Reading Groups
“Liberal and Sovereign State: a legacy of the past”
Course description: The aim of this course is to provide bachelor students in philosophy, political theory and economy with an introduction to the major writings of the Western political tradition in order to enable them to recognize and to contextualize the pillars of the contemporary liberal and sovereign state.
Time Plan and Reading List:
Primary literature: 319 pages
Secondary literature: 120 pages. Further readings (equivalent to 80 pages) are going to be uploaded on Fronter along the semester.
1. What is Political Philosophy?
Date: 27.08.13
Reading: Strauss, L. (1957). What is Political Philosophy?. In: Journal of Politics, Vol.19, No 3, 2006, pp. 343-368. (25 pages)
2. The Decline of the Greek Republic
Date: 03.09.13
Reading: Plato (380 BC). The Republic. Book VIII, pp. 401-430. (29 pages).
*Complementary reading: Purshouse, L.. Plato’s Republic. London, GBR: Continuum International Publishing, 2010, pp. 108-117. (9 pages).
3. A broader conception of Citizenship in the Greek Polis
Date: 10.09.13
Reading: Aristotle (350 BC). The Politics. Book III, pp. 111-178. (67 pages).
*Complementary reading: Swanson, J. A.: Corbin, C. D.. Reader’s Guides: Aristotle’s Politics. London, GBR: Continuum International Publishing, 2009, pp. 47-65. (18 pages).
4. Machiavelli’s Republican Principles
Date: 17.09.13
Reading: Machiavelli, N. (1517). Discourses on Livy. Book I, Chap. I-X, pp. 7-33. (26 pages).
*Complementary reading: Sullivan, V. B.. Machiavelli, Hobbes, and the Formation of a Liberal Republicanism in England. West Niack, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp. 31-79. (48 pages).
5. Hobbes’ narrow republicanism: the absence of arbitrary interference
Date: 24.09.13
Reading: Hobbes (1651). Leviathan. The Second Part, Of Commonweath, XVII-XXIV, pp. 103-156. (53 pages).
*Complementary reading: Wolff, J.. An Introduction to Political Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 6-33. (27 pages).
6. Review/Monitors
Date: 01.10.13
7. First Exam
Date: 7-14.10.13
8. Lockean State of Nature: A State of Peace rather than War
Date: 15.10.13
Reading: Locke, J. (1689). Two Treatises of Government. Chap. I-5, pp.105-145. (40 pages).
*Complementary reading: Lastett, P. Introduction to the Two Treatises of Government. In: Political Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, Chap. V, pp. 93-122. (29 pages).
9. Rousseau’s Social Contract: the democratic twist I
Date: 22.10.13
Reading: Rousseau, J-J. (1749). Discourse on the origin of inequality. The Second Part, pp. 29-51. (22 pages).
*Complementary reading: Wolff, J.. An Introduction to Political Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 6-33. (27 pages).
10. Rousseau’s Social Contract: the democratic twist II
Date: 29.10.13
Reading: Rousseau, J-J. (1762). The Social Contract. Book III, pp. 42-80. (38 pages).
11. Democracy in Tocqueville’s thought
Date: 05.11.13
Reading: Tocqueville, A. (1835/1840). Democracy in America. Book 2, Chap. I-VII, pp. 570-593. (23 pages).
*Complementary reading: Schleifer, J. T., Tocqueville’s Democracy in America Reconsidered. In: Cambridge Companion to Tocqueville. Ed. By Cheryl B. Welch, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. 121-138. (17 pages).
12. Liberal and Sovereign State: the legacy of the past
Date: 12.11.13
a. Final Remarks;
b. Course Evaluation.
13. Review/Monitors
Date: 19.11.13
14. Preparation to Exam: send a 3-4-page (1200-1600 words) essay to herbjorg.kristiansen@uit.no and melina.duarte@uit.no.
Deadline: 22.11.13 at 24h.
