courses. If you often experience problems related to procrastination and irregular lifestyle, please reconsider taking this course. However, if you enjoy working online and know how to manage your time when you are on your computer, this course is for you. If you have never used eCollege before, it is highly recommended to visit the following link to take the Student Orientation Tutorial provided by eCollege. (You need a NetID) About the Instructor Bill Hwang is working as a PhD candidate at the Department of Political Science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. His main research interests involve the Enlightenment tradition, socialism, communism, totalitarianism and political history of East Asia. In his free time, he reads classic fictions or plays musical instruments such as piano and saxophone. Course Objectives By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to: Compare and contrast the main ideas of political thinkers in Western tradition. Analyze and discuss the critical theoretical issues underlying political life: the individual and community; political obligation; stability, revolution, and change; legitimacy and justice; and freedom and power. Explain the important political questions raised by each thinker and how they are relevant in answering the students’ own political question Design a project equivalent to a 15-page essay to demonstrate their own political question and how to tackle the main issue in the question Importance of Syllabus: Please read the syllabus carefully from beginning to end. After being enrolled in this course, you will be held responsible for adhering to the policies of this course. Failure to obtain or read this syllabus does not exempt the student from its policies and procedures. If you have a question about the details in the syllabus, please read the FAQ or Q&A section on the course website. If you fail to find the answer on the course website, contact the instructor immediately. Technical Requirements Students should be familiar with the basic use of computer and the internet. Students should also have good and easy access to: High-speed internet Desktop/laptop computer including a microphone Speaker or audio device to listen to lecture videos Please test your system at the following link:
Late Work Policy Late work in threaded discussions, quizzes, and final project will not be accepted for any reason whatsoever. You will not pass this course if you fail to submit the final project before the deadline. Do prepare in advance. Technical failure in the website will not make an excuse unless it is a publicly addressed problem by Rutgers. Late project assignments will be accepted with a reduction of points, one point per one day late. Class Schedule Week Day/Date Unit Title Topics Readings, Lectures, Media, Activities, and Assignments 1 Tue.Sep.6 to Sun.Sep.11 Real Nature of Politics? - What is politics? - Introduction - Max Weber, “Politics as a Vocation” 2 Mon.Sep.12 to Sun.Sep.18 Real Nature of Politics – 2 : Carl Schmitt -General discussion on ‘nature of politics’ -Introduction of the course -Schmitt, Concept of the Political -mandatory completion of sample discussion and quiz 3 Mon.Sep.19 to Sun.Sep.25 Ancient Greeks: Politics of -Political thoughts before modernity -Why ancient thoughts still matter -Pericles’ Funeral Oration from Thucydides - Excerpts from Plato, Defense of Socrates, The Republic - Excerpts from Aristotle, Politics cf. Sunzi, Art of War, Confucius, Analect 4 Mon.Sep.26 to Sun.Oct.2 The Dawn of Modern Politics: Machiavelli -Rise of realist political thought -Why state-building was so important -Machiavelli, The Prince, The Mandrake 5 Mon.Oct.3 to Sun.Oct.9 The Birth of Political “Science”: Hobbes -Problems of normative political thought -Hobbes’ version of “Science” -Hobbes, Leviathan 6 Mon.Oct.10 to Sun.Oct.16 The March of Individual Rights: Locke -How the concept of ‘right’ was born -Property right -Labor theory of value -Locke, The Second Treatise of Civil Government 7 Mon.Oct.17 to Sun.Oct.23 The II -Defense of science and reason from religion and arbitrary power -What is ‘reason’? -Kant, “What is Enlightenment?” Critique of realism without ideal