Course Description:
Welcome to this senior seminar on theories of justice.  In this course, we will investigate
some of the most influential accounts of justice in Western philosophy.  Our central focus will be
on the social contract theory of justice, as articulated by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant,
and its classical alternatives, as argued by Plato, Aristotle, and St. Thomas Aquinas.  A secondary
focus will be on questions of war, revolution, crime, and punishment.    Be prepared to do a lot of
reading, and a great deal of thinking, thinking and more thinking.  Be prepared to discuss with
the class what you have read and your thinking concerning what you have read.  Finally, be
prepared to have a real adventure of the mind, significant work, but a great deal of intellectual
challenge and fun in the process.

Grading:
The seminar will be conducted on a reading/discussion basis. This is not a lecture course.
It will be imperative to be here, have your readings done, and be prepared to discuss what you
have read.  Your grade will be based on your attendance, participation, and two papers (5-10
double-spaced pages), one of which will be prepared and presented to the seminar for discussion.
As part of the grade based on participation, you will be expected to submit a short summary (1-2
paragraphs) of the readings assigned for that day at the beginning of each class.
 

               January 24:    Introduction.

               January 31:    Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, Book I: 66-88, 119-126; Book II: 34-65; Book III:82-85; Book
               V: 84-113.
               Secondary reading: Victor Davis Hanson, “A Voice from the Past,” National Review Online, (November 27,
               2001).

               February 7:    Plato’s Republic, Books I, II (selections).

               February 14:   Plato’s Republic, Books IV,V (selections).

               February 21:   Plato’s Republic, Books, VI, VII (selections), VIII-IX.

               February 28:   Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book I, ch. 1-5, 7-9, 13; Book II, ch. 5-7; Book
               V, ch. 1-4, 7, 10.

               March 7:  Aristotle’s Politics, Book I, ch. 1-7, 12-13; Book III, ch. 6-8; Book VII, ch. 1-3, 7-8, 13-15.
               Secondary reading: The editors of First Things, “In a Time of War” (December 2001).

               March 14:      St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 90; q. 91, aa. 1-4; q. 92, a. 1; q.
               93, aa. 2-3; q. 94, aa. 2-5; q. 95, a. 2; q. 96, a..2;  II-II, q. 40, a. 1; q. 64, aa. 2, 5-8.  
               Secondary reading:  Howard Zinn, “A Just Cause, Not a Just War,” The Progressive, (December 2001).
              
               March 21: Essay #1 due.  Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, Introduction, ch. VI, XI, XIII-XV, XVII-XVIII.

               April 4:  John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, ch. II-IX, XVI, XIX.

               April 11: Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Second Discourse and Social Contract (selections).

               April 18: Immanuel Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, sec. 1-2.

               April 25: Immanuel Kant’s Metaphysical Principles of Justice, pp. 33-48, 75-81, 84-89, 99-107, 109-129.
               Secondary Reading: C. Ellsworth Hood, “Options.” 

               May 2:    John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism, ch. 2, 5; On Liberty, ch. 1,4.
               Secondary Reading: Hans von Sponeck “There are Alternatives to Military Action,” Z-Net (January 10, 2002).

               May 9:    John Rawls’ "Justice as Fairness."  First set of class presentations.

               May 16:   Second set of class presentations. Essay # 2 due.