The main purpose of this course is to examine the origins and development of contemporary political concepts such as power, state, freedom, justice, equality, representation, legitimacy and so forth. In reviewing these concepts, this course introduces students the major political thinkers. The students will learn the ideas concerning the nature of politics of the Greek Sophists, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Aquinas, Marsiglio of Padua, Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Hume, Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Prerequisite(s)
Course Code Course Name…
Corequisite(s)
Attendance
Special Requisite(s)
The minimum qualifications that are expected from the students who want to attend the course.(Examples: Foreign language level, attendance, known theoretical pre-qualifications, etc.)
Instructor(s)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Nur Sinem Kourou
Course Assistant(s)
Schedule
Monday, 09:00-11:50, BK L-01
Office Hour(s)
Wednesday 16:00, CATS Chat room
Teaching Methods and Techniques
Lecture (descriptive)+class discussion
Principle Sources
D. Boucher and P. Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers, From Socrates to the Present, United States, Oxford University Press Inc. New York, 2003
Other Sources
Jonathan Wolfe, An Introduction to Political Philosophy, revised ed., (Oxford University Press, Oxford New York 2006).
Michael Rosen & Jonathan Wolfe (ed.s), Political Thought, Oxford Readers, (Oxford University Press, Oxford New York 1999).
Sheldon S. Wolin, Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Western Political Thought (expanded ed.), (Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford 2004).
Course Schedules
Week
Contents
Learning Methods
1. Week
General Introduction
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
2. Week
The Sophists
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
3. Week
Socrates
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
4. Week
Plato
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
5. Week
Aristotle
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
6. Week
St Augustine
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
7. Week
Mid-Term Exam
Exam
8. Week
Mid-Term Exam
Exam
9. Week
Aquinas & Marsiglio of Padua
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
10. Week
Machiavelli
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
11. Week
Hobbes
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
12. Week
Locke
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
13. Week
Hume & Montesquieu
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
14. Week
Rousseau & The Federalist Papers
Descriptive lecture+seminar(analyzing the chosen case study
15. Week
Final Exam
Exam
16. Week
Final Exam
Exam
17. Week
Final Exam
Final Exam
Assessments
Evaluation tools
Quantity
Weight(%)
Midterm(s)
1
30
Homework / Term Projects / Presentations
1
20
Attendance
1
10
Final Exam
1
40
Program Outcomes
PO-1
To identify and use theoretical and practical knowledge in International Relations.
PO-2
To express ideas and assessments about contemporary debates in International Relations.
PO-3
To acknowledge ethical and scientific responsibilities of data collection, evaluation and publication.
PO-4
To monitor and interpret published studies in International Relations.
PO-5
To use a second language at an intermediate level.
PO-6
To analyze, compare and relate different local, regional and global developments in International Relations.
PO-7
To analyze, compare and relate International Relations with theories and practices of different associate departments and their sub-fields and to offer suggestions by combining these fields.
PO-8
To present substantial knowledge for various public, private and academic career positions.
PO-9
To analyze the emergence and functions of prominent regional and local actors and to make future projections about their actions.
PO-10
To theoretically and practically examine different events and facts in International Relations and Foreign Policy and to interpret their past, present, and future through a scientific perspective.
Learning Outcomes
LO-1
To recognize the origin and development of Western political philosophy from Ancient Greeks to the political ideas of J.J. Rousseau
LO-2
To identify the philosophical foundations of Western Democracies
LO-3
To compare competence on the theories of the major Western political thinkers
LO-4
To analyze the developmental processes of the modern nation states
LO-5
To express the contributions of the major Western political thinkers to our present
LO-6
To evaluate the concepts and the influence of enlightenment for current political thinking.
