PPE 300: Liberalism

Dr. Richard M. Buck

Fall 2019
MW 2-3:15
CONTACT INFORMATION
Office: 300 Bradley Hall
Office Phone: x5458
E-mail: buck@msmary.edu
Office hours: M/W/F 9-9:30
W 3:30-4:00
Th. 10-12; 1-3

This course focuses on liberalism as both a general philosophical view and, in particular, as the foundation of the
modern liberal democracy, through an exploration of topics such as the nature of the human person and political
society, human rights, the limits of political authority, justice, and political legitimacy. The course will also include
a consideration of the philosophical differences between liberalism and rival theories, such as natural law and
conservatism, and how these differences are manifest in contemporary debates concerning issues such as economic
equality, religion in the public square, and the relationship between morality and law. Students will make use of the
concepts discussed in the course to develop critical analyzes of contemporary social and political institutions.

Learning Outcomes and Course Objectives

PPE 300 is designed to achieve the following objectives:

1. Acquaint students with some of the most influential thinkers and theories in the liberal political tradition
and their connection to modern democracies;
2. Acquaint students with the philosophical assumptions (particularly, assumptions about the human person)
underlying these theories;
3. Help students to develop the tools needed to identify and understand philosophical assumptions embedded
in contemporary political and economic debates and thereby appreciate the ethical stance taken in those
arguments;
4. Help students to appreciate and develop the writing and critical reasoning skills necessary for success in
their studies, careers, and familial and civic life.

Major Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes

The specific objectives identified for this course are designed to function in the context of the program in
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. In fulfilling course objectives, you are addressing the following objectives of
the PPE major:

1. The PPE major nurtures a strong foundation in moral reasoning, the philosophical foundations of economic
and political thought, and an in depth understanding of contemporary economic and political science
theories and debates.
2. The PPE major seeks to synthesize the disciplines of philosophy, theology, political science, and economics
in a manner that fosters an understanding of how these disciplines intersect and inform one another.
3. Courses in the PPE major encourage critical thinking skills and promote lifelong learning and reflection on
the problems of politics and economics, especially as shaped by our understanding of the human condition.

This course also supports the following learning outcomes of the PPE major:

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 2. Students will be able to analyze and differentiate between philosophical and theoretical perspectives
regarding moral reasoning and human behavior.
3. Students will be able to identify and evaluate the fundamental concepts and ideas in philosophy, theology,
political science, and economics, which pertain to the political-economic system and the way that these
concepts and ideas are connected to one another
4. Students will understand the critical role of culture and civil society in forming people in virtue and in
stewarding the ideals by which people lead their lives, and of the complementary interactions between/roles
of economy, polity, and civil society.

Undergraduate Program Goals

All major and core programs, in turn, are designed to achieve overarching goals of the University. These
overarching goals, called “undergraduate program goals,” span both the curricular and the co-curricular aspects of
your education and are at the heart of the Mount educational experience. These goals focus on (1) the Catholic
vision of the human person, (2) the Western tradition, (3) competencies, (4) your major, (5) social justice in a
global community, and (6) a life well-lived. The complete list of all the goals can be found at:
https://tinyurl.com/msm-UGgoals

Achievement of the program goals addressed by this course contributes to achievement of the following
undergraduate program goals:

1. understanding and articulating the Catholic vision of the human person, particularly as it relates to the
nature of the good, the relationship between faith and reason, and the human relationship with G-d;
2. integrate diverse modes of human inquiry and expression through rigorous study of the Western tradition,
including its American expression;
3. master the skills of analysis, interpretation, communication, and problem solving;
4. understand the purposes and concepts of at least one major field of study and become proficient in its
methodology

Required Texts
Imanuel Kant, Perpetual Peace and Other Essays (Hackett Publishing)
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government (Hackett Publishing)
J.S. Mill, On Liberty (Hackett Publishing)
Michael Walzer, Politics and Passion: Toward a More Egalitarian Liberalism (Yale University Press)
Rawls, Political Liberalism (expanded edition) (Columbia University Press)
Rousseau, On the Social Contract (Hackett)

Assignments
Preparation, Attendance, and Participation (15%)
You are required to attend class regularly, and to be prepared to participate in class discussion. Every absence will
affect your participation grade; missing more than two class sessions without an excuse may result in a reduction in
your course grade. You must provide a reasonable and verifiable explanation for any absence you wish to be
excused.

While there will be some lectures during class sessions, this course is structured as a seminar, with a focus on
discussion of the ideas, arguments, and questions we will encounter in our readings. Thus, it is expected that there
will be a significant amount of discussion during each class session (notice that participation is 15% of the course
grade). This means that you must not only attend, but must also be prepared for each class meeting, bring the course
readings with you to class, and contribute to class discussion on a regular basis. The only way to prepare for class
sessions is to read the assigned material diligently and carefully. Philosophical texts cannot be skimmed or read
quickly, and it often takes more than one reading to figure out the author’s main point and arguments. Therefore, I
strongly recommend that you re-read the texts after we meet and discuss them. This will significantly improve your

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comprehension of the material and will help you to perform better on papers and exams. Please do not hesitate to
stop by during office hours if you do not understand a reading we’ve covered in class.

