printer friendly pagePOLISCI 234S: The Political Theory of Progress Reconsidered
This course will consider the origins and fate of Enlightenment theories of political progress. We will begin with the classic accounts of progress in Kant, Hegel, and Marx, before turning to conservative critics of progress (Burke, de Maistre), and non-conservative challenges to the idea of progress (Weber, Schmitt, Adorno, Arendt), before concluding with contemporary controversies around the idea of progress as it pertains to technology, the environment, and economic inequality.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 235: Chinese Political Thought: 1895-2021 (POLISCI 335)
Everybody is talking about China now. The competition between China and the Western world is not only about economic growth, technological advancement, and military strength. What is ultimately at stake is a key theoretical question: Can China's political traditions and current practices (such as one-party meritocracy) offer a legitimate and desirable alternative to the ideal of liberal democracy? This course aims to approach this question through the lens of intellectual history and political theory. Attention is given to how Chinese thinkers since 1895 have conceived of China's place in the world, how they have used Western political ideas to transform China, how they have creatively transformed Chinese traditions to meet the challenge of modernity, and, most importantly, how they have advanced political ideals that claim to be able fix the problems in the West (such as imperialism and capitalism). We will also learn how Western thinkers are responding to the challenge from China. The first half of the course covers foundational texts in Chinese intellectual history from 1895 to the Maoist Era. The second half is about political thinking in contemporary China. No prior knowledge about China, Chinese, or political theory/philosophy is required.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 235N: Political Thought in Modern Asia (CHINA 146, CHINA 246, ETHICSOC 146, POLISCI 335N)
The study of political theory in the United States has been accused of being Western-centric: We tend to focus on intellectual traditions from Plato to NATO, while ignoring the vast world of non-Western societies and the ways they think about politics and public life. How do Chinese thinkers conceptualize human rights and good governance? How do Indian intellectuals reconcile democracy and inherited hierarchies in Hinduism? How do Islamic scholars view the relationship between religious authority and secular authority? Should we regard liberal democracy, or Western civilization more broadly, as representing the universal value guiding every society? Or, should we learn from non-Western ideas and values so as to solve problems plaguing Western societies? How can competing visions of good life coexist in a globalized and increasingly pluralistic world? This course aims to answer these questions by exploring three Asian traditions and their perspectives on politics: Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam. We will focus on the modern period (19th-21st centuries) and the ways intellectuals in these societies respond to the challenge of modernity and Western superiority. Special attention is given to how these intellectuals conceive of the relationship between modernity and their respective traditions: Are they compatible or mutually exclusive? In which ways do intellectuals interpret these traditions so as to render them (in)compatible with modernity? We will read academic articles written by Anglophone scholars as well as original texts written by non-Western thinkers. No knowledge of non-Western languages is required.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 236: Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236S, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 236S: Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 237: Varieties of Conservatism in America
This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
Instructors:
Berkowitz, P. (PI)
POLISCI 335N: Political Thought in Modern Asia (CHINA 146, CHINA 246, ETHICSOC 146, POLISCI 235N)
The study of political theory in the United States has been accused of being Western-centric: We tend to focus on intellectual traditions from Plato to NATO, while ignoring the vast world of non-Western societies and the ways they think about politics and public life. How do Chinese thinkers conceptualize human rights and good governance? How do Indian intellectuals reconcile democracy and inherited hierarchies in Hinduism? How do Islamic scholars view the relationship between religious authority and secular authority? Should we regard liberal democracy, or Western civilization more broadly, as representing the universal value guiding every society? Or, should we learn from non-Western ideas and values so as to solve problems plaguing Western societies? How can competing visions of good life coexist in a globalized and increasingly pluralistic world? This course aims to answer these questions by exploring three Asian traditions and their perspectives on politics: Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam. We will focus on the modern period (19th-21st centuries) and the ways intellectuals in these societies respond to the challenge of modernity and Western superiority. Special attention is given to how these intellectuals conceive of the relationship between modernity and their respective traditions: Are they compatible or mutually exclusive? In which ways do intellectuals interpret these traditions so as to render them (in)compatible with modernity? We will read academic articles written by Anglophone scholars as well as original texts written by non-Western thinkers. No knowledge of non-Western languages is required.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
PSYC 55N: Secrecy
What is a secret and why do we keep them? What is the cost - and the burden - of secret-keeping? The focus of this seminar will be professional secrecy, as we explore corporate confidentiality and the secret-keeping expected of all of us as professionals, and those who are engaged in issues of national security. Secrecy will be discussed in both ethical and practical frameworks. We will also explore psychology of secrecy, and secret-keeping in relationships. Students will begin to develop a personal ethic related to secrecy and will grapple with the intersection of secrets, lies and obfuscation.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
Instructors:
Jacobs, J. (PI)
PSYC 56N: The Personal Genomics Revolution: Focus on Mental Health
The Human Genome Project transformed the field of medicine and launched the "Personal Genomics Revolution". It is now possible to view your DNA in minute detail for only $99. Height, weight, educational attainment, depression risk, and much more, can be predicted using genetic information. Ethical questions abound regarding the use of genetic information in medicine, the legal system, government, and private companies. On the other hand, genetic findings may dramatically improve mental health treatment by guiding the development of new medications, matching patients to the right treatments, and identifying people for whom early mental health services might make all the difference. How much can you learn about risk for mental health problems from your DNA? This course will provide the foundational genetic and statistical information necessary for understanding the current and future capabilities of personal genomic predictions for mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. We will also explore the ways in which genetic data can reveal where our ancestors lived as well as the consequences of a lack of diversity in genetic databases. This course also focuses on the practice of science, how it works well and how it can go terribly wrong. Learning from past examples of the misuse of genetic information, students will propose and debate strategies for maximizing the utility of genetic research to improve mental health while simultaneously limiting potential harms.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
PSYC 111Q: The Changing Face of "Mental Illness" in Women: Historical, Medical and Artistic Approaches
In this seminar we want to take a look at women's lives beginning in the past century to the present and the many changes which occurred in conceptualizing and understanding mental illness. The female reproductive system has been linked to mental illness in women for centuries. The womb was believed to be the source of anxiety and depression, leading women to become 'hysterical'. But what does 'hysteria' really mean, and how have historical and cultural attitudes towards women framed the study of women's mental health? How have the expectations of and demands on women and their role in society changed from the 19th to the 20th century? How have advances in health care and changing economic conditions influenced women's health? The course will introduce students to historical and current concepts of mental illness in women. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMS), eating disorders, the hysterias and functional neurologic disorders and infertility and postpartum depression will be analyzed through a historical bio-psycho-social lens. Historical reading will include primary sources, such as women's diaries and physicians' casebooks and medical case records, as well as secondary sources such as advice books, and 19th- and 20th-century medical texts. Guest speakers from the art history and literature departments will stimulate dialogue regarding literary and artistic images and the social and cultural contexts of these disorders. Importantly, we will examine the changing face of "mental illness in women" in art, literature and medicine--the evolution of diversity in represented voices and the current methods of researching and treating the interface between the female reproductive cycle and psychiatric illness in diverse populations of women. Embedded within each lecture will be break-out sessions with opportunities for students to ask questions and to discuss a topic in greater depth. Students will have the opportunity to complete their own interdisciplinary projects for the course. Prior projects have included not only power point presentations of diverse topics, but also short films and stories, and future women's mental health research project proposals.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-ER
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