Studies on the State 2104-UPIR-D2STST
- https://classroom.google.com/c/MjM3ODI2MTExOTRa?cjc=j6vqfnym
- http://www.en.ism.uw.edu.pl/dr-anna-wojciuk/ (term 2024L)
This course is a chronological introduction to a selection of major works in Western political theory. Some of the central themes that the course will cover are ‘justice,’‘ human nature’ and political action. What is justice, and injustice? What are people like, what do they want and what may they hope for? Do we all want the same from our lives? How may and how should different political ideals be pursued? We will survey answers offered by many different kinds of thinkers, writing under a variety circumstances. Finally, we will pay attention to what our theorists themselves are up to: how they argue for their views, whom they are addressing, and how they can be interpreted.
A common question students taking this course ask is, “What do the texts and issues for this course have to do with our politics?” Here’s a possible answer: It is up to you to decide whether they indeed have. Your answer, at the end of the day, may reasonably be “no.” But before you jump to that conclusion, you should note that many people — many generations, in fact — have taken these texts to deal with the most important political questions there are.
Course topics
Week 1. State, law, and citizenship in classical political thought
Plato, Apology, in The Trial & Death of Socrates
Week 2. Power, the state, and political realism
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, chapters 1–17
Week 3. The state, violence, and human nature
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, chapters 13–16
Week 4. Liberalism, property, and constitutional government
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chapters 1–6
Week 5. Class, the state, and social conflict
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, chapters I–II
Week 6. Justice, equality, and social order
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Chapter 1 (Justice as Fairness, pp. 3–22) and Chapter 2 (The Principles of Justice, pp. 60–65)
Week 7. Conservatism and the critique of rationalism in politics
Michael Oakeshott, “On Being Conservative,” in Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, 2nd ed., pp. 407–437
Week 8. The state and gender
Sylvia Walby, Theorising Patriarchy, Chapter 7 “State”
Week 9. Populism as a political ideology
Cas Mudde and Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser, Populism: A Very Short Introduction, Chapter 1
Week 10. Fascism and modern mass movements
Michael Mann, Fascists, Chapter 1 “Sociology of Fascist Movements”
Class Activities and Discussions
Each seminar session includes structured discussion activities designed to deepen engagement with the assigned readings. Active participation is not graded separately, but these discussions directly prepare you for the final test — the questions are drawn from themes and debates we explore together in class. Students who engage actively in discussions consistently perform better on the exam.
Discussion Formats
A. Textual Analysis Discussions
• Close Reading Exercise: Students identify and analyze key passages, examining the author's argumentation strategies and rhetorical devices
• Concept Mapping: Collaborative creation of visual maps connecting main concepts within and across texts
• Author's Intent Discussion: Analyzing the historical and political context in which the text was written and its intended audience
B. Comparative Discussions
• Cross-Thinker Dialogue: Students role-play as different political philosophers debating a contemporary issue
• Evolution of Ideas: Tracing how concepts (justice, state, freedom) evolved from ancient to modern thought
C. Applied Discussions
• Case Study Analysis: Applying theoretical frameworks to contemporary political events (e.g., analyzing populist movements through Mudde's framework)
• Policy Debate: Structured debate on current policy issues using concepts from assigned readings
• "What Would X Say?": Analyzing contemporary issues from the perspective of classical thinkers (e.g., What would Hobbes say about cybersecurity? How would Rawls evaluate climate policy?)
