Contemporary Political Philosophy - JPB194

• Title: Contemporary Political Philosophy
• Guaranteed by: Department of Political Science (23-KP)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2021
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (30)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Is provided by: JPB157
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D.; Mgr. Václav Rut
• Class: Courses not for incoming students

Annotation

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D. (12.02.2021)

This course introduces the students to the most important topics discussed in contemporary political philosophy or political theory. The course is divided into four sections. The first one concerns the understanding of politics in the works of C. Schmitt, H. Arendt and C. Mouffe. The second section examines the relationship between theory and practice from the point of view of the critical theory and post-structuralism. The third section is devoted to the debate between the liberals and the communitarians. The fourth and last section of the course then turns to the various ways of (re-)interpreting (or appropriating) of both ancient political theory and ancient political practice in contemporary political philosophy.

Aim of the course

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D. (12.02.2021)

The primary aims of this course are to make students familiar with the important problems and questions discussed by contemporary political philosophy. Moreover, participation in the seminar should improve the students’ analytical and argumentative skills. 

Literature

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D. (28.09.2021)

Literature

NB: All assigned texts will be available through the Moodle e-learning system. Additional texts may be assigned during the semester. 

All students must register into this course in Moodle during the first week of classes.

 

Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition

Hannah Arendt, “Philosophy and Politics”

Hannah Arendt, Between Past and Future.

Jürgen Habermas, Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Michel Foucualt, Discipline and Punish.

Michel Focuault, “Two Lectures”.

Michel Foucault, History of Sexuality (vol. 1). 

Ernesto Laclau, “Democracy and the Question of Power”

Chantal Mouffe, On the Political

Robert Nozick, “Distributive Justice”

John Rawls, A Theory of Justice

John Rawĺs, “Justice as Fairness, Political not Metaphysical”

John Rawls, “Domaine of the Political and Overlapping Consensus”

Michael Sandel, “Democracy’s Discontent”

Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political

Leo Strauss, “What is Political Philosophy?”

Leo Strauss, “Three Waves of Modernity”

Teaching methods

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D. (01.10.2023)

This course uses a combination of lectures and seminars. The students will be expected to have read the assigned reading before the class so that they can participate in the discussion.

NB: The lectures will be held once a week. All students enrolled in this course are expected to attend the lectures. The seminar meetings will be held every other week. The class will be divided into four seminar groups (A, B, C, and D). Each seminar group will meet every other week. The students will be assigned to seminar groups during the first week of the semester. The first seminar meeting will be held during the second week of classes.

Syllabus

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Franěk, Ph.D. (28.09.2021)

Course schedule

NB: The schedule of classes is subject to change and further specification. For more detailed information including required chapters of the assigned books and other reading materials, see Moodle.

 

I. On the political in the works of C. Schmitt, C. Mouffe and H. Arendt

Week 1: The concept of the political and critique of liberalism in C. Schmitt’s work

Reading:     C. Schmitt: The Concept of the Political

 

Week 2: Agonistic theory of democracy

Reading:     C. Mouffe: On the Political 

 

Week 3: Arendt’s phenomenological theory of political action 

Reading:     H. Arendt: Between Past and Future, On Human Condition

 

II. Frankfurt school and post-structuralism

Week 4: J. Habermas’ discourse theory of democracy

Reading:     J. Habermas: Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

 

Week 5: Michel Foucault on Power and Knowledge

Reading: M. Foucault: Two Lectures - Lecture Two (Lecture One - recommended only)

                     Discipline and Punish - Chapter 1 

   History of Sexuality Vol. 1 - Part 4, Chapter 2, Part 5

 

Week 6: MIDTERM EXAM

 

Week 7: From hegemony to a critique of ideology

Reading: E. Laclau: “Democracy and the Question of Power”

                        

III. The debate between liberals and communitarians

Week 8: Rawls’ theory of justice 

Reading:     J. Rawls: A Theory of Justice

 

Week 9: Communitarian critique of Rawls’ liberalism 

Reading:     M. Sandel: Democracy’s Discontent

                  

Week 10:  Libertarian critique of Rawls; Rawls’ response to communitarians

Reading:     R. Nozick: “Distributive Justice”; J. Rawls: “Justice as Fairness, Political not Metaphysical”, “Domaine of the Political and Overlapping Consensus”

 

IV. Turning back to where it all began

Week 11: Republican theory of democracy

Reading:     TBA

 

Week 12: L. Strauss’ and H. Arendt on Philosophy and Politics

Reading:     H. Arendt: “Philosophy and Politics”; L. Strauss: “What is Political Philosophy”, “Three Waves of Modernity”