.png?lmsauth=aeb003561ff92466c0363039bcfbf9b70d9841ad){kind=logo}
SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY - PHI401/PHI600 Fall 2024
Course
Jakub Jirsa
This seminar concerns a central feature of human life in modern society that we as humans pursue and enjoy: freedom. The course is dedicated to the questions that are related to the meaning and nature of the freedom of the individual in society. It examines philosophically freedom in the context of necessity and fate; it analyzes the modern concept of freedom as it is protected by constitutional rights; it reflects on freedom as it stems from the autonomy of the individual and, finally, it analyzes the postmodern concept of freedom as authenticity. The class introductions, research-reading and discussions include historical and systematic aspects of the issue. We will examine the nature of freedom in society as it was appreciated by ancient Athenian thinkers, medieval scholars and especially by modern and postmodern humans not so much to study the history of freedom but to critically understand freedom as freedom remains the central feature of human life in postmodern global society.
Advanced Seminar in Philosophy
Course code: PHI 401/600
Term and year: Fall 2024
Day and time: Thursday 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 |
Grading |
Letter grade |
1. Course Description
This seminar concerns a central feature of human life in modern society that we as humans pursue and enjoy: freedom. The course is dedicated to the questions that are related to the meaning and nature of the freedom of the individual in society. It examines philosophically freedom in the context of necessity and fate; it analyzes the modern concept of freedom as it is protected by constitutional rights; it reflects on freedom as it stems from the autonomy of the individual and, finally, it analyzes the postmodern concept of freedom as authenticity. The class introductions, research-reading and discussions include historical and systematic aspects of the issue. We will examine the nature of freedom in society as it was appreciated by ancient Athenian thinkers, medieval scholars and especially by modern and postmodern humans not so much to study the history of freedom but to critically understand freedom as freedom remains the central feature of human life in postmodern global society.
2. Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
· Critically discuss the nature of freedom in the context of necessity, rights, autonomy, and authenticity
· Understand how philosophers reflected freedom in the societies that they are part of
· Compare the main arguments of the contemporary philosophers
· Reflect on relations of the individuals and a society and the role of freedom in social structures, e.g., in political, legal, economic as well as family and religious structures
3. Reading Material
Required Materials
· Mill, J.S. On Liberty, chap. 1.
· Schmitt, Carl. The Concept of the Political. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 2007, chap. 1-4 (without notes).
· Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd ed. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 1998, chap. 5, §§25-28.
· Foucault, Michel. "The Subject and Power." Critical Inquiry 8, no. 4 (1982): 777-95.
· Berlin, Isaiah. "The Two Concepts of Liberty." In: Liberty: Incorporating Four Essays on Liberty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002, chap. 1-5, 8.
· Plato. Crito.
· Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan, chap. 13-14.8, 17.
· Locke, John. The Second Treatise of Government, II.4-8, VIII.95-99, XI-XII, XIV.159-160, XVIII.203-204.
· Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (selections) and The Social Contract, 1.6-8.
· Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (selection).
· Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. London: Penguin 2017, chap. IX, The Decline of the Nation-State and the End of the Rights of Man (selection).
· Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Rev. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999, §1, 3, 11, 17, 39.
· Nozick, Robert. Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York, 2013, chap. 7 (selection).
Recommended Materials
· Bernstein, Richard J. Why Read Hannah Arendt Now. Cambridge, 2018.
· Gray, John. Mill on Liberty: A Defence: Routledge, 1996.
· Guyer, Paul. The Cambridge Companion to Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
· Hampton, Jean. Political Philosophy. Dimensions of Philosophy Series. Boulder, Colo. ; Oxford: Westview Press, 1997.
· Holmes, Stephen. The Anatomy of Antiliberalism. Cambridge, Mass. ; London, 1996.
· Swift, Adam. Political Philosophy: A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians. Fourth ed. 2019.
· Taylor, Dianna. Michel Foucault. Key Concepts. Durham: Taylor and Francis, 2014.
· Todorov, Tzvetan, John T. Scott, and Robert Zaretsky. Frail Happiness: An Essay on Rousseau. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.
