Logo UAB
2021/2022

Political Thought

Code: 101118 ECTS Credits: 12
Degree Type Year Semester
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OB 2 A
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
John Robert Etherington
Email:
John.Etherington@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

External teachers

Jordi Mir Garcia

Prerequisites

There are no formal requirements for this course. However, it is taken for granted that students have the necessary skills to engage with texts, present them in open sessions and to critically discuss their contents. 

Objectives and Contextualisation

This course is obligatory in the second year of the degree programme, and provides an introduction to the theoretical and methodological basis for the development of politics in the West up until the 20th century.

 The course has as its basic objective the study of the main thinkers and schools of thought of the Western tradition of political thought, and by analysing these thinkers and schools, the course seeks to offer a coherent vision of the main questions raised, the answers to these questions, and the debates surrounding them.

 On these foundations, students should be able to not only develop the basic concepts of political thought, but also to go on, in the course Political Thought, to study more recent debates and tendencies. 

Competences

  • Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  • Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  • Distinguishing the discipline's main theories and different fields: conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and theoretical approaches underlying the discipline's knowledge and different areas and sub-areas, as well as their value for the professional practice through concrete cases.
  • Identifying and connecting main contemporary political theories, interpreting classical and current political texts, and arguing from different theoretical positions.
  • Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  • Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  • Managing contemporary political theories and understanding its analytical value in internal or international concrete cases.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  • Working autonomously.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  2. Assessing the contribution of movements like feminism, environmentalism or various identity movements.
  3. Assessing the debate in the Spanish tradition concerning the relationship between sovereignty and religious faith.
  4. Critically analysing and assessing the alternatives to liberalism.
  5. Critically analysing and assessing the emergence of liberalism.
  6. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  7. Describing the emergence of the State in the modern sense and explaining the theoretical contributions of Machiavelli, Bodino, Hobbes.
  8. Explaining the impact of the emergence of Christianity on the political thought.
  9. Explaining the several approaches of the socialist tradition, specially the 1917 breakup and the emergence of communism.
  10. Exposing key elements of political thought in the Graeco-Roman past: the individual and the community from Socrates to Aristotle.
  11. Identifying and connecting main contemporary political theories, interpreting classical and current political texts, and arguing from different theoretical positions.
  12. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  13. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  14. Managing contemporary political theories and understanding its analytical value in internal or international concrete cases.
  15. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  16. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  17. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  18. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  19. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  20. Working autonomously.

Content

Part I. From Antiquity to the Modern World

  1. The origins of Western political thought: the Greek polis and the golden century of Athenian democracy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle).
  2. Rome: from ideas to practice (Polybius, Cicero...).
  3. Christianity: doctrines and emergence
  4. Medieval political thought: main schools.
  5. Why don’t we find women in textbooks and courses?

Part II. The emergence of the Modern State

  1. Machiavelli and realpolitik
  2. The concept of sovereignty and irresistible power (Hobbes).
  3. Locke and the liberal reinterpretation of power.
  4. The growth of revolutionary ideas: the Encyclopaedia, Montesquieu, Rousseau..
  5. The North-American and French revolutions 

Part III. Contemporary Western Political Ideologies

  1. Liberalism: origins, schools and debates. The main stage in its development: e classic liberalism, the creation of the Welfare State, neoliberalism.
  2. Conservatism: origins, characteristics and evolution.
  3. The ideologies of the working class movements: socialism, Marxism, anarchism. The impact of the Russian Revolution.
  4. Democratic Socialism: schools and tendencies.
  5. Feminism: origins, characteristics and evolution
  6. Nationalisms: evolution and typologies.
  7. Totalitarian Thought: fascism and national-socialism.
  8. Environmentalism.

Methodology

The dedication of the student to this subject is divided into several types of activities, each with a specific weight of hours of work.

 

This subject is of 12 ECTS, that is to say, it implies a total dedication of the student of 300 hours, distributed as follows:

 

- The supervised activities are activities in the classroom, with the presence of the teacher and can consist of lectures, seminars for discussion of compulsory readings in smaller groups and sessions oriented to practical questions related to the subject of the course. These activities represent around 35% of the total work required.

 

- The supervised activities are activities carried out by the student outside the classroom in accordance with a work plan designed and subsequently tutored and evaluated by the teacher. These activities will revolve around the preparation of two essays, one for each semester. These activities represent 10% of the student's dedication.

