POLn4105 Liberalism and its critics

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites
! NOW ( POL616 Liberalism and its critics ) && ! POL616 Liberalism and its critics
Ability to read a book-length scholarly text and English; willingness to participate in in-class discussions. Informally, reasonable acquaintance with issues of contemporary political philosophy is expected, as is the willingness to concentrate fully on advanced philosophical argumemntation about liberalism.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Every year, the course is focused on the thorough study of one of the main themes of contemporary political theory. In the fall term of 2019, we will address public reason liberalism (PRL), one of the most influential philosophical currents inside the liberal tradition of political thought. We will take a look at PRL through engagement with its critics who fall into the liberal as well as illiberal traditions of political thought. The purpose of this course is not only to reflect the theoretical work of the most prominent liberal philosophers, but also its contestants who critically observe different aspects of liberal modernity, or, to put it more concretely, of liberalism as the dominant philosophical tradition of the modern era.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, students will be able to: present knowledge of advanced scholarly debates on liberalism in general and public reason liberalism in particular, analyse fundamental issues of liberal theory, apply their arguments to the state of and direction in which contemporary constitutional democracies are heading
Syllabus (in Czech)
  • 1. Úvod: Poslání a organizace kurzu. VR v kontextu soudobé filosofie (16. 9.) 2. Základy LVR - John Rawls I (23. 9.) Literatura: Rawls, John 2005. Political Liberalism. New York: Columbia UP, 212-254. 3. Základy LVR - John Rawls II (30. 9.) Literatura: Rawls, John 2005. Political Liberalism. New York: Columbia UP, 437-490. 4. 1. vlna kritiky - přirozené právo a LVR. VR a náboženství (7. 10.) Literatura: George, Robert P., Wolfe, Christopher 2000. „Natural Law and Public Reason.“ In: Natural Law and Public Reason. Eds. Robert P. George and Christopher Wolfe. Washington: Georgetown UP, 51-74. Neal, Patrick 2000. „Political Liberalism, Public Reason, and the Citizen of Faith.“ In: Natural Law and Public Reason. Eds. Robert P. George and Christopher Wolfe. Washington: Georgetown UP, 171-201. 5. 1. vlna kritiky – LVR v. moderní augustiniáni (14. 10.) Literatura: Gregory, Eric 2008. Politics and the Order of Love. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 30-74. 6. Pozdější verze LVR 1 - Gerald Gaus I (21. 10.) Literatura: Gaus, Gerald 2011. The Order of Public Reason. A Theory of Freedom and Morality in a Diverse and Bounded World. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 261-292. 7. Státní svátek (28. 10.) 8. Pozdější verze LVR 1 - Gerald Gaus II (4. 11.) Literatura: Gaus, Gerald 2011. The Order of Public Reason. A Theory of Freedom and Morality in a Diverse and Bounded World. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 292-333. 9. Čtecí týden (11. 11.) – poznámka: datum čtecího týdne se může změnit 10. 2. vlna kritiky - Nicholas Wolterstorff (18. 11.) Literatura: Wolterstorff, Nicholas 2012. Understanding Liberal Democracy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 53-75. 11. Pozdější verze LVR 2 - Andrew Lister (25. 11.) Literatura: Lister, Andrew 2013. Public Reason and Political Community. London: Bloomsbury, 105-133. 12: 2. vlna kritiky. Proti projektu LVR jako takovému - David Enoch (2. 12.) Literatura: Enoch, David 2015. „Against Public Reason.“ In: Oxford Studies in Political Philosophy (Volume 1). Eds. David Sobel, Peter Vallentyne and Steven Wall. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 112–142. 13. Veřejné ospravedlnění v perfekcionismu - Steven Wall (9. 12.) Literatura: Wall, Steven 2016. The pure theory of public justification. Social Philosophy and Policy, vol. 32, no. 2, 204-226.
Literature
    required literature
  • Lister, Andrew 2013. Public Reason and Political Community. London: Bloomsbury, 105-133.
  • Rawls, John 2005. Political Liberalism. New York: Columbia UP, 212-254.
  • Neal, Patrick 2000. „Political Liberalism, Public Reason, and the Citizen of Faith.“ In: Natural Law and Public Reason. Eds. Robert P. George and Christopher Wolfe. Washington: Georgetown UP, 171-201.
  • Wolterstorff, Nicholas 2012. Understanding Liberal Democracy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 53-75.
  • Gaus, Gerald 2011. The Order of Public Reason. A Theory of Freedom and Morality in a Diverse and Bounded World. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 261-333.
  • Gregory, Eric 2008. Politics and the Order of Love. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 30-74.
  • Wall, Steven 2016. The pure theory of public justification. Social Philosophy and Policy, vol. 32, no. 2, 204-226.
  • George, Robert P., Wolfe, Christopher 2000. „Natural Law and Public Reason.“ In: Natural Law and Public Reason. Eds. Robert P. George and Christopher Wolfe. Washington: Georgetown UP, 51-74.
  • Rawls, John 2005. Political Liberalism. New York: Columbia UP, 437-490.
  • Enoch, David 2015. „Against Public Reason.“ In: Oxford Studies in Political Philosophy (Volume 1). Eds. David Sobel, Peter Vallentyne and Steven Wall. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 112–142.
Teaching methods
Seminar discussions combined with student presentations of the main points and arguments of the respective chapters
Assessment methods
Course evaluation (composite type) has three parts: (1) Position papers. Students are expected to submit at least six shorter essays or position papers, dealing with the assigned chapters. These papers should then serve as a basis for in-class discussions. Each position paper will receive 0-4 points, based on its quality (40 % of the total) Position papers should consist of three parts: (A) summary of the main arguments of the chapter(s); (B) identification of most interesting, most difficult etc, passages or arguments; (C) own critical assessment plus sugestions for clarification or further seminar discussion. (2) Presentation. During the term, each student will have hold a seminar presentation on a specific chapter (or chapters) (length: 15–20 minutes). Students are expected to link the argument to previous contents of the book, highlight the authors' main points, and also critically assess their argument and provide further clues for seminar discussion. Students will receive 0-13 points for their presentation, based on its quality and information value. (26 % of the total) (3) In-class activity (up to 1,5 points each time). (ca. 33 % of the total) The overall assesment (A through F) will be determined by the total poiont score from these three activities (55–50p A; 49–45p B; 44–40p C; 39–36p D; 35–33p E; 32p and less F)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
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