Populism Ancient and Modern

Course code: PHI 405/505

Term and year: Spring 2024

Day and time: Tuesday 8:15-11:00

Instructor: Jakub Jirsa

Instructor contact: jakub.jirsa@aauni.edu

Consultation hours: Thursday 11:00-12:00 in the Faculty Lounge (or other times by email appointment)

 

Credits US/ECTS	3/6	Level	Advanced
Length	15 weeks	Pre-requisite	Introduction to Philosophy
Contact hours	42 hours	Course type	MA elective

1.    Course Description

The aim of the course is to recall the historical roots of the ambiguous term “populism”, with an emphasis on the original link between populism and democracy, which is its condition. The starting point will be the Greek form of democracy and its critique, including Plato’s diagnosis of those who wish to win the admiration and love of “the people”. Using various texts, it will thus be necessary to clarify not only the term demos (people) itself, but also who the “demagogues” actually were. Connections to discussions of contemporary populism will offer us not only this narrower question, but also a more general consideration of the importance of personal charisma in the history of populism. In this context, we will also consider the difference between populism with ideology and populism without ideology.

2.    Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

●        understand the main features of contemporary populism and its historical origins together with its association with democracy;

●        compare contemporary democracy with its ancient counterpart, including the critical perspectives;

●        analyze and interpret various texts in political philosophy from different periods;

●        explore contemporary discussions surrounding populism.

3.    Reading Material

Required Materials

Ancient sources:

·         Thucydides II, 35-46 (Pericles' speech over the fallen), III, 37-41; Solon W36 (Gagarin 27-28)

·         Plato, Republic 555b-562a

·         ps. Xenophon, Constitution of the Athenians 1.1-12, 2.17-20

·         Plato, Republic 471c-497a

·         Aristotle, Politics 3.11, 4.1-2 a 4.5

·         Cicero, Pro Sestio 96-135; Plutarch, Lives of the Gracchus Brothers

Gagarin = Gagarin, M., & Woodruff, P. (1995). Early Greek political thought from Homer to the Sophists (Cambridge texts in the history of political thought). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 

Modern sources:

·         Cohen, Joshua. “An Epistemic Conception of Democracy.” Ethics, vol. 97, no. 1, 1986, pp. 26–38.

·         Michael Ignatieff, “The Politics of Enemies.” Journal of Democracy, Volume 33, Number 4, October 2022, pp. 5-19.

·         Müller, J.‐W. (2014), “The People Must Be Extracted from Within the People”: Reflections on Populism. Constellations, 21: 483-493.

·         Canovan, M. (1999). Trust the People! Populism and the Two Faces of Democracy. Political Studies, 47(1), 2–16.

·         Müller J-W. Democracy and disrespect. Philosophy & Social Criticism. 2019;45 (9-10):1208-1221.

·         Rosanvallon, P., A Reflection on Populism (available online)

 

Recommended Materials

●        Arruzza, C., A Wolf in the City : Tyranny and the Tyrant in Plato’s Republic. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.

●        Finley, M. I. Democracy Ancient and Modern. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 2019.

●        Kaltwasser, R.M., Cristóbal et al., eds. The Oxford Handbook of Populism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.

●        Müller, Jan-Werner. What Is Populism? Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016

●        Sandel, M. J., The Tyranny of Merit : What’s Become of the Common Good? London: Allen Lane, 2020.

4.    Teaching methodology

The seminar will start with introduction, which will place the material and problems under discussion into context. Next, there will be a short presentation of the materials for a given meeting (focused on problems and questions, not exactly summarizing the entire text) followed by an exposition to answer these problems. We will proceed with discussion of the materials and their implications for current ethically loaded problems. In relevant classes students will receive the feedback on their assignments as well.

