Topics in European Political Thought in the Very Long 18th Century
HIST 339
Spring 2006
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01
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The period 1620-1820 was marked by reform, revolution and restoration. It witnessed the rise and fall of European empires and the transformation of European politics. This tumultuous age produced not only social, political and economic upheaval, but monumental shifts in political thought as well. This seminar explores major themes in the history of European political thought during this turbulent two-century span. The class will study thirteen seminal texts in order to address topics including: theories of international order, especially empire; natural law; the function and obligation of the state; monarchism and republicanism; (civil) war and peace; civil society and sociability; mercantilism; physiocracy; and theories of political, historical and moral progress. While the emphasis is on the analysis of primary sources, students also will become familiar with some of the techniques and tendencies of contemporary historians of political thought. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Speaking, Speaking, Writing, Writing |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS HIST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Primary Sources:
Hugo Grotius, THE RIGHTS OF WAR AND PEACE(1625) (Natural Law and Enlightenment Classics) Ed. Richard Tuck (Liberty Fund, 2005).
Samuel Pufendorf, ON THE DUTY OF MAN AND CITIZEN ACCORDING TO NATURAL LAW (1673, 1682) (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) Ed. James Tully (Cambridge, 1992).
Algernon Sidney, DISCOURSES CONCERNING GOVERNMENT (1680-83, 1698).
Fénelon, TELEMACHUS (1699) (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) Ed. P. Riley (Cambridge, 1994).
Charles de Montesquieu, THE SPIRIT OF THE LAWS (1748) (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) (Cambridge, 1989).
Adam Smith, THE THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS (1759) (Prometheus Books, 2000).
Adam Ferguson, AN ESSAY ON THE HISTORY OF CIVIL SOCIETY (1767) (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) Ed. Fania Oz-Salzberger (Cambridge, 1996).
Edward Gibbon, THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1776-) (abridged) Ed. David Womersley (Penguin, 2000).
Henry Clark, ed., COMMERCE, CULTURE, AND LIBERTY: READINGS ON CAPITALISM BEFORE ADAM SMITH (Liberty Fund, 2003).
Immanuel Kant, PERPETUAL PEACE, AND OTHER ESSAYS ON POLITICS, HISTORY, AND MORALS (1795) (Hackett, 1983).
Condorcet, SKETCH FOR A HISTORICAL PICTURE OF THE PROGRESS OF THE HUMAN MIND (1795).
Joseph de Maistre, CONSIDERATIONS ON FRANCE (1797) (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought). Ed. R.A. LeBrun (Cambridge, 1994).
Hegel, ELEMENTS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT (1821).
Secondary sources:
Selections from: Isaiah Berlin, Istvan Hont, Anthony Pagden, Quentin Skinner, JGA Pocock, Richard Tuck, Emma Rothschild, AO Hirschman, and Edward Keene.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Two 5-7 page essays, one 7-10 page final essay, and weekly one page response papers. |
| Instructor(s): Paquette,Gabriel Times: ....R.. 07:00PM-09:50PM; Location: PAC136; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 6 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 6 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 3 | FR: 2 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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