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 Wollstonecraft, Tocqueville, Bentham, J. S. Mill, Burke, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Oakeshott, Habermas, Rawls and Foucault. Therefore, this course surveys the major thinkers in Western Political Theory from the 18th century to the end of 20th century. During the lectures particular attention will be paid to the historical context of thinkers and concepts in order to understand more comprehensively how these political thinkers shaped their ideas within a specific period in history that gave birth to these concepts and a specific geography in which they lived that urged them to give priority to different political issues. The relationships and links between different conceptualizations concerning politics will also be underlined by giving reference to the works of these important thinkers.
Prerequisite(s)
Course Code Course Name…
Corequisite(s)
Course Code Course Name…
Special Requisite(s)
Foreign language level: Upper intermediate
Theoretical pre-qualifications: Students who took the History of Political Thought I are preferred.
Instructor(s)
Lecturer Dr. Müge Dalkıran
Course Assistant(s)
Schedule
Thursday, 10:00-13:00, CATS
Office Hour(s)
Thursday, 00:00-10:00, CATS
Teaching Methods and Techniques
Online Lecture (descriptive)+ in class discussion
Principle Sources
David Boucher & Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).
Other Sources
George H. Sabine, A History of Political Theory (3rd edition; New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962).
Ateş Uslu, Siyasal Düşünceler Tarihine Giriş: Tarih Yazımı, Temel Yaklaşımlar ve Araştırma Yöntemleri (İstanbul: Tarih Vakfı Yurt Yayınları, 2017).
Mete Tunçay, Batıda Siyasal Düşünceler Tarihi: Seçilmiş Yazılar, Vol. 3, Yakın Çağ (3rd edition; İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2011).
Course Schedules
Week
Contents
Learning Methods
1. Week
Introduction
Lecture
2. Week
Wollstonecraft & Tocqueville
Lecture
3. Week
Bentham
Lecture
4. Week
J. S. Mill
Lecture
5. Week
Burke
Lecture
6. Week
Hegel
Lecture
7. Week
Marx
Lecture
8. Week
Midterm
Midterm
9. Week
Midterm
Midterm
10. Week
Nietzsche
Lecture
11. Week
Oakeshott
Lecture
12. Week
Habermas
Lecture
13. Week
Rawls
Lecture
14. Week
Foucault
Lecture
15. Week
Final Exam
Final Exam
16. Week
Final Exam
Final 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
1. Recognizes the important thinkers of contemporary political philosophy.
LO-2
2. Explains political feminism.
LO-3
3. Evaluates the rationality of statehood through the philosophies of Nietzsche and Hegel.
LO-4
4. Compares liberalism and Marxism and evaluates political economy through them.