 

5.    Course Schedule

Session 1 6.2.	Topic: Introduction to the course Description: Explanation of the course structure and assignments. Introduction to political philosophy in ancient Greece in comparison with modern political philosophy. Introduction to the concepts of populism and democracy. Reading: no readings assigned Assignments / deadlines:
Session 2 13.2.	Topic: The first concepts of democracy Description: After a brief introduction to Thucydides and Solon we will examine the emerging concept of democracy. We will discuss the first recorded arguments for and against democracy and we will analyse why Greeks valued democracy (some Greeks and at some time). Reading: Thucydides II, 35-46 (Pericles' speech over the fallen), III, 37-41; Solon W36 (Gagarin 27-28) Assignments / deadlines:
Session 3 20.2.	Topic: Plato’s critique of democracy Description: Plato presents one of the first complex critiques of democracy (based on political reasons as well as his moral psychology). We will examine these arguments on the background of Plato’s conception of ideal city in the Republic. Reading: Plato, Republic 555b-562a Assignments / deadlines: paper instructions
Session 4 27.2.	Topic: Old Oligarch’s critique of democracy Description: The so-called Old-Oligarch presents his critique of ancient democracy based on the potential for demagoguery and the influence of charismatic leaders. We will examine these arguments and frame them with more contemporary accounts of political charisma. Reading: ps. Xenophon, Constitution of the Athenians 1.1-12, 2.17-20 Assignments / deadlines: 1st short paper (written in class)
Session 5 5.3.	Topic: Plato on philosophy and politics Description: This class will deal with Plato’s more substantial, epistemological critique of democracy in the Republic. We will analyse his arguments in favour of expertise and knowledge over the general opinion expressed numerically in the form of a majority vote. Reading: Plato, Republic 471c-497a Assignments / deadlines: 1st short paper feedback and evaluation
Session 6 12.3.	Topic: Aristotle on democracy and its shortcomings Description: As usually, Aristotle presents a more nuanced view on democracy. His text is crucial for understanding of the concept of demagogues and their functioning in the city. We will examine the parallels to the contemporary general view of the populists as well. Reading: Aristotle, Politics 3.11, 4.1-2 a 4.5 Assignments / deadlines:
Session 7 19.3.	Topic: Populism in Rome Description: This time, attention will be paid to important shifts in the Roman period, especially at the end of the Roman Republic, when the importance of elected political actors increases. We will find out who Cicero and other writers thought were populares and optimates, and whether populares were the precursors of modern populists. Reading: Cicero, Pro Sestio 96-135; Plutarch, Lives of the Gracchus Brothers Assignments / deadlines: paper instructions
MID-TERM BREAK
Session 8 2.4.	Topic: Democracy and knowledge Description: What is the relation between democracy and knowledge, we saw that Plato disliked democracy exactly because its hostility to knowledge (in his conception). Cohen advances the argument that democracy should prioritize the collective pursuit of truth and knowledge, rather than merely aggregating individual preferences. Does this help? Reading: Cohen, Joshua. “An Epistemic Conception of Democracy.” Ethics, vol. 97, no. 1, 1986, pp. 26–38. Assignments / deadlines: 2nd short paper (written in class)
Session 9 9.4.	Topic: Democracy, power and opposition Description: Ignatieff shows how democracy must deal with violence and what dangers are posed to it from the side of populists undermining the entire liberal and constitutional framework of democracy. Reading: Michael Ignatieff, “The Politics of Enemies.” Journal of Democracy, Volume 33, Number 4, October 2022, pp. 5-19. Assignments / deadlines: 2nd short paper feedback and evaluation
Session 10 16.4.	Topic: People and the true people Description: Jan-Werner Müller explores the complex nature of populism, arguing that it often involves a selective and exclusionary interpretation of "the people" by populist leaders. He emphasizes that this process of extraction can undermine democratic principles and lead to the marginalization of minority voices in society. We will discuss the concept of “people” and “demos” in modern democracies. Reading: Müller, J.‐W. (2014), “The People Must Be Extracted from Within the People”: Reflections on Populism. Constellations, 21: 483-493. Assignments / deadlines:
Session 11 23.4.	Topic: Populism and democracy Description: We will use Margaret Canovan’s argument as a basis for discussion of the relation between democracy and populism. Canovan argues that populism, with its emphasis on direct popular sovereignty, can challenge established institutions and norms while simultaneously serving as a reminder of the democratic principle of trusting the people. Reading: Canovan, M. (1999). Trust the People! Populism and the Two Faces of Democracy. Political Studies, 47(1), 2–16. Assignments / deadlines:
Session 12 30.4.	Topic: Moral psychology of populism Description: We will discuss Müller’s claims about structural features of populism and possible reactions to its threads. We will look for ways in which can liberal democracy answer the challenges of the populism. Reading: Müller J-W. Democracy and disrespect. Philosophy & Social Criticism. 2019;45 (9-10):1208-1221. Assignments / deadlines: final paper introduction
Session 13 7.5.	Topic: Pluralism, democracy and populism Description: As a counterbalance to the simplistic temptations of the populism that is currently spreading within European democracies, Pierre Rosanvallon invites us to complicate our notion of democracy and make it polyphonic, because the people do not all speak with one voice. We will discuss how to accommodate this plurality into a political system and what are the different ways to conceptualise this plurality. Reading: Rosanvallon, P., A Reflection on Populism (available online) Assignments / deadlines: final paper (written in class)
Session 14 14.5.	Topic: Closing session Description: The conclusion of the course will be done based on the final papers as well as summary of the discussions over the term. We will specify which questions are left open and why and we will assess what we gained by the course. Reading: Assignments / deadlines: final paper feedback and evaluation

