POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
POL3315 Political Thought I Fall 3 0 3 7
The course opens with the approval of the Department at the beginning of each semester

Basic information

Language of instruction: En
Type of course: Must Course
Course Level: Bachelor
Mode of Delivery: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Course Objectives: This course is the first part of the investigation into the history of political thought. Since the time of Socrates, philosophers have asked fundamental questions regarding the nature of justice, the good life, the role of the state, political regimes, citizenship, freedom, law and the relationship between these concepts. In this first part of the course, the answers provided to these questions until modernity will be evaluated through a close reading of the texts, which have been decisive in the formation of an accumulation of knowledge in the area of political thought.

Learning Outputs

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course;
1. Identify the fundamental concepts and questions of Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman, Medieval political thought and early modern European political theory;
2. Explain the answers provided to these questions by important thinkers;
3. Discuss the continuity and change in the definition of these concepts over time;
4. Consider critical perspectives on the Global North-centric and androcentric perspectives while assessing ongoing approaches in the history of political thought;
5. Evaluate the relevance of these questions for modern political life.

Course Content

Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman political thought (Socrates, Plato, Aristoteles, Cicero), Medieval political thought (St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Al-Farabi, Ibn Khaldun), Early Modern (Machiavelli), Social Contract tradition and revisions (Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Carole Pateman & Charles Mills).

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction
2) How to Study the History of Political Thought & Ancient Political Thought Skinner, Q. (1972). Motives, intentions and the interpretation of texts. New literary history, 3(2), 393-408. Babb, J. (2018). “2. The foundational thinkers (600-400 BCE). A World History of Political Thought. Edward Elgar Publishing. “How Should We Study the History of Political Thought”, In Coleman, J. (2000). A history of political thought (Vol. 1). Oxford: Blackwell, 13-20. Smith, Steven B. 2000. “Political Science and Political Philosophy: An Uneasy Relation.” PS: Political Science & Politics 33 (2): 189–91.
3) Ancient Athenian Democracy & Socrates’ Investigation & Platonic Utopia “Crito”, In Cooper, J. M., & Hutchinson, D. S. (Eds.). (1997). Plato: complete works. Hackett Publishing. “Book I” and “Book VII”, In Cooper, J. M., & Hutchinson, D. S. (Eds.). (1997). Plato: complete works. Hackett Publishing. “Apology”, In Cooper, J. M., & Hutchinson, D. S. (Eds.). (1997). Plato: complete works. Hackett Publishing. “Plato”, In Roberts, Peri and Sutch, Peter. (2012) An Introduction to Political Thought. Edinburgh University Press.
4) Aristotle’s Politics “Book I” and “Book III”, In Reeve, C. D. C. (1998). Aristotle: Politics. Indianapolis: Hackett. “Aristotle”, In Roberts, Peri and Sutch, Peter. (2012) An Introduction to Political Thought. Edinburgh University Press.
5) Roman Political Thought Atkins, J. (2018) “Chapter I The Roman Constitution in Theory and Practice” in Roman Political Thought. Cambridge University Press. Atkins, J. (2018) “Liberty and Related Concepts” in Roman Political Thought. Cambridge University Press. Coleman, J. (2000) “Cicero’s Rome and Cicero’s Republic” in History of Political Thought. Wiley-Blackwell.
6) Religion and Politics: Early and Late Medieval Period “Book Eleventh”, in The City of God. (St. Augustine). https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45304/45304-h/45304-h.htm “The Virtuous City” (aphs. 57-67), In The political writings:" Selected aphorisms" and other texts. Cornell University Press, 2015 (al-Farabi). “Introduction” in Bowering, G. (Ed.). (2015). Islamic political thought: An introduction. Princeton University Press, pp. 2-23. “St Augustine”, “Thomas Aquinas” In Boucher, D., & Kelly, P. (Eds.). (2017). Political thinkers: from Socrates to the present. Oxford University Press.
7) Midterm
8) Transitions to Modernity: Ibn Khaldun & Niccolò Machiavelli Khaldun, I. (2015). The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History-Abridged Edition. Princeton University Press, Chapter III (1-15). Machiavelli, N. (2009). Discourses on Livy. University of Chicago Press, pp. 7-14. Machiavelli, N. (2005). The Prince, trans. P. Bondanella, pp. 7-30. “Machiavelli”, In Boucher, D., & Kelly, P. (Eds.). (2017). Political thinkers: from Socrates to the present. Oxford University Press.
9) Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan “Of Commonwealth”, In Hobbes, T. (1996). Leviathan (ed. JCA Gaskin) Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 111-131. “Hobbes”, In Boucher, D., & Kelly, P. (Eds.). (2017). Political thinkers: from Socrates to the present. Oxford University Press.
10) Enlightenment & Liberty: John Locke “Second Treatise”, In Locke, J. (2003). Two Treatises on Government, edited by Ian Shapiro, pp. 100-121. “Locke”, In Boucher, D., & Kelly, P. (Eds.). (2017). Political thinkers: from Socrates to the present. Oxford University Press.
11) Jean Jacques Rousseau and His Republican Project “Social Contract”, In Rousseau, J. J., & May, G. (2002). The social contract: And, the first and second discourses. Yale University Press, pp. 155-169. “Rousseau”, In Boucher, D., & Kelly, P. (Eds.). (2017). Political thinkers: from Socrates to the present. Oxford University Press.
12) Social Contract: Tradition, Revival and Revisions Pateman, C. (1988) “Patriarchal Confusions” in The Sexual Contract. Stanford University Press. Mills, C. (1999) “Introduction” in The Racial Contract. Cornell University Press. “CHAPTER THREE – Historical: Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau”, In Roberts, Peri and Sutch, Peter. (2012) An Introduction to Political Thought. Edinburgh University Press.
13) ROLEPLAY DEBATE
14) GENERAL EVALUATION
14) REVISION & Q/A SESSION

