Below are the readings for the Fall 2016 version of this class.
The syllabus is organized into three main sections (pre-classical, classical, and medieval). The labeling is a bit tendentious, since 'pre-classical' is usually used in reference to Greek philosophy before Socrates, which I will not be covering here.
Gains and Losses:
What did I need to to cut to put this together, and what are the principle additions? The most obvious cut is Machiavelli. But fear not, he is only being moved into the next course. Otherwise, I am covering Plato's Republic for four days rather than five, and Aristotle's Politics for three rather than four. I think I have been more careful about the sections of reading I am assigning from both, however. I used to teach either the Iliad or the Odyssey , spending three or four days on Homer, mostly as a set up to Plato. I am now taking much shorter chunks of both, and relating them back to "Gilgamesh," as well as forward to Classical political thought. The biggest loss is Augustine. This was not really intentional. I am using Joshua Parens and Joseph C. McFarland, eds, Medieval Political Philosophy: A Sourcebook, 2nd edition for the medieval thought section, and somehow had the impression that some Augustine was included. I didn't have time to pull together a selection that made sense. A problem for next time. Thomas Aquinas and Marsillius of Padua get much briefer treatment than I would usually give them.
Gains: Mesopotamian hymnal and epic traditions (which play nicely with Homer, and students are always suprised by the overlap with the Biblical tradition); Chinese, Jewish, and Islamic political thought; a greater attention to gender, both from the addition of what I shall politely call a "wider range" of women's voices, from Enheduanna through to Christine de Pizan, and from the contrast this allows to Gilgamesh, Plato, Arsitotle, etc.; Christine de Pizan.
Lots left on the cutting room floor (you can see my aspirational 'revised canon' here), but this is more than enough for me to be going on with. More details to follow on each. Criticisms and comments welcome as always.
A. PRECLASSICAL BEGINNINGS
1. ANARCHY
Week 2
Tues. 8/30. Flannery and Marcus, The Creation of Inequality, chapter 24 (pp. 547-645)
2. IN THE CITY OF THE GODS
Thurs. 9/2 Enheduanna, The Exaltation of Inana (Nin-me-sara).
Week 3
3. WISDOM, VIRTUE, HONOR, GLORY
Tues. 9/6. Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablets I and II; Tablets IX-XI.
Thurs. 9/8 Homer, Iliad, Bk I (pp. 59-67); IX (pp. 203-217); Bk. XXII (435-449); Bk. XXIV (475-496).
Week 4
Tues. 9/13 Homer, Odyssey, Bk I (pp. 27-29); Bk IX (pp. 137-151); Bk XI (pp. 168-184); Bk. XIX (pp. 282-297).
B. CLASSICAL POLITICAL THOUGHT
4. CULTIVATION OF THE SELF
Thurs. 9/15 Plato, “Apology"
Week 5
Tues. 9/20 Kongzi, "Analects" (CCP, chapter 1)
Thurs. 9/22 Mozi (CCP, chapter 2)
Week 6
Tues. 9/27 Mengzi (CCP, chapter 3)
Thurs. 9/29. Xunzi (CCP, chapter 6)
Week 7
5. PERFECTING THE REGIME
Tues. 10/4 Plato, Republic, Bks. I and II (through 369b)
Thurs. 10/6 Plato, Republic, Bk. II (369c to end) and Bk III (414c - 416b only) and Bk. V (to 471b only)
Week 8
Tues. 10/11 Plato, Republic, Bk. V (471c to end) and Bk. VI (487b - 488e; 505a-511e only) and Bk. VII (514a-521c only) and Bk. VIII (to 558c only)
Thurs. 10/13 Plato, Republic, Bk. VIII (558d to end) and Bk. IX (all)
Week 9
6. MAINTAINING THE REGIME
Tues. 10/18 Aristotle, Politics, Bk. 1 (chapters 1-7; 12-13) and Bk. 3 (chapters 1-13).Week 10
Tues. 10/25 Aristotle, Politics, Bk. 4 (chapters 1-11) and Bk. 5 (chapters 1-9)
Thurs. 10/27 Aristotle, Politics, Bk. 6 (chapters 1-5) and Bk. 7 (entire)Week 11
Tues. 11/1 Han Feizi (CCP, chapter 7)
C. MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT
7. DAUGHTERS OF ENHEDUANNA
Thurs. 11/3 Sei Shonagon, The Pillow Book(selections)
Li Qingzhao (Li Ch'ing-chao), selected poems
Week 12
Tues. 11/8 Anna Comnena, portrait of Anna Dalassena (in Alexiad, pp. 118-122)
Marie de France, "Guigemar," "Lanval," and "Chevrefoil" in Lais Trobairitz, selected lyrics
Catherine of Siena, Letter 68 and Letter 69
8. REASON AND REVELATION
Thurs. 11/10 al-Farabi (Alfarabi), The Political Regime (MPP, ch. 3)
Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Healing: Metaphysics 10 (MPP, ch. 7)
Week 13
Tues. 11/15 al-Ghazali (Alghazali), The Deliverer from Error (MPP, ch. 8)
Ibn Rushd (Averroes), The Decisive Treatise (MPP, ch.11)
Thurs. 11/17 ben Maimon (Rambam, Maimonides), The Guide of the Perplexed (MPP, ch. 15)
Ibn Polgar (Issac Polgar), The Support of Religion (MPP, ch.18)
Week 14
Tues. 11/22 Thomas Aquinas and Peter of Auvergne, Commentary on the Politics (MPP, ch. 22)
Week 15
Tues. 11/29 Marsilius of Padua, The Defender of the Peace (MPP, ch. 28)
9. BODIES POLITIC
Thurs. 12/1 Marie de France, "The Fable of a Man, his Belly, and his Limbs"
Christine de Pizan, The Book of the Body Politic, Part 1.Week 16
Tues. 12/6 Christine de Pizan, The Book of the Body Politic, Part 2.
Thurs. 12/8 Christine de Pizan, The Book of the Body Politic, Part 3.