 

6.    Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

Assignment	Workload (hours)	Weight in Final Grade	Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes	Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes*
Class Participation	42	10%	Active, critical and well-argued (thoughtful) participation in class. Understanding the main features of contemporary populism and its historical origins together with its association with democracy. Interpretation and critical examination of various texts in political philosophy from different periods. Understanding of contemporary discussions surrounding populism.	1, 2, 3
Presentation	10	10%	Presentation of the problems and questions related to the topic discussed (based on the selected reading). Understanding the main features of contemporary populism and its historical origins together with its association with democracy. Interpretation and critical examination of various texts in political philosophy from different periods. Understanding of contemporary discussions surrounding populism.	1, 2, 3
1st short paper	25	20%	Understanding the main features of contemporary populism and its historical origins together with its association with democracy. Comparison of contemporary democracy with its ancient counterpart, including the critical perspectives.	1, 2
2nd short paper	25	20%	Understanding the main features of contemporary populism and its historical origins together with its association with democracy. Comparison of contemporary democracy with its ancient counterpart, including the critical perspectives. Interpretation and critical examination of various texts in political philosophy from different periods.	1, 2
Final paper	48	40%	Understanding the main features of contemporary populism and its historical origins together with its association with democracy. Comparison of contemporary democracy with its ancient counterpart, including the critical perspectives. Interpretation and critical examination of various texts in political philosophy from different periods. Understanding of contemporary discussions surrounding populism.	1, 2
TOTAL	150	100%

*1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action

 

7.    Detailed description of the assignments

Assignment 1: Class participation

Students will participate in discussion during the seminar. The discussion presupposes familiarity with the relevant text. It is welcomed (but not necessary) to search for other relevant material on the subject and use it in the discussion.

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Content (do your points relate to the matter in discussion, do they move the discussion forward)	35%
Form of argumentation (is your point supported by valid argumentation and reasons which you are able to explain)	35%
Reaction to questions (if asked by a lecturer or student, are you capable of (i) providing a reply based on the material read and (ii) explain your position in detailed to your colleagues)	30%

Assignment 2: Presentation

Each student will do two short presentations (max. 10 minutes) about the main argument of the text and (more importantly) relevant questions and problems related to the text. The first presentation will be before the midterm break, the second one after the midterm break. For the presentation please prepare slides which will (a) identify the main theses of the discussed text; (b) highlight ideas of particular interest (and explain why you think these ideas are important) and (c) provide questions for the subsequent discussion. These question might be of two sorts – question of understanding (what do you think should be explained in detail, what was hard to follow) and critical questions (on the points which you believe were weak or wrong, please explain reasons for your evaluation).

