Introduction to Political Theory - JPB155

• Title: Introduction to Political Theory
• Guaranteed by: Department of Political Science (23-KP)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2023 to 2024
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 65 / unlimited (60)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D.
• Class: Courses not for incoming students
• Incompatibility : JPB339
• Is incompatible with: JPB339

Annotation

English

This course introduces the students to the study of political theory. The first half of the course explores some of the key concepts, ideas and problems that have been defining the study of politics since its very inception. The second half is devoted to the survey of the most important “-isms”, i.e. modern political ideologies. Throughout the semester, we will study the texts of both of the classics of political thought and current political theorists.

Last update: Krejčíková Jana, Mgr. (29.10.2019)

Czech

Tento kurz uvádí studenty do studia politické teorie. První polovina kurzu zkoumá některé klíčové pojmy, myšlenky a problémy, které od samého počátku definují politické studie. Druhá polovina je věnována průzkumu nejdůležitějších "-ismů ", tedy moderních politických ideologií. Po celý semestr budeme zkoumat texty jak politického myšlení, tak soudobých politických teoretiků.

Last update: Krejčíková Jana, Mgr. (29.10.2019)

Literature

Literature

NB: All assigned texts will be available through the Moodle e-learning system. Additional texts may be assigned during the semester.

All students must register into this course in the Moodle during the first week of classes.

 

Hannah Arendt, “Philosophy and Politics”

Hannah Arendt, “On Violence”

Isaiah Berlin, “Two Concepts of Liberty”

Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France

Benjamin Constant, “The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns”

Ernest Gellner, Nationalism

Michel Foucault, “Two Lectures”

Michel Foucault, “Truth and Power”

David Harvey, “Neoliberalism as Creative Destruction”

Andrew Heywood, Political Theory – An Introduction (3^rd edition)

Anderw Heywood, Political Ideologies – An Introduction (6^th edition)

John Hoffman & Paul Graham, Introduction to Political Theory (3^rd edition)

Tony Judt, “What is Living and What is Dead in Social Democracy”

Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels: The Communist Manifesto

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

Leo Strauss, “What is Political Philosophy”

Michel Foucault, “Truth and Power”.

David Harvey, “Neoliberalism as Creative Destruction.”

Andrew Heywood, Political Theory – An Introduction (3^rd edition).

John Hoffman & Paul Graham, Introduction to Political Theory (3^rd edition).

Tony Judt, “What is Living and What is Dead in Social Democracy”.

Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels: The Communist Manifesto.

Cas Mudde, “The Populist Zeitgeist.”

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty.

Philip Pettit, “Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Republicanism.”

Leo Strauss, “What is Political Philosophy”.

Nadia Urbinati, “Democracy Disfigured”. 

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan.

Thomas Jefferson, US Declaration of Independence.

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government.

John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration.

Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels: The Communist Manifesto.

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty.

Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origins of Inequality.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, On the Social Contract.

Jürgen Habermas, “Three normative models of democracy”.

Theodor Herzl, The Jewish State.

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan.

Thomas Jefferson, US Declaration of Independence.

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government.

John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration.

Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels: The Communist Manifesto.

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty.

Benito Mussolini, “The Doctrine of Fascism”.

Susan Moller Okin, Justice, Gender and the Family.

Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origins of Inequality.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, On the Social Contract.

Last update: Franěk Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (01.10.2023)

Syllabus

Course schedule

 

Week 1: Introduction: Course overview. What is political theory?

Reading (recommended only): H. Arendt, “Philosophy and Politics” (selections).

                                            L. Strauss: “What is Political Philosophy?” (selections).

                                           M. Foucault: “Truth and Power” (selections).

 

Week 2: Power & Authority

Reading:     H. Arendt, On Violence (selections).

                  H. Arendt, What is Authority? (recommended only).

                  

 

Week 3: Freedom

Reading:     I. Berlin, “Two Concepts of Liberty”.

B.  Constant, “The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns” (recommend only).    

 

Week 4: Democracy I

Reading:     TBA

 

 

Week 5: Democracy II

Reading:     TBA

 

 

Week 6: MIDTERM EXAM

 

Week 7: Nationalism

Reading:     E. Gellner, Nationalism (selections)

 

Week 8: Liberalism I

Reading:     A. Heywood, Political Ideologies, Chapter 2.        

                  Additional reading – TBA.

 

Week  9: Liberalism II

Reading: TBA

 

 

Week 10: Conservatism 

Reading:     A. Heywood, Political Ideologies, Chapter 3.

E. Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France: Selections TBA.

                  

 

Week 11: Socialism 

Reading:     A. Heywood, Political Ideologies, Chapter 4.

K. Marx & F. Engels, The Communist Manifesto.

                                          

 

Week 12: Authoritarianism & Totalitarianism

Reading:     TBA

Last update: Franěk Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (01.10.2023)