 

- The autonomous activities are all those that the student does on his/her own account such as basic and complementary readings, study of class notes or all those other activities that complement the learning process of the course. They represent 55%.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Assessments of Readings 12 0.48 1, 12, 13, 17, 18
Lecture 68 2.72 5, 4, 2, 7, 14, 9, 10, 8, 11, 3
Presentation of essays (2 in total) 4 0.16 1, 6, 14, 16, 15, 12, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20, 19
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 30 1.2 15, 20
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous study 150 6 5, 4, 2, 7, 14, 9, 10, 8, 11, 3
Evaluation activities 15 0.6 1, 15, 12, 11, 17, 18, 20

Assessment

The evaluation of this subject consists of the following parts:

 - Two partial exams: each one of them represents 25% of the final grade (50% of the total). It is a necessary condition to pass the subject to pass the two partial exams with a minimum grade of passed (5 out of 10).

 - A minimum of 6 seminars (reading controls), whose value will be 25% of the final grade of the subject.

 - Two essays: each one of them represents 12.5% of the grade (25% of the total). Both must be handed in in order to to pass the subject.

 

There are some particularly notable considerations about the conditions of the evaluation system: 

- The exam of the first semester will be at the end of the semester, the date of which will be set by the Faculty and made public well in advance. The same applies to the second semester exam.

- The dates for the readings controls, as well as the handing in and presentations of the essays will be specified in the teaching program of the subject.

 - Students who have not passed the first or the second exam (or both exams) will have the opportunity to take part in the compensation activities, that is, they can retake the exams on the day determined by the Faculty. This will be after the end of the second term.

 - Students who have passed the two exams have not achieved the overall minimum grade to pass the subject will have the opportunity to do one of the two exams (or both, if necessary) in order to increase their overall grade for the course. However, there will be no possibility of doing reading controls outside established schedules or repeating papers already submitted.

 - When the evaluation activities carried out by the student exceed 15%, the student will no longer be able to request a not-presented.

 - Finally, if, during the course – particularly with regards the essays – any form of plagiarism is detected (copying work from other years, web pages web, books, etc.), the student will be given a fail and will have to repeat the course in its entirety on another occasion. 

 

Evaluation Activities

Hours

Learning Outcomes

 

 

 

Assessment 1

2 hours

Demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of the texts and a sufficient degree on intellectual maturity in order to be able to present the main ideas in a critical and comprehensive way.

Assessment 2

2 hours

Assessment 3

2 hours

Assessment 4

2 hours

Assessment 5

2 hours

Assessment 6

2 hours
 

 

Essay 1. During Term 1.

2 hours

Deepen the student’s understanding of one of the key themes of the term.

Essay 2. During Term 2.

2 hours

Deepen the student’s understanding of one of the key themes of the term..

End of term exam for first semester.

2,5 hours

Parts I and II of the programme.

End of term exam for second term.

2,5 hours

Part III of the programme.

 

 

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Assessments of Readings (6 in total) 25% 12 0.48 5, 4, 1, 2, 6, 7, 14, 9, 10, 12, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20, 3
First Term Exam 25% 2.5 0.1 5, 1, 6, 7, 10, 8, 15, 12, 17, 18, 20, 3
Presentation of Essays (2 in total) 25% 4 0.16 1, 6, 14, 16, 15, 12, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20, 19
Second Term Exam 25% 2.5 0.1 4, 1, 2, 6, 14, 9, 15, 12, 11, 17, 18, 20

Bibliography

Basic Bibliography

(Professors will specificy the exact readings for the course)


- Botella,J. 1994. El Pensamiento Político en sus Textos. De Platón a Marx. Madrid. Tecnos

- Vallespín,F. (ed.). 1990. Historia de la Teoría Política. Madrid. Alianza.

- Sabine, G.H., Historia de la Teoría Política. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica


- Chevalier,J.J. Los Grandes Textos Políticos desde Maquiavelo a Nuestros Días. Madrid. Aguilar.

- Crossman,R.H.S. 1986. Biografía del Estado Moderno. México. Fondo de Cultura Económica.

- Hampsher-Monk,I. 1996. Historia del Pensamineto Político Moderno. Barcelona: Ariel.

- Held,D. 2007. Modelos de Democracia. Madrid. Alianza.

- Kymlicka,W. 1990. Filosofía Política Contemporánea. Barcelona. Ariel.

- Macridis,R. i Hulliung,M. 1996. Las Ideologías Políticas Contemporáneas. Madrid. Alianza.

