Module Identifier IP32420  
Module Title TWENTIETH CENTURY POLITICAL THOUGHT  
Academic Year 2005/2006  
Co-ordinator Professor Howard L Williams  
Semester Semester 1  
Course delivery Seminars / Tutorials   Seminar (8 x 3 hours)  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment 1 x 1,000 word Outline  20%
Semester Assessment Esay: 1 x 4,500 words  80%
Supplementary Exam Students may, subject to Faculty approval, have the opportunity to resit this module, normally during the supplementary examination period. For further clarification please contact the Teaching Programme Administrator in the Department of International Politics. 

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
-Demonstrate a clear understanding of the main ideas of the two thinkers and their relevance to contemporary society and politics.
-Demonstrate a sound grasp of the following concepts: Arendt's concepts of totalitarianism; the 'banality of evil'; Schmitt's concepts of sovereignty; the 'crisis of parliamentary democracy'; 'the weapon' and 'the political' freedom;

Brief description

This module examines closely the main writings of Carl Schmitt and Hannah Arendt. Particular attention will be paid to the points of contrast and the areas of agreement in their thinking. Students will also be given the opportunity to look at the development of the ideas of the two thinkers over time.

Aims

To introduce the ideas of two of the most influential of recent political thinkers: Hannah Arendt and Carl Schmitt

Content

Hannah Arendt:
The Eichmann Trial (Seminar 1)
The Origins of Totalitarianism (Seminar 2 & 3)
The Human Condition (4)
Carl Schmitt:
The Concept of the Political (Seminar 1)
The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy (2)
The Leviathan: Schmitt and Hobbes
Political Theology: the question of sovereignty

The content may alter according to availability of texts

Transferable skills

This module will provide the opportunity for students to develop their oral, intellectual and communication skills. In preparing for seminars emphasis will be placed on understanding, following the argument and summarizing it concisely. In the seminars students will be encouraged to develop clear, cogent and persuasive arguments. The seminars offer the opportunity for students to show independent reasoning and judgement. Essay writing will encourage students to carry out research on their own initiative and to develop their IT presentation skills.

10 ECTS credits

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Williams, Howard Ll. International Relations and the Limits of Political Theory Macmillan 333626664
Williams, Howard Ll. International Relations and the Limits of Political Theory Macmillan 333626664
Held, David Introduction to Critical Theory edition n.e. . Polity P. 745607691
Hayden, Patrick John Rawls Univ.Wales P. 708317286
Holub, Robert C. Jurgen Habermas Routledge 415022088
Holub, Robert C. Jurgen Habermas Routledge 415022088
Barry, Brian Liberal Theory of Justice Oxf.U.P. 198750323
Habermas, Jurgen Moral Consciousness and Communicative Action edition n.e. . Polity P. 745611044
Baynes, Kenneth Normative Grounds of Social Criticism State Univ.New York P. 791408671
Habermas, Jurgen Berlin Republic Polity P. 745620450
Habermas, Jurgen Berlin Republic Polity P. 745620450
Habermas Autonomy and solidarity London ; New York 860913678
Habermas Autonomy and solidarity London ; New York 860913678
Philosophy,Politics and Society Blackwell 631048901
Perpetual Peace MIT P. 262522357
Habermas, Jurgen Past as Future Polity P. 745614531
Habermas, Jurgen Past as Future Polity P. 745614531
Shute On human rights New York, NY : BasicBooks 465052231
Political Thought Since 1945 E.Elgar Pub. 1852783117
Political Thought Since 1945 E.Elgar Pub. 1852783117
Rawls, John Political Liberalism edition n.e. . Columbia U.P. 231052499
Rawls, John Political Liberalism edition n.e. . Columbia U.P. 231052499
Rawls, John Political Liberalism edition n.e. . Columbia U.P. 231052499
Rawls, John Political Liberalism edition n.e. . Columbia U.P. 231052499
Habermas, Jurgen Inclusion of the other Polity 745630464
Outhwaite, William Habermas Polity P. 745602053
Outhwaite, William Habermas Polity P. 745602053
Rawls, John Theory of Justice edition 2r.e. . Oxf.U.P. 019825055X
Rawls, John Theory of Justice edition 2r.e. . Oxf.U.P. 019825055X
Rawls, John Theory of Justice edition 2r.e. . Oxf.U.P. 019825055X
Rawls, John Theory of Justice edition 2r.e. . Oxf.U.P. 019825055X
Habermas, Jurgen Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere Polity P. 745602746
Habermas, Jurgen Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere Polity P. 745602746
Social Contract from Hobbes to Rawls Routledge 415108462
Pogge, Thomas W. Realizing Rawls Cornell U.P. 801496853
Political Thought Since 1945 E.Elgar Pub. 1852783117
Wiggershaus, Rolf Frankfurt School edition n.e. . Polity P. 745616216
McCarthy, Thomas A. Critical Theory of Jurgen Habermas Hutchinson 91335108
Habermas, Jurgen Berlin Republic Polity P. 745620450
Habermas, Jurgen Berlin Republic Polity P. 745620450
Habermas, Jurgen Berlin Republic Polity P. 745620450
Baynes, Kenneth Normative Grounds of Social Criticism State Univ.New York P. 791408671
Sandel, Michael J. Liberalism and the Limits of Justice edition 2r.e. . Camb.U.P. 521567416
Rawls, John Law of Peoples Harvard U.P. 067400079X
Barry, Norman P. Introduction to Modern Political Theory edition 2r.e. . Macmillan Educ. 333497961

Journals
Habermas (1995) Journal of philosophy Reconciliation through the Public Use of Reason http://voyager.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&Search_Arg=journal+of+philosophy&SL=None&Search_Code=JALL&CNT=20 edition March . New York : Columbia University
(1996) German politics : journal of the Association for the Study of German Politics Jurgen Habermas and German Reunification http://voyager.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&Search_Arg=german+politics&SL=None&Search_Code=JALL&CNT=20 edition 5 part 2 pages 214-40. London : Frank Cass 9644008
(1996) German politics : journal of the Association for the Study of German Politics Jurgen Habermas and German Reunification http://voyager.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&Search_Arg=german+politics&SL=None&Search_Code=JALL&CNT=20 edition 5 part 2 pages 214-40. London : Frank Cass 9644008
(1996) German politics : journal of the Association for the Study of German Politics Jurgen Habermas and German Reunification http://voyager.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&Search_Arg=german+politics&SL=None&Search_Code=JALL&CNT=20 edition 5 part 2 pages 214-40. London : Frank Cass 9644008
H. Williams (1999) Kantian review Kant, Rawls, Habermas and the Metaphysics of Justice http://voyager.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&Search_Arg=%22kantian+review%22&SL=None&Search_Code=FT*&CNT=20 edition 3 43101. Cardiff : University of Wales Press 13694154

Web Page/Sites
** Supplementary Text
Introductory lecture on John Rawls http://www.mit.edu:8001/afs/athena.mit.edu/user/l/k/lking/www/writing/notes/rawls.html
http://www.helsinki.fi/~amkauppi/hablinks.html

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6