Syllabus
POL100(01)
Introduction to Political Theory
Fall 2025
MW 13:00-14:29 (NIC 001)
Office Hours: By Appointment (NIC 103)
Dr. Don Dombowsky
e-mail: ddombows@ubishops.ca
Course Description
The 18th and 19th centuries witnessed the emergence of various political theories and ideologies that continue to be contested in our own time. In this course, we will analyze a set of politically innovative and influential writings from this extraordinary period in the history of political philosophy that provided the foundational principles of liberalism, democracy, conservatism, feminism, nationalism, socialism, communism, anarchism and zionism (we will then take one further step – into the early 20th century and discuss the doctrine of fascism). In the process, you will become familiar with the underlying principles of these political theories and also have the opportunity to reflect on their contemporary application.
Required Texts (available in the bookstore)
John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government (Dover).
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (Oxford).
Peter Kropotkin, The Conquest of Bread (Dover).
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto (Oxford).
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (Hackett).
Online Texts (links are provided in the Syllabus).
Course Requirements
1. In-Class Exam on Liberal and Democratic Political Theory: 20%.
2. In-Class Exam on Conservative, Feminist and Nationalist Political Theory : 20%.
3. In-Class Exam on Socialist, Communist, Anarchist, Zionist and Fascist Political Theory: 30%.
4. Ideology Identification Exercise: Maximum 8 bonus marks.
5. Report on a Contemporary Political Philosopher: 30%. Further instructions TBA.
Extensions on all assignments will be provided only for a compelling reon and if notification has been given prior to the due date. (Having work due in other courses does not constitute a compelling reason.) Otherwise, with each day late you will be deducted 1 mark. Please read the section on Academic Integrity, specifically pertaining to plagiarism, in the Bishop’s University Calendar, p. 19.
SCHEDULE
WK I. Sept. 03: A Brief Introduction to How We May Define Political Theory.
WK II. Sept. 08: Liberalism. John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government (1690), Chs I-VI.
Sept. 10: Locke, The Second Treatise of Government, Chs VII-XIX.
WK III. Sept. 15: Democracy. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755), Part One, 1-18.
Sept. 17: Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Part One, 18-44.
Refocus: Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and the Public Sphere.
WK IV. Sept. 22: In-Class Exam on Liberal and Democratic Political Theory.
Sept. 24: Conservatism. Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), 3-43.
WK V. Sept. 29: Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 43-88.
Oct. 01: Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821), Against Rousseau (1792-97), ‘On the State of Nature: Man is Sociable in His Essence’, 2-35. https://archive.org/details/joseph-de-maistre-against-rousseau. Refocus: An Overview of Human Rights Doctrine.
WK VI. Oct. 06: Feminism. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), Dedication, Introduction, Chapters 2, 4, 9, 12. http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/wollstonecraft1792.pdf
Oct. 08: Harriet Taylor Mill (1807-1858), The Enfranchisement of Women (1851). http://acdc2007.free.fr/harriettaylor1851.pdf
WK VII. Oct. 13-Oct. 17: Reading Week
WK. VIII. Oct. 20: Nationalism. Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814), Addresses to the German Nation (1808), ‘Thirteenth Address’. https://archive.org/details/addressestothege00fichuoft/page/n13/mode/2up
Refocus: Ernest Renan (1823-1892), ‘What is a Nation?’ (1882).
Oct. 22: In-Class Exam on Conservative, Feminist and Nationalist Political Theory.
WK. IX. Oct. 27: Socialism. Robert Owen (1771-1858), A New View of Society (1816), Essay Three – Essay Four. https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/economics/owen/society/index.htm
Oct. 29: Claude-Henri Saint-Simon (1760-1825), ‘Letters from an Inhabitant of Geneva to His Contemporaries’ (1803). file:///C:/Users/dd-75/Downloads/Letters%20from%20an%20Inhabitant%20of%20Geneva%20to%20His%20Contemporaries.html
Refocus: The CCF Regina Manifesto (1933)
WK X. Nov. 03: Communism. Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), The Communist Manifesto (1848).
Nov. 05: Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto.
WK XI. Nov. 10: Anarchism. Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921), The Conquest of Bread (1892), Preface, Chapters I-II.
Nov. 12: Kropotkin, The Conquest of Bread, Chapters III-IV.
WK XII. Nov. 17: Zionism. Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), ‘The Jewish State’ (1896). http://mideastweb.org/jewishstate.pdf
Nov. 19: Herzl, ‘The Jewish State’.
WK XIII. Nov. 24: Fascism. Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), ‘The Doctrine of Fascism’ (1932).
https://sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/2B-HUM/Readings/The-Doctrine-of-Fascism.pdf
Nov. 26: In-Class Exam on Socialist, Communist, Anarchist, Zionist and Fascist Political Theory.
WK XIV. Dec. 01: Ideological Identification Exercise (Bonus marks).
End of Classes
- Teacher: Don Dombowsky