15. Final Exam: (3 hours)
Date: 04.12.13
"Towards a Contemporary Cosmopolitanism"
University of TromsøMaster course on Philosophy and Contemporary ThemesFIL-3006Spring semester 2013From 8 January to 14 June Melina DuartePhD Candidate at the Department of PhilosophyUniversity of Tromsømelina.duarte@uit.no Course description: The aim of this course is to provide master students with a critical overview of the understanding of cosmopolitanism. The course will cover cosmopolitanism from its origins with the Cynics and Stoics until its relevant developments in contemporary political philosophy. This will be done in light of the current debate on immigration and borders in liberal democratic and welfare states. Highlights and Reading List:(Organized by week)(827 pages) 1. Towards a contemporary cosmopolitanism a) Practical Information;b) Course Overview. 2. Diogenes of Sinope: "I am a citizen of the world."(46 pages) Nussbaum, Martha. 1997. Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education. President and Fellows of Harvard College, USA.- Chapter: Citizens of the world, pp. 50-84. Desmond, William. 2008. Cynics. Acumen, England.- Introduction pp. 1-8;- Chapter 1 (Diogenes), pp. 19-24. 3. World government and no border control: anarchist or totalitarian solution? (23 pages) Desmond, William. 2008. Cynics. Acumen, England.- Chapter 5 (Anarchists, Democrats, Cosmopolitans, Kings), pp. 184-207. 4. Stoics: cosmopolitanism through the states. How is that possible?(37 pages) Pogge, Thomas. 2008. World Poverty and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilities and Reforms. Cambridge, Polity Press.- Chapter 7 (Cosmopolitanism and Sovereignty), pp. 174-201. Beitz, Charles B.. 2008. In: Global Justice: Seminal Essays – Global Responsibilities. USA, Paragon House, Volume II.- Chapter 6 (Cosmopolitan Ideals and National Sentiment), pp. 107-117. 5. State sovereignty and International Law: the limits of sovereignty(61 pages) Miller, David. 2008. In: Global Justice: Seminal Essays – Global Responsibilities. USA, Paragon House, Volume I.- Chapter 9 (The Ethical Significance of Nationality), pp. 235-253. Murphy, John F.. 2010. The Evolving Dimensions of International Law: Hard choices for the World Community. UK, Cambridge University Press.- Chapter 1 (The Multifaceted Nature of International Law), pp. 12-55. 6. Rethinking citizenship, immigration, and borders(22 pages) Carens, Joseph. 2008. In: Global Justice: Seminal Essays – Global Responsibilities. USA, Paragon House, Volume I.- Chapter 8 (Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders), pp. 211-233. 7. Kant’s universal Right to hospitality: a bare starting point for cosmopolitanism (78 pages) Kleingeld, Pauline. 2012. Kant and Cosmopolitanism: The Philosophical Ideal of World Citizenship. Cambridge University Press, UK.- Chapter 3 (Kant’s concept of cosmopolitan right), pp.72-91;- Chapter 7 (Kant’s cosmopolitanism and current philosophical debates), pp.177-199; Kant, Immanuel. [1795]. “Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch”. Trans. by H.B. Nisbet. In: Kant: Political Writings. Hans Reiss. 2000. Cambridge University Press, UK. 2000, pp. 93-130. 8. Benhabib’s Right to Political Membership: problems and solutions(221 pages) Benhabib, Seyla. 2003. The Right of Others: Aliens, Residents and Citizens. Cambridge University Press, UK. 9. Social movements and popular sovereignty(25 pages) Schattan, Vera Coellho and Favareto, Arilson. 2010. In: Citizenship and Social Movements, London and New York, Zed Books.- Chapter 8, (Participation, inclusion and development under conditions of social mobilization), pp. 186-211. 10. Open borders in liberal states(13 pages) Seglow, Jonathan. 2006. Immigration justice and borders: towards a global agreement. Contemporary Politics, 12 (3-4): 233-246. 11. Welfare state: a challenge for open borders?(26 pages) Razin, A., Efraim S. & Suwankiri, B. 2011. Migration and the Welfare State: Political-economy policy formation. The MIT Press, USA.- Issues and Scope, pp. 1-10;- Conclusion of each chapter, pp. 36; 50; 63; 81; 93:106; 122; 135; 145.- Epiloge, pp. 147-153. 12. Open borders in practice: European Union and Mercosur(49 pages) Vaughan- Williams, Nick. 2012. Border Politics: The Limits of Sovereign Power. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.- Chapter 1 (Borders are not what or where they are supposed to be: security, territory, law), pp. 14-37. Brock, Gillian. 2011. Feasibility, Nationalism, Migration, Justification and Global Justice: Some further thoughts. Global Justice: Theory Practice Rhetoric. pp. 50-76. 13. Contemporary Challenges of Cosmopolitanism(226 pages) a) Final Remarks and retaking of the main points of the course. Delanty, Gerard. 2009. The Cosmopolitan Imagination: The Renewal of Critical Social Theory. Cambridge University Press, UK. 14. Guidance on preparation for exam and for (voluntary) poster presentation in the conference “Realizing Global Justice: Theory and Practice”. a) How to write an essay?www.elsevier.com/authors b) How to make a poster?www.uit.no/pdj/rgj NB: All students must be well acquainted with the reading list and should critically analyze the material in class discussions as well as in the written essays.
Reading group on Sen's The Idea of Justice
Participants: Kjersti Fjørtoft, Melina Duarte and Solgun Tveit.
Part one:
20.03.2012 - 1. Reason and Objectivity; 2. Rawls and Beyond; 3. Institutions and Persons.
10.04.2012 - 4.Voice and Social Choice; 5.Impartiality and Objectivity.
16.05.2012 - 6. Closed and Open Impartiality.
18.05.2012 - Reading: Nussbaum, Martha, Beyond the Social Contract: Torward Global Justice.
To participate, please, contact Kjersti Fjørtoft.