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Content – getting the main argument right; identifying some important topics; formulating questions for the subsequent discussion	40%
Presentation – clarity, structure and convincing argumentation	40%
Reaction to questions – can you help your colleagues with their questions? Based on the text under discussion, can you react to the questions by the lecturer?	20%

 

Assignment 3: 1^st short paper

At the beginning of the class students will be presented with three topics; each student will choose one topic and write a short reflection/essay. The text should be around one page long, structured and all the claims should be supported by valid argumentation based on the knowledge of the texts discussed so far. The texts must handed in 60 minutes after the start of the paper.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Content (does the text answer the question and/or explain the topic; does it use the texts discussed so far)	35%
Structure (clarity of the text, leading the reader towards the conclusion)	30%
Argumentation (are the arguments valid? Consideration of counter-arguments and reply to them)	35%

 

Assignment 4: 2^nd short paper

At the beginning of the class students will be presented with three topics; each student will choose one topic and write a short reflection/essay. The text should be around one page long, structured and all the claims should be supported by valid argumentation based on the knowledge of the texts discussed so far. The texts must handed in 60 minutes after the start of the paper.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Content (does the text answer the question and/or explain the topic; does it use the texts discussed so far)	35%
Structure (clarity of the text, leading the reader towards the conclusion)	30%
Argumentation (are the arguments valid? Consideration of counter-arguments and reply to them)	35%

 

 

Assignment 4: final paper

At the beginning of the class students will be presented with three topics; each student will choose one topic and write a short reflection/essay. The text should be at least two pages long, structured and all the claims should be supported by valid argumentation based on the knowledge of the texts discussed so far. The texts must handed in 120 minutes after the start of the paper.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Content (does the text answer the question and/or explain the topic; does it use the texts discussed so far)	35%
Structure (clarity of the text, leading the reader towards the conclusion)	30%
Argumentation (are the arguments valid? Consideration of counter-arguments and reply to them)	35%

 

 

8.    General Requirements and School Policies

General requirements

All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar with the academic rules in the Academic Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work.

Electronic communication and submission

The university and instructors shall only use students’ university email address for communication, with additional communication via NEO LMS or Microsoft Teams.

Students sending e-mail to an instructor shall clearly state the course code and the topic in the subject heading, for example, “COM101-1 Mid-term Exam. Question”.

All electronic submissions are through NEO LMS. No substantial pieces of writing (especially take-home exams and essays) can be submitted outside of NEO LMS.

Attendance

Attendance, i.e., presence in class in real-time, at AAU courses is default mandatory; however, it is not graded as such. (Grades may be impacted by missed assignments or lack of participation.) Still, students must attend at least two thirds of classes to complete the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are excused, they will be administratively withdrawn from the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are not excused, they will receive a grade of “FW” (Failure to Withdraw). Students may also be marked absent if they miss a significant part of a class (for example by arriving late or leaving early).

Absence excuse and make-up options

Should a student be absent from classes for relevant reasons (illness, serious family matters), and the student wishes to request that the absence be excused, the student should submit an Absence Excuse Request Form supplemented with documents providing reasons for the absence to the Dean of Students within one week of the absence. Each student may excuse up to two sick days per term without any supporting documentation; however, an Absence Excuse Request Form must still be submitted for these instances. If possible, it is recommended the instructor be informed of the absence in advance. Should a student be absent during the add/drop period due to a change in registration this will be an excused absence if s/he submits an Absence Excuse Request Form along with the finalized add/drop form.

 

Students whose absence has been excused by the Dean of Students are entitled to make up assignments and exams provided their nature allows. Assignments missed due to unexcused absences which cannot be made up, may result in a decreased or failing grade as specified in the syllabus.

 

Students are responsible for contacting their instructor within one week of the date the absence was excused to arrange for make-up options.

Late work: No late submissions will be accepted – please follow the deadlines.

Electronic devices

Electronic devices (e.g. phones, tablets, laptops) may be used only for class-related activities (taking notes, looking up related information, etc.). Any other use will result in the student being marked absent and/or being expelled from the class. No electronic devices may be used during tests or exams unless required by the exam format and the instructor.

Eating is not allowed during classes.

Cheating and disruptive behavior

If a student engages in disruptive conduct unsuitable for a classroom environment, the instructor may require the student to withdraw from the room for the duration of the class and shall report the behavior to the student’s Dean.