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
|
Date |
Class Agenda |
|
Session 1 5.9.24 |
Topic: Introduction Description: Explanation of the course structure and its aims. Introduction to the topic. Notion of freedom, liberty and power. Problems of relation between philosophy and politics. Reading: Mill, J.S. On Liberty, chap. 1. Assignments / deadlines: |
|
Session 2 12.9.24. |
Topic: What is liberty in the political realm? View no. 1 Description: When talking about liberty one cannot avoid the notion of power and struggle. We will focus and examine theories that link politics and violence (and we will examine different ways of this relation). Carl Schmitt is perhaps the most radical author in this respect and we will critically discuss his opposition to liberalism. Reading: Schmitt, Carl. The Concept of the Political. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 2007, chap. 1-4 (without notes). Assignments / deadlines: |
|
Session 3 19.9.24 |
Topic: What is liberty in political realm? View no. 2 Description: Hannah Arendt is Schmitt’s antipode in many respects. We will examine her idea of power emerging from mutual contact of free individuals. We will discuss the notion of political sphere and the relation between politics and liberty. Reading: Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd ed. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 1998, chap. 5, §§25-28. Assignments / deadlines: paper instructions |
|
Session 4 26.9.24 |
Topic: What is liberty in political realm? View no. 3 Description: First, there will be a short paper. Second, we will discuss the specific conception of politics and power in Foucault’s work. Reading: Foucault, Michel. "The Subject and Power." Critical Inquiry 8, no. 4 (1982): 777-95. Assignments / deadlines: 1st short paper (written in class) |
|
Session 5 3.10.24 |
Topic: Freedom and conflict of values Description: Discussion of the conflict between different notions of freedom and liberty based on selections from Berlin’s essay on two concepts of liberty. The tragedy of this conflict will be illustrated on the example of Sophocles’ Antigone. Reading: Berlin, Isaiah. "The Two Concepts of Liberty." In: Liberty : Incorporating Four Essays on Liberty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002, chap. 1-5, 8. Assignments / deadlines: 1st short paper feedback and evaluation |
|
Session 6 10.10.24 |
Topic: Plato’s concept of freedom and political obligation Description: Socrates’ was convinced that one ought never do any harm. We will examine this claim on the background of Plato’s Crito (the short dialogue explaining why Socrates died). What is the relation between a citizen and state? What obligations limit the freedom of a citizen. Reading: Plato, Crito Assignments / deadlines: |
|
Session 7 17.10.24 |
Topic: Introducing the social contract Description: We will discuss the most important concept in modern political philosophy, namely the social contract between free and equal individuals. The notion of negative freedom will be discussed. At what moment does freedom become liberty? We will discuss the general features of this concept as well as its assumptions and consequences. Reading: Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan, chap. 13-14.8, 17. Assignments / deadlines: paper instructions |
|
Session 8 24.10.24 |
Topic: “Free and equal” Description: Locke famously claims that human beings are born free and equal, which is apparently not the case. What he had in mind? In what sense is his work the groundwork for subsequent liberal theory of many sorts? Reading: Locke, John. The Second Treatise of Government, II.4-8, VIII.95-99, XI-XII, XIV.159-160, XVIII.203-204. Assignments / deadlines: 2nd short paper (written in class) |
|
Mid-term break |
|
|
Session 9 7.11.24 |
Topic: Reason as a trap: the positive liberty Description: The social contract is usually seen as a progress from the state of nature to the political unity. However, Rousseau sees it as a product of lie (since reason can both uncover truth as well as produce a lie). We will examine Rousseau’s political project as a search for a lost unity of human being. His notion of positive liberty will be examined in detail. Reading: Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (selections) and The Social Contract, 1.6-8. Assignments / deadlines: 2nd short paper feedback and evaluation |
|
Session 10 14.11.24 |
Topic: Autonomy as freedom and basis of morality Description: What is the ground for liberty according to Kant? How does freedom relate to morality and why Kant thought it should be independent of empirical reality. We will discuss the Kantian idea of relation between our everyday conception of freedom and autonomy. Reading: Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (selection) Assignments / deadlines: |
|
Session 11 21.11.24 |
Topic: The importance of state for liberty and its fragility Description: Arendt shows why state is important not only for the well-being but for the very being of free and equal human beings. We will examine the artificiality and fragility of the political sphere and human freedom in relation to human rights. Reading: Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. London: Penguin 2017, chap. IX, The Decline of the Nation-State and the End of the Rights of Man (selection) Assignments / deadlines: |
|
Session 12 28.11.24 |
Topic: The liberal priority of freedom Description: Rawls' priority of freedom is a central aspect of his theory of justice as fairness. According to Rawls, basic liberties such as freedom of speech and religion should be prioritized over other social and economic goods. This prioritization ensures that individuals have the necessary freedoms to pursue their own conception of the good life and to participate as equals in society. Reading: Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Rev. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999, §1, 3, 11, 17, 39. Assignments / deadlines: final paper introduction |