- Mellón,J.A. (ed.). 1998. Ideologías y Movimientos Políticos Contemporáneos. Madrid. Tecnos.

- Touchard,J.  Historia de las Ideas Políticas. Madrid. Tecnos.

- Vallespín,F. (ed.). 1990. Historia de la Teoría Política. Madrid. Alianza.

 

From Ancient Greece to the emergence of the modern state:

- Antela-Bernádez,B. 2009. Pericles no hi és. Breu Història de l’Antigua Grècia. Barcelona. UOC.

- Aristotil. Política

- Finley,Moses. Los Griegos de la Antigüedad. Barcelona.

- Finley, Moses, El món d'Ulisses.

- Hobbes. Leviatán.

- Locke. Segundo Tratado sobre el Gobierno Civil

- Madison,J., Hamilton,A. I Jay,J. El Federalista.

- Maquiavel. El Príncep

- Maquiavel.Discursos sobre la Primera Década de Tito Livio

- Montesquieu. Cartes Perses

- Montesquieu. Del Espíritu de las Leyes

- Plató. La República

- Rosseau, El contracte Social

 

Liberalism

- Aron,R. Ensayo sobre las Libertades.

- Berlin,I. Cuatro Ensayos sobre la Libertad.

- Bobbio,N. XXXX. Liberalismo y Democracia. México. Fondo de Cultura Económica.

- Constant,B. Escritos Políticos

- Dahrendorf,R. Oportunidades Vitales

- Dahrendorf,R. El Nuevo Liberalismo

- Dewey,J. Viejo y Nuevo Liberalismo

- Gray,J. Liberalismo. Madrid. Alianza.

- Hayek,F. Camino de Servidumbre

- Humboldt,W. Los Límites de la Acción del Estado

- James,W. Pragmatismo

- Mill,J.S. Sobre la Libertad

- Macpherson,C.B. 1982. La Democracia Liberal y su Época. Madrid. Alianza.

- Mill,J.S. Consideraciones sobre el Gobierno Representativo

- Nozick,R. Anarquia, Estado y Utopía

- Paine,T. El Sentido Común y Otros Escritos

- Popper,K.R. La Sociedad Abierta y sus Enemigos.

- Rawls,J. Teoría de la Justícia

- Rawls,J. El Liberalismo Político

- Trías Fargas,R. El Precio de la Libertad

- Vachet,M. La Ideología Liberal. Madrid. Fundamentos.

 

Conservatism

- Baques,J. Neoconservadurismo: Fundamentos Teóricos y Propuestas Políticas. Barcelona. ICPS.

- Bell,D. El Fin de las Ideologías

- Bonald,L. Teoría del PoderPolítico y Religioso

- Burke,E. Textos Políticos

- Chateaubriand,R. El Genio del Cristianismo

- Hirschman,A.Retóricas de la Intransigencia. México. Fondo de Cultura Económico.

- Kristol, I.: Reflexiones de un Neoconservador.

- Fernández De La Mora, G., El crepúsculo de las ideologías.

- Maistre, J. de: Las Veladas de San Petersburgo.

- Maistre, J. de: Consideraciones sobre Francia.

- Millet i Bel, S.: Perquè sóc Conservador?

- Nisbet,R. Conservadurismo. Madrid. Alianza.

- Oakeshott, M.: La Actitud Conservadora

- Ortega y Gasset, José: La Rebelión de las Masas.

- Spengler, O.: La Decadencia de Occidente.

- Tocqueville, A de. La Democracia en América.

- Tocqueville, A de. El antiguo Régimen y la Revolución.

 

Marxism, Socialism and Anarchism.

General texts:

-K. Marx, F. Engels, El Manifest Comunista.

- K. Marx, Contribución a la Crítica de la Economía Política

- F. Engels, Anti-Dühring.

- Blackburn,R. (ed.). Después de la Caida. El Fracaso del Comunismo y el Futuro del Socialismo. Madrid. Crítica.

- Cole,G.D.H. Historia del Pensamineto Socialista. México. Fondo de Cultura Económica.

- Joll,J. Los Anarquistas. Barcelona. Grijalbo.

- Kolakowski,L.  Las Principales Corrientes del Marxismo. Madrid. Alianza.

- Lichtheim,G.  El Marxismo. Un Estudio Histórico y Crítico. Barcelona. Anagrama.

- Souyri,P.  El Marxismo después de Marx. Barcelona. Península.