D. Critical Evaluation Activities
• Devil's Advocate: Students present the strongest possible objections to a thinker's argument
• Strength/Weakness Analysis: Systematic evaluation of the logical consistency, empirical support, and normative implications of arguments
• Relevance Assessment: Discussion of whether and how classical arguments remain relevant to 21st-century politics
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Term 2024L:
This course is a chronological introduction to a selection of major works in Western political theory. Some of the central themes that the course will cover are ‘justice,’‘ human nature’ and political action. What is justice, and injustice? What are people like, what do they want and what may they hope for? Do we all want the same from our lives? How may and how should different political ideals be pursued? We will survey answers offered by many different kinds of thinkers, writing under a variety circumstances. Finally, we will pay attention to what our theorists themselves are up to: how they argue for their views, whom they are addressing, and how they can be interpreted. |
Term 2025L:
This course is a chronological introduction to a selection of major works in Western political theory. Some of the central themes that the course will cover are ‘justice,’‘ human nature’ and political action. What is justice, and injustice? What are people like, what do they want and what may they hope for? Do we all want the same from our lives? How may and how should different political ideals be pursued? We will survey answers offered by many different kinds of thinkers, writing under a variety circumstances. Finally, we will pay attention to what our theorists themselves are up to: how they argue for their views, whom they are addressing, and how they can be interpreted. Course topics Week 1. State, law, and citizenship in classical political thought Week 2. Power, the state, and political realism Week 3. The state, violence, and human nature Week 4. Liberalism, property, and constitutional government Week 5. Class, the state, and social conflict Week 6. Justice, equality, and social order Week 7. Conservatism and the critique of rationalism in politics Week 8. The state and gender Week 9. Populism as a political ideology Week 10. Fascism and modern mass movements Class Activities and Discussions Discussion Formats |
Term 2026L:
This course is a chronological introduction to a selection of major works in Western political theory. Some of the central themes that the course will cover are ‘justice,’‘ human nature’ and political action. What is justice, and injustice? What are people like, what do they want and what may they hope for? Do we all want the same from our lives? How may and how should different political ideals be pursued? We will survey answers offered by many different kinds of thinkers, writing under a variety circumstances. Finally, we will pay attention to what our theorists themselves are up to: how they argue for their views, whom they are addressing, and how they can be interpreted. Course topics Week 1. State, law, and citizenship in classical political thought Week 2. Power, the state, and political realism Week 3. The state, violence, and human nature Week 4. Liberalism, property, and constitutional government Week 5. Class, the state, and social conflict Week 6. Justice, equality, and social order Week 7. Conservatism and the critique of rationalism in politics Week 8. The state and gender Week 9. Populism as a political ideology Week 10. Fascism and modern mass movements Class Activities and Discussions Discussion Formats |
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Students:
- are familiar with the major traditions in political philosophy and use them for policy analysis
- know, understand and use basic concepts of political philosophy
- have literacy in classical texts from political thought
- discuss and build arguments using concepts from political thought
Assessment criteria
Final test, 60% is the threshold necessary to pass.
The final test consists of 40 questions with weighted scoring. It includes the following types of questions:
– Basic knowledge: 20 questions, 1 point per question (20 points total)
– Concept application: 10 questions, 2 points per question (20 points total)
– Comparative analysis: 6 questions, 3 points per question (18 points total)
– Critical thinking: 4 questions, 3 points per question (12 points total)
Total: 40 questions, 70 points.
Grading scale:
• Pass (3.0): 42–48 pts (60–68%)
• Satisfactory plus (3.5): 49–54 pts (69–77%)
• Good (4.0): 55–59 pts (78–84%)
• Good plus (4.5): 60–64 pts (85–91%)
• Very good (5.0): 65–70 pts (92–100%)
Artificial Intelligence Tools Policy
This course applies Level 2: AI-assisted Idea Generation and Structuring according to the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). AI may be used for brainstorming and structuring ideas.
Bibliography
Plato, “Apology,” in The Trial & Death of Socrates
Machiavelli, The Prince, chs. 1–17
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, chs. 13–16
John Locke, Second Treatise on Government, chs. 1–6
Marx & Engels, The Communist Manifesto, Ch. I–II
John Rawls, Theory of Justice (Ch. 1 Justice as Fairness p. 3-22 and Ch.2 The Principles of Justice p. 60-65 )
Oakeshott, Michael. "On Being Conservative." In Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, 2nd edition, pp. 407-437. Liberty Fund: Indianapolis, 1991.
Sylvia Walby: Theorising Patriarchy, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1990. Ch. 7 "State"
Mudde, Cas, Rovira Kaltwasser, Cristobal.; Populism: A Very Short Introduction, chapter 1
Mann, Michael. Fascists. Cambridge University Press, 2004, ch. 1 "Sociology of fasict movements"
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Term 2024L:
Plato, “Apology,” in The Trial & Death of Socrates |
Term 2025L:
Plato, “Apology,” in The Trial & Death of Socrates |
Term 2026L:
Plato, “Apology,” in The Trial & Death of Socrates |
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: