POL103 History of Political Ideas

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2017
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Sylvie Bláhová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Bc. Tereza Křepelová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Stanislav Balík, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 9:45–11:15 P52
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
POL103/01: Thu 12. 10. 8:00–9:30 U41, Thu 2. 11. 8:00–9:30 U41, Thu 30. 11. 8:00–9:30 U41, Thu 14. 12. 8:00–9:30 U41
POL103/02: Thu 12. 10. 13:30–15:00 U34, Thu 2. 11. 13:30–15:00 U34, Thu 30. 11. 13:30–15:00 U34, Thu 14. 12. 13:30–15:00 U34
POL103/03: Thu 12. 10. 17:00–18:30 U42, Thu 2. 11. 17:00–18:30 U32, Thu 30. 11. 17:00–18:30 U32, Thu 14. 12. 17:00–18:30 U32
POL103/04: Wed 11. 10. 13:30–15:00 P52, Wed 1. 11. 13:30–15:00 Aula, Wed 29. 11. 13:30–15:00 Aula, Wed 13. 12. 13:30–15:00 Aula
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is intended to inform students about the development of political thinking from the Ancient Greece to the nineteenth century. At the end of the course students will have acquired knowledge of the most important political philosophers and traditions of political thinking in the history of Western philosophy, and will be able to understand and explain the roots and background of contemporary thinking about politics and its lingering problems. Upon reading of selected primary and secondary texts, students will learn the ability to critically evaluate main problems and concepts of the history of political ideas.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction. Nature and Role of Political Philosophy
  • 2. Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato
  • 3. Aristotle, Stoicism and Roman Political Thought
  • 4. Christian political thought: St. Augustine, Aquinas
  • 5. The Dawn of Modern Timnes: Niccolo Machiavelli
  • 6. Classicla Social Contract Theory: Hobbes, Locke
  • 7. French Enlightenment: Montesquieu, Rousseau
  • 8. Scottish Enlightenment: Hume, Smith
  • 9. Self-Study Week
  • 10. Enlightenment and Deontological Ethics (Kant); Freedom, Civic Society and the State (Hegel)
  • 11. Reaction to 18th Century Revolutions: Burke's Conservatism and Tocqueville's Arictocratic Liberalism
  • 12. Utilitarianism and the Split Within Liberalism: Bentham, J.S. Mill
  • 13. Analysis of Politics in Modern Times: K. Marx and M. Weber
Literature
  • ARISTOTELÉS. Politika. Translated by Antonín Kříž. 2. vyd. Praha: Rezek, 1998, 499 s. ISBN 80-86027-10-4. info
  • BURKE, Edmund. Úvahy o revoluci ve Francii. 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury (CDK), 1997, 278 s. ISBN 80-85959-23-2. info
  • MACHIAVELLI, Niccolò. Vladař. Translated by Josef Hajný. V tomto překladu vyd. 3. Praha: Ivo Železný, 1997, 101 s. ISBN 8023735446. info
  • SKINNER, Quentin. Machiavelli. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 1995, 105 s. ISBN 8085794616. info
  • MILL, John Stuart. O slobode. Bratislava: Iris, 1995, 116 s. ISBN 80-88778-07-7. info
  • PLATÓN. Ústava. Translated by Radislav Hošek. Vydání první. Praha: Svoboda-Libertas, 1993, 523 stran. ISBN 8020503471. info
  • LOCKE, John. Druhé pojednání o vládě. Edited by Oskar Krejčí, Translated by Josef Král. Vyd. 2. Praha: Svoboda, 1992, 184 s. ISBN 802050222X. info
  • ROUSSEAU, Jean-Jacques. Rozpravy. Vyd. 1. Praha: Svoboda, 1978, 282 s. info
Teaching methods
The basic pedagogical method of the course are lectures on each topic, which put the required readings into intellectual-historical context, and also focus on several selected problems and issues. Students are required to read the assigned readings before each lecture, so that they are ready to answer the teacher's in-class questions adequately.
Lectures are supplemented by four seminars devoted to detailed analysis of assigned readings and presentation of students' independent activity.
Assessment methods
There are two requirements to fulfil in order to finish the course:
(1) Attending four seminars each term (37,5 %)
(2) Final written test in the exam period (67,5 %).
The overall assessment (A through F) represents the total point score from the two parts. Questions the final test are based both on the assigned readings and on the content of the lectures.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2017, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2017/POL103