|
Session 13 5.12.24 |
Topic: The libertarian super-priority of freedom Description: The first part of the class will be the final paper (cca 120 minutes). Further, we will discuss how Nozick rejects Rawls' theory of justice, arguing that individual rights and freedoms should not be sacrificed for the sake of achieving a more equal distribution of resources. Reading: Nozick, Robert. Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York, 2013, chap. 7 (selection). Assignments / deadlines: final paper (written in class) |
|
Session 14 12.12.24 |
Topic: Concluding session Description: The closing meeting will be devoted to (a) feedback and evaluation of the final papers, and (b) discussion of the conclusions from the previous classes. Reading: no reading assigned 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. |
1, 2, 3 |
|
Presentation |
10 |
10% |
Presentation of the problems and questions related to the topic discussed (based on the selected reading). Ability to identify the main argument, critical evaluation. |
1, 2, 3 |
|
1st short paper |
25 |
20% |
Discussion and explanation of one of the topics. In situ exam (written in class); approx. 1 page. The examination focuses on ability to locate a philosophical problem within the discussed texts, explain this problem in a structured way and formulate own argumentation supporting the presented thesis. |
1, 2 |
|
2nd short paper |
25 |
25% |
Discussion and explanation of one of the topics. In situ exam (written in class); approx. 1 page. The examination focuses on ability to locate a philosophical problem within the discussed texts, explain this problem in a structured way and formulate own argumentation supporting the presented thesis. |
1, 2 |
|
Final paper |
48 |
35% |
Discussion and explanation of one of the topics. In situ exam (written in class); approx. 2 pages. The examination focuses on ability to locate a philosophical problem within the discussed texts, explain this problem in a structured way and formulate own argumentation supporting the presented thesis. |
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 questions might be of two sorts – question of understanding (what 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: 1st 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 be 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: 2nd 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 be 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 be 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. Please see the AAU intranet for a summary of key policies regarding coursework.
Course specific requirements
There are no special requirements or deviations from AAU policies for this course.
Here is the course outline:
1. Session 1. Liberty - Introduction
Sep 5 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
Explanation of the course structure and its aims. Introduction to the topic. Notion of freedom, liberty and power. Problems of relation between philosophy and politics |
2. Session 2 - What is liberty in the political realm? View no. 1
Sep 12 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
When talking about liberty one cannot avoid the notion of power and struggle. We will focus and examine theories that link politics and violence (and we will examine different ways of this relation). Carl Schmitt is perhaps the most radical author in this respect and we will critically discuss his opposition to liberalism. Reading: Schmitt, Carl. The Concept of the Political. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 2007, chap. 1-4 (without notes). Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Holmes, Stephen. The Anatomy of Antiliberalism. Cambridge, Mass. ; London, 1996. |
3. Session 3 - What is liberty in political realm? View no. 2
Sep 19 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
Hannah Arendt is Schmitt’s antipode in many respects. We will examine her idea of power emerging from mutual contact of free individuals. We will discuss the notion of political sphere and the relation between politics and liberty. Reading: Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. 2nd ed. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 1998, chap. 5, §§25-28. Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Bernstein, Richard J. Why Read Hannah Arendt Now. Cambridge, 2018. |
4. Session 4 - What is liberty in political realm? View no. 3
Sep 26 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
Topic: What is liberty in political realm? View no. 3 Description: First, there will be a short paper. Second, we will discuss the specific conception of politics and power in Foucault’s work. Reading: Foucault, Michel. "The Subject and Power." Critical Inquiry 8, no. 4 (1982): 777-95. Assignments / deadlines: 1st short paper (written in class) Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Taylor, Dianna. Michel Foucault. Key Concepts. Durham: Taylor and Francis, 2014. Articles on politics and power. |
5. Session 5 - Freedom and conflict of values in ancient times
Oct 3 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
Creon and Antigone, who is right? How are their stances justified? We will discuss value conflict and moral luck on the example of Sophocles play Antigone. Ancient views of freedom and liberty will be introduced Reading: Isaiah Berlin on value pluralism (sections 1-5 and 8 from the attached file) plus The Antigone, if anyone interested. |
