: how does this author reconcile the gap between
Of Democracy in America and his involvement in Algeria?
There are no questions for today but only because you are expected to come with
questions about the historical background and also read carefully each author’s
article.
THE BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY*
Reading: Lefort, “The Question of Democracy”
Thursday, March 21
Claude Lefort is a contemporary French political thinker. Even though democracy
had existed in the ancient world of the Greeks, Lefort believes that there was a real
turning point in history that allowed us to make room for democracy: the French
revolution. In this famous essay, Lefort analyzes the importance of the decapitation
of the French King and how it changed the Political.
Questions:
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How does Lefort differentiate politics and the political (p. 11)?
How is the decapitation of the king related to emptiness of the Locus of
power (especially p. 17)?
DELIBERATIVE AND AGONISTIC MODELS**
Reading: Habermas, “Three Models””
Monday, March 25
Habermas is a contemporary philosopher who advocates for the “Deliberative”
model of democracy. In this short text, he compares his own position with older
models. Young, however, critiques his model of rational communication.
Questions:
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How does Habermas distinguish between the three normative models of
democracy?
What does Habermas mean by “decentered” society?
COMMUNICATIVE DEMOCRACY
Reading: Young, “Communication and the Other””
Thursday, March 28
Young critiques Habermas’ model of rational deliberation but she does not fully
reject the approach either.
Questions:
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• What is Young’s main concern with deliberative democracy? What is the
political role that she assigns to narratives (or hugs)?
• What do the three levels of narrative achieve?
AGONISTIC MODEL OF DEMOCRACY
Reading: Mouffe, “For an Agonistic Model of Democracy”
Monday, April 1
As you can see, Chantal Mouffe is quite critical of Habermas and the deliberative
model. She believes that both Habermas and Rawls fail to appreciate the
antagonistic, or agonistic as she calls it, dimension of politics. She in fact maintains
that Habermas and Rawls are not as friendly to pluralism as they believe they are.
Against them, she advocates for a more confrontational model of democracy.
Questions:
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What is Mouffe’s objection to “total pluralism”? How are the limits set
(especially p. 93)?
What is the difference between agonism and antagonism, for Mouffe?
JIHAD VS. MCWORLD
Thursday, April 4
Reading: Barber, “Jihad vs. McWorld
HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Monday, April 8
MANDATORY DAILY
ESSAY
No class meeting – research time.
Reading: Andrew Clapham, “Human Rights” & Dembour, “What Are Human Rights?
Four Schools of Thought”
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What role does the “liberal conception of society” play in human rights,
according to Clapham?
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What is Dembour’s own preferred model?
CULTURES AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Reading: Sen, “Culture and Human Rights”
Thursday, April 11
Amartya Sen is a contemporary economist, who won the Nobel Prize in economics
in 1998. He is very philos…
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