PHIL 318: STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY

Contemporary Critical Theory

Mo & We 2-3:20pm
Parkes Hall 224

Professor: Mark Alznauer
m-alznauer@northwestern.edu
Office: Crowe 3-167
Office Hours: Mon, Wed 8:50-9:50am.


Class Description: Critical theory is a form of contemporary
philosophic thought, heavily influenced by Marx and Freud, that
attempts to provide a philosophic diagnosis of the problems of
modern society and to guide us toward human emancipation. The
greatest living representative of this tradition is Jrgen Habermas,
who will be the keynote lecture for a conference on critical theory
here at Northwestern in May. This course will both introduce
students to the basic concepts of critical theory and engage with
current controversies within that tradition.

Class Requirements: It is highly recommended that students have
some prior background in philosophy.

Learning Objective: In this course, our aim is to understand the basic
concepts of critical theory as they are employed in current debates.

Teaching Method: Seminar, twice a week. Taking advantage of local
expertise, I have planned multiple guest lecturers.

Required Texts:

1) Raymond Geuss, The Idea of Critical Theory: Habermas and
the Frankfurt School (Cambridge University Press, 1981),
ISBN: 0521284228.
2) Hannah Arendt. Eichmann in Jerusalem, Penguin edition
3) Essays provided on blackboard

Recommended Texts (one of the following):

1) J. Habermas, Knowledge and Human Interests, Shapiro
(trans.), Beacon Press, 1971.
2) J. Habermas, Legitimation Crisis, McCarthy (trans.). Beacon
Press, 1975.
3) T. Adorno, The Positivist Dispute in German Sociology, Glyn
Adey and David Frisby (trans.), Harper, 1976.
4) J. Habermas, Theory and Practice, Viertel (trans.), Beacon
Press, 1973.
5) J. Habermas, Toward a Rational Society, Shapiro (trans.),
Beacon Press, 1970.
6) A. Wellmer, Critical Theory of Society, Cumming (trans.).
Seabury Press, 1971.

Evaluation Method:

i.) Participation & Attendance (25%): You are allowed up to 2
absences without penalty. Frequent lateness, lack of
participation, etc., are also grounds for a grade reduction under
this category. Attendance will be kept through a sign-in sheet.
You may not, of course, sign in for anyone else. This would
constitute a violation of academic integrity and would result in a
zero for participation and attendance.

ii.) ASSIGNMENT (25%): The assignment is to take one of the
source works Geuss refers to in The Idea of Critical Theory
(see T 1 T 6 on pp. xi-xii) and to analyze the accuracy of
Geusss references to that work. It is expected that you will
procure a copy of one of these works, either by ordering it or by
checking it out from the library. These titles have already been
placed on reserve for this course, but they can only be checked
out for one day at a time. More information about this
assignment will be given in class.

iii.) FINAL Paper (50%): The greatest part of your grade for this
course will be based on your final paper. The final paper is due
on the second to last day of class. Final papers will also need to
be submitted to SafeAssign on the same day.

Tentative Schedule

Week 1
M: NO CLASSES 1/6
W: Introduction

Week 2
M: R. Geuss, The Idea of Critical Theory, Introduction and Ch. 1:
Ideology (esp. pp. 1-27)
W: R. Geuss, The Idea of Critical Theory, Ch. 1 (esp. pp. 27-44); Ch.
2: Interests

Week 3
M: NO CLASSES 1/20 (Martin Luther King Day)
W: R. Geuss, The Idea of Critical Theory, Ch. 3: Critical Theory, esp.
pp. 54-75

Week 4:
M: R. Geuss, The Idea of Critical Theory, Ch. 3: Critical Theory, esp.
pp. 75-95
W: A. Honneth, Pathologies of Reason, Ch. 2 & 3 (blackboard).

Week 5:
M: N. Fraser, Whats Critical about Critical Theory
http://www.jstor.org/stable/488202
ASSIGNMENT DUE 2/3
W: A. Allen, Critical Theory and the Idea of Progress
(blackboard)

Week 6:
M: J. Habermas, A Political Constitution for the Pluralist World
Society?
revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/acfs/article/download/1029/1213
W: C. Lafont, Alternate Visions of a New Global Order (Lafont, 2/12)

Week 7:
M: Arendt, selections from Eichmann in Jerusalem
W: C. Menke, At the Brink of Law (Menke, 2/19)
(blackboard)

Week 8:
M: W. Brown, Suffering Rights as Paradoxes (Deutscher, 2/24)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/1467-
8675.00183/asset/1467-
8675.00183.pdf?v=1&t=hqtjormr&s=01b9ccf424262c590170feff03d2
5c75505e5f26
W: NO CLASS 2/26

Week 9:
M: S. Benhabib, Is there a Human Right to Democracy?
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1899956
W: R. Forst, The Justification of Human Rights and the Basic Right
to Justification: A Reflexive Approach
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/653434

Week 10:
M: R. Jaeggi, Entfremdung, Intro & Part I (blackboard)
FINAL PAPER DUE 3/10
W: R. Jaeggi, Entfremdung, Part III (blackboard) MAKE-UP CLASS

Note: There is no final in this course.