6. Session 6 - Plato’s concept of freedom and political obligation
Oct 10 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
Socrates’ was convinced that one ought never do any harm. We will examine this claim on the background of Plato’s Crito (the short dialogue explaining why Socrates died). What is the relation between a citizen and state? What obligations limit the freedom of a citizen. Reading: Plato, Crito Further reading: Scott, Kyle. “Lessons from the Crito.” Polis 26.1 (2009): 31–51. |
7. Session 7 - Introducing the social contract
Oct 17 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
We will discuss the most important concept in modern political philosophy, namely the social contract between free and equal individuals. The notion of negative freedom will be discussed. At what moment does freedom become liberty? We will discuss the general features of this concept as well as its assumptions and consequences. Reading: Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan, chap. 13-14.8, 17. Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Hampton, Jean. Political Philosophy. Dimensions of Philosophy Series. Boulder, Colo. ; Oxford: Westview Press, 1997. |
8. Session 8 - “Free and equal”
Oct 24 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
Locke famously claims that human beings are born free and equal, which is apparently not the case. What he had in mind? In what sense is his work the groundwork for subsequent liberal theory of many sorts? Reading: Locke, John. The Second Treatise of Government, II.4-8, VIII.95-99, XI-XII, XIV.159-160, XVIII.203-204. Assignments / deadlines: 2nd short paper (written in class) Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Hampton, Jean. Political Philosophy. Dimensions of Philosophy Series. Boulder, Colo. ; Oxford: Westview Press, 1997. |
9. Session 9 - Reason as a trap: the positive liberty
Nov 7 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
The social contract is usually seen as a progress from the state of nature to the political unity. However, Rousseau sees it as a product of lie (since reason can both uncover truth as well as produce a lie). We will examine Rousseau’s political project as a search for a lost unity of human being. His notion of positive liberty will be examined in detail. Reading: Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (selections) and The Social Contract, 1.6-8. Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Todorov, Tzvetan, John T. Scott, and Robert Zaretsky. Fragile Happiness: An Essay on Rousseau. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001. |
10. Session 10 - Autonomy as freedom and basis of morality
Nov 14 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
What is the ground for liberty according to Kant? How does freedom relate to morality and why Kant thought it should be independent of empirical reality. We will discuss the Kantian idea of relation between our everyday conception of freedom and autonomy. Reading: Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (selection) Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Guyer, Paul. The Cambridge Companion to Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Chapter 10 and 11. |
11. Session 11 - The importance of state for liberty and its fragility
Nov 21 8:15am .. 9:15am, 2.04
Arendt shows why state is important not only for the well-being but for the very being of free and equal human beings. We will examine the artificiality and fragility of the political sphere and human freedom in relation to human rights. Reading: Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. London: Penguin 2017, chap. IX, The Decline of the Nation-State and the End of the Rights of Man (selection) Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Bernstein, Richard J. Why Read Hannah Arendt Now. Cambridge, 2018. |
12. Session 12 - The liberal priority of freedom
Nov 28 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
: Rawls' priority of freedom is a central aspect of his theory of justice as fairness. According to Rawls, basic liberties such as freedom of speech and religion should be prioritized over other social and economic goods. This prioritization ensures that individuals have the necessary freedoms to pursue their own conception of the good life and to participate as equals in society. Reading: Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Rev. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999, §1, 3, 11, 17, 39. Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Swift A. Political Philosophy : A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians. Fourth ed. Cambridge UK: Polity Press; 2019. (the relevant chapter) |
13. Session 13 - The libertarian super-priority of freedom
Dec 5 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
The first part of the class will be the final paper (cca 120 minutes). Further, we will discuss how Nozick rejects Rawls' theory of justice, arguing that individual rights and freedoms should not be sacrificed for the sake of achieving a more equal distribution of resources. Reading: Nozick, Robert. Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York, 2013, chap. 7 (selection). Further reading (will be available in the library on the reserve shelf): Swift A. Political Philosophy : A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians. Fourth ed. Cambridge UK: Polity Press; 2019. (the relevant chapter) |
14. Session 14 - Conflict of liberties
Dec 12 8:15am .. 11:15am, 2.04
The closing meeting will be devoted to (a) feedback and evaluation of the final papers, and (b) discussion of the conflict between different notions of freedom and liberty discussed in previous classes based on selections from Berlin’s essay on two concepts of liberty. |