Sources

Course Notes: Weekly readings will be uploaded on ItsLearning at the beginning of the semester. Please note that all book chapters and articles listed on the syllabus are also accessible through the BAU Library. The PPT files will be shared on ItsLearning following each class.
References: Guidelines on assignments and the roleplay debate will be uploaded on Itslearning at the beginning of the semester.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 0 % 0
Laboratory % 0
Application % 0
Field Work % 0
Special Course Internship (Work Placement) % 0
Quizzes 0 % 0
Homework Assignments 2 % 10
Presentation 1 % 20
Project % 0
Seminar % 0
Midterms 1 % 30
Preliminary Jury % 0
Final 1 % 40
Paper Submission % 0
Jury % 0
Bütünleme % 0
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 12 36
Laboratory
Application
Special Course Internship (Work Placement)
Field Work
Study Hours Out of Class 12 116
Presentations / Seminar 1 3
Project
Homework Assignments 2 16
Quizzes
Preliminary Jury
Midterms 1 2
Paper Submission
Jury
Final 1 2
Total Workload 175

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Grasp basic theoretical and conceptual knowledge about the field and relations between them at the level of practice. 5
2) Possess basic knowledge about the causes and effects of political transformations in societies. 5
3) Possess knowledge about quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods in social and behavioral sciences.
4) Recognize historical patterns while evaluating contemporary political and social developments. 5
5) Demonstrate interdisciplinary and critical approach while analyzing, synthesizing and forecasting domestic and foreign policy. 2
6) Conduct studies in the field professionally, both independently or as a team member. 3
7) Possess consciousness about lifelong learning based on Research & Development. 3
8) Communicate with peers both orally and in writing, by using a foreign language at least at a level of European Language Portfolio B1 General Level and the necessary informatics and communication technologies. 5
9) Apply field-related knowledge and competences into career advancement, projects for sustainable development goals, and social responsibility initiatives. 2
10) Possess the habit to monitor domestic and foreign policy agenda as well as international developments. 3
11) Possess competence to interpret the new political actors, theories and concepts in a global era. 3
12) Evaluate the legal and ethical implications of advanced technologies on politics. 4