 

Anarchism:

- Azorín, JMR: Artículos Anarquistas.

- Azorín, JMR: Notas Sociales.

- Bakunin: Ni Dios ni dueño.

- Castoriadis, C.: Una Sociedad a la Deriva.

- Kropotkin, P.:El Apoyo Mutuo.

- Kropotkin, P.: La Conquista del Pan.

- Lorenzo,A.: El Proletariado Militante.

- Malatesta, E: Socialismo y Anarquía.

- Mella, R.: Ideario.

- Proudhon, P.J.: ¿Que es la Propiedad?

- Proudhon, P.J.: Filosofía de la Miseria.

- Reclus, E.: Evolución y Revolución.

- Stirner, M.: El Único y su Propiedad.

 

Marxism and Communism:

- Gramsci, A.: El Príncep Modern..

- Guevara, E.: El socialismo y el hombre en Cuba.

- Lenin: El Estado y la Revolución.

- Lukács, G.: Historia y Conciencia de Clase.

- Luxemburgo, R: Reforma o Revolución.

- Mao Tse Tung: El Libro Rojo.

- Schaff, A.: El Marxismo a Final de Siglo.

- Trotski, L.: La Revolución Permanente.

- Pàgina Web:  https://www.marxists.org/

 

Democratic Socialism:

- Berstein, E.: Socialismo Democrático

- Berstein, E.: Las Premisas del Socialismo y las Tareas de la Socialdemocracia.

- Campalans, R.: Política vol dir Pedagogia.

- Campalans, R.: Catalanisme i Socialisme a Debat.

- Giddens, A.: La Tercera Vía. La Renovación de la Socialdemocràcia.

- Giddens, A.: Más allá de la Izquierda y la Derecha: el Futuro de las Políticas Radicales.

- Lafontaine, O.: El corazón Late a la Izquierda.

- Molas, I.: El Socialisme de la Llibertat.

- Owen, R.: Nueva Visión del Mundo.

- Pettit, P.: Republicanismo.

- Roemer, J.:Un Futuro para el Socialismo.

- Shaw, B.: Ensayos Fabianos: Escritos sobre el Socialismo.

 

Nationalism:

- Anderson,B. Comunitats Imaginades.

- Bauer,O.La Cuestión de las Nacionalidades y la Socialdemocracia

- Blas, Andrésde. Naciones y Nacionalismo en Europa. Madrid. Alianza.

- Fichte, J.G., Discursos a la Nación Alemana.

- Gellner,E. Naciones y Nacionalismo

- Guibernau,M. Los Nacionalismos. Barcelona. Ariel.

- Kedourie,E. Nacionalismo.

- Haupt i Lowy. Els Marxistes i la Questió Nacional. Barcelona. La Magrana.

- Hobsbawn,E.. Naciones y Nacionalismo desde 1780. Barcelona. Crítica.

- Mancini,P. Sobre la Nacionalidad.

- Renan,E. ¿Qué es una Nación? Cartas a Strauss.

- Smith,A.D.  La Identidad Nacional. Madrid. Alianza.

 

Fascism:

- Arendt,H.  Los Orígenes del Totalitarismo. Madrid. Alianza.

- Benoist, A.: La Nueva Derecha.

- Evola, J.: El Fascismo visto des de la Derecha.

- Evola, J.: Los Hombres y las Ruinas.

- Gentile, E. Fascismo, Historia e Interpretación

- Hitler, A.: Mi Lucha.

- Holmes,S. Anatomía del Antiliberalismo. Madrid. Alianza

- Ledesma Ramos, R.: ¿Fascismo en España?

- Ledesma Ramos, R.: Discurso a las Juventudes de España

- Mussolini, B.: El Fascismo expuesto por Mussolini.

- Nietzsche, F.: Así habló Zaratustra.

- Rosemberg, A: El Mito del Siglo XX.

- Schmitt, C.: El Concepto de lo Político.

- Schmitt, C.: La Dictadura.

- Sorel, G.: Reflexiones sobre la Violencia.

- Casals, X: Ultrapatriotas

- Nolte, E. El Fascismo en su época

- Payne,S.G. El Fascismo. Madrid. Alianza.

- Rodríguez Jiménez,J.L.. ¿Nuevos Fascismos? Extrema Derecha y Neofascismo en Europa y Estados Unidos. Barcelona. Península.

Software

In the case of on-line classes: Teams

PowerPoint