Left, Right and Center

Fall 2021

Left, Right and Center

Listed in: Political Science, as POSC-258

Moodle site: Course (Login required)

Faculty

Freke Ette (Section 01)

Description

In recent years, public debates in the United States have become considerably less civil, with name-calling and tribal sentiments overwhelming amicable partisan relationships. The proliferation and amplification of voices, a result of the rise of social media and the ubiquity of the 24-hour news cycle, elevate extreme and superficial positions over those more thoroughly considered and thoughtful. Thus, all political discourse now appears suspect as biased, and all positions seem to be adopted from a particular agenda or ideology. This course begins by identifying key features of American political ideologies in the thoughts of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It then turns to the historical development of conservatism and progressivism in the United States to understand the rational core of these disagreements. The goal of the course is to prepare students to navigate political debate in a civil and thoughtful way.

Fall semester. Visiting Assistant Professor Ette.

Expectations

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: An emphasis on written work, discussions, readings, oral presentations, group work. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.

Keywords

Attention to Issues of Social Justice

Course times and locations

POSC 258 - L/D

Section 01
M 01:30 PM - 02:50 PM CONV 108
W 01:30 PM - 02:50 PM CONV 108

Textbooks

Below are the textbooks used in this course, along with pricing information and availability at local bookstores. The price range shown is based upon queries to multiple online booksellers; click on the the price field to see detailed pricing information.

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

ISBN	Title	Publisher	Author(s)	Comment	Book Store	Price
9780226151311	The Major Political Writings Of Jean-jacques Rousseau: The Two Discourses And The Social Contract	University Of Chicago Press	Jean-jacques Rousseau		Amherst Books	From $10.00-$31.23
9780684862699	The FUTURE AND ITS ENEMIES: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress	Free Press	Postrel, Virginia		Amherst Books	From $3.77-$24.98
9781594039256	Past and Present: The Challenges of Modernity, from the Pre-Victorians to the Postmodernists (Encounter Classics)	Encounter Books	Himmelfarb, Gertrude		Amherst Books	From $17.32-$23.99
9781609809188	The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic	Seven Stories Press	Emma		Amherst Books	From $7.03-$28.10
9781781688106	The New Prophets of Capital (Jacobin)	Verso	Aschoff, Nicole		Amherst Books	From $5.68-$23.34

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2022-23: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021