Students engaging in behavior which is suggestive of cheating will, at a minimum, be warned. In the case of continued misconduct, the student will fail the exam or assignment and be expelled from the exam or class.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism obscures the authorship of a work or the degree of its originality. Students are expected to create and submit works of which they are the author. Plagiarism can apply to all works of authorship – verbal, audiovisual, visual, computer programs, etc. Examples are:

●                    Verbatim plagiarism: verbatim use of another’s work or part of it without proper acknowledgement of the source and designation as a verbatim quotation,

●                    Paraphrasing plagiarism: paraphrasing someone else’s work or part of it without proper acknowledgement of the source,

●                    Data plagiarism: use of other people’s data without proper acknowledgement of the source,

●                    False quotation: publishing a text that is not a verbatim quotation as a verbatim quotation,

●                    Fictious citation: quoting, paraphrasing, or referring to an incorrect or a non-existent work,

●                    Inaccurate citation: citing sources in such a way that they cannot be found and verified,

●                    Ghostwriting: commissioning work from others and passing it off as one’s own,

●                    Patchwriting: using someone else’s work or works (albeit with proper acknowledgement of sources and proper attribution) to such an extent that the output contains almost no original contribution,

●                    Self-plagiarism: unacknowledged reuse of one’s own work (or part of it) that has been produced or submitted as part of another course of study or that has been published in the past,

●                    Collaborative plagiarism: delivering the result of collective collaboration as one’s own individual output.

At minimum, plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment and shall be reported to the student’s Dean. A mitigating circumstance may be the case of novice students, and the benefit of the doubt may be given if it is reasonable to assume that the small-scale plagiarism was the result of ignorance rather than intent. An aggravating circumstance in plagiarism is an act intended to make the plagiarism more difficult to detect. Such conduct includes, for example, the additional modification of individual words or phrases, the creation of typos, the use of machine translation tools or the creation of synonymous text, etc. The Dean may initiate a disciplinary procedure pursuant to the Academic Codex. Intentional or repeated plagiarism always entail disciplinary hearing and may result in expulsion from AAU.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Academic Tutoring Center

The use of artificial intelligence tools to search sources, to process, analyze and summarize data, and to provide suggestions or feedback in order to improve content, structure, or style, defined here as AI-assisted writing, is not in itself plagiarism. However, it is plagiarism if, as a result, it obscures the authorship of the work produced or the degree of its originality (see the examples above). AAU acknowledges prudent and honest use of AI-assisted writing, that is, the use of AI for orientation, consultation, and practice is allowed. For some courses and assignments, however, the use of AI is counterproductive to learning outcomes; therefore, the course syllabus may prohibit AI assistance. A work (text, image, video, sound, code, etc.) generated by artificial intelligence based on a mass of existing data, defined here as AI-generated work, is not considered a work of authorship. Therefore, if an AI-generated work (e.g. text) is part of the author’s work, it must be marked as AI-generated. Otherwise, it obscures the authorship and/or the degree of originality, and thus constitutes plagiarism. Unless explicitly permitted by the instructor, submission of AI-generated work is prohibited. If unsure about technical aspects of writing, and to improve their academic writing, students are encouraged to consult with the tutors of the AAU Academic Tutoring Center. For more information and/or to book a tutor, please contact the ATC at: http://atc.simplybook.me/sheduler/manage/event/1/.

Course accessibility and inclusion

Students with disabilities should contact the Dean of Students to discuss reasonable accommodations. Academic accommodations are not retroactive.

Students who will be absent from course activities due to religious holidays may seek reasonable accommodations by contacting the Dean of Students in writing within the first two weeks of the term. All requests must include specific dates for which the student requests accommodations.

9.    Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage*	Description
A	95–100	Excellent performance. The student has shown originality and displayed an exceptional grasp of the material and a deep analytical understanding of the subject.
A–	90–94
B+	87–89	Good performance. The student has mastered the material, understands the subject well and has shown some originality of thought and/or considerable effort.
B	83–86
B–	80–82
C+	77–79	Fair performance. The student has acquired an acceptable understanding of the material and essential subject matter of the course, but has not succeeded in translating this understanding into consistently creative or original work.
C	73–76
C–	70–72
D+	65–69	Poor. The student has shown some understanding of the material and subject matter covered during the course. The student’s work, however, has not shown enough effort or understanding to allow for a passing grade in School Required Courses. It does qualify as a passing mark for the General College Courses and Electives.
D	60–64
F	0–59	Fail. The student has not succeeded in mastering the subject matter covered in the course.

* Decimals should be rounded to the nearest whole number.