I realize that some of you may be hesitant to participate in class discussion because you are not familiar with the
course material. You do not need to have a complete grasp of the entirety of a reading to participate in class
discussion, nor do you need to raise a devastating criticism of an argument in the one of the readings to contribute
to the conversation. Raising a question about a reading or introducing an interesting contemporary example of some
point we’re discussing are two very helpful ways to make a significant contribution to class discussion. To ensure
frequent and meaningful class participation, I may call on students at random to share their reflections on the text or
respond to a point made by another student.

Your participation grade will be determined on the basis of your attendance, preparation for class (reading carefully
before class, having the readings with you in class), and the frequency and quality of your participation in class,
and your engagement in class when not participating. Texting or otherwise using your cell phone in class will lower
your participation grade. See below for the policy on the use of technology in class.

Micro-Essays (35%)
You are required to write 10 micro essays during the course of the semester. These essays are tied to the reading
assignments, and are due by 9:00 p.m. the evening prior to our discussion of the reading in class. Usually, you
will be asked to analyze some part of the assigned reading. In some cases, I will ask you share your reactions to the
reading.

The Micro Essays must be submitted through the Canvas course page in pdf format. I have set up the Micro
Essays on Canvas as peer-review assignments so that once you have submitted your essay, you will be able to read
the essays submitted by your classmates (note: you are not required to comment on your classmates’ essays). I
encourage you to read at least some of your classmates’ essays, as this will make it easier to use the micro essays to
stimulate and enhance our discussion of the readings. It is very important that you submit your micro essays by
the 9:00 p.m. deadline the night before we discuss the reading.

You must submit micro essays on any date for which a micro essay has been assigned (indicated by ME in the
course schedule). However, you must submit at least five micro-essays by fall break (and you may not submit more
than 10 over the course of the semester). As you will see in the syllabus, micro essays are not assigned for every
class period, so be careful when planning your submission. The micro essays will be graded on a 10 point scale
(e.g., A= 9-10; B=8-8.75; etc.).

Thesis Paper (25%)

The culmination of your work for this course will be a thesis paper of 8-10 pages in length (10-12 pages for MAPS
students) in which you defend a thesis concerning a problem or question arising from one or more of the course
readings and class discussions. The thesis must be a philosophical claim that is clearly stated and supported with
sound philosophical reasoning. In the paper, you must integrate material from the one (or more) of the modules as
well as secondary literature. A paper proposal is due on Wednesday, November 6. The paper will be due on
Tuesday, December 3. A more detailed set of instructions for these assignments will be distributed in September.

Exams (25%)
There will a midterm (worth 10% of the course grade) and a final exam (worth 15% of the course grade). I will post
a study guide for each exam to the Canvas course page.

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Grading Standards and Policies

Grading Rubric for Essays and Exams

Exceptionally well-written and well-organized, demonstrates a high-level of understanding of relevant
A arguments and claims; contains original insight into the text and perfect or near-perfect grammar and spelling

Very good writing and effective organization, demonstrating a good grasp of relevant arguments and claims;
B provide evidence of significant reflection on the assignment and relevant texts, identifying and developing
interesting ideas; minimal grammar, spelling, and grammatical errors;

Adequately fulfills assignment; demonstrates only a general understanding of the relevant texts and
C
arguments; interesting ideas are identified but not developed; satisfactory organization; ideas are not clearly
presented; frequent writing mistakes.

Attempts to address relevant topic, question, or text but does not adequately fulfill assignment; poor
D
expression of ideas and lack of organization; contains no evidence of an understanding of texts and
argument; multiple writing mistakes;

Incomplete assignments—no attempt to address relevant topic or question; lack of evidence of

F
understanding; no argumentation; no organization; poor writing throughout

The following scale will be used to assign course grades:

A (93-100); A- (90-92); B+ (87-89); B (83-86): B- (80-82); C+ (77-79); C (73-76); C- (70-72); D+ (67-69); D (63-
66); D- (60-62); F (59 and below)

Makeup Exams and Late Papers

I will give makeup exams and accept late papers without penalty only if you have a reasonable and verifiable
excuse and you contact me prior to the regularly scheduled exam or due date. All papers turned in late without prior
approval will be marked down at my discretion. Further, I am the sole judge of what constitutes a reasonable
excuse. A conflict with your social calendar does not constitute a “reasonable” excuse.

Technology
This course will not make use of any technology that would require students to use a laptop or tablet during class
sessions. Therefore, I ask that students not use these devices for note taking or accessing texts during class sessions.
Scholars have found that digital reading encourages distraction and multi-tasking. While fine for readings that do
not require re-reading and reflection, digital devices were not designed “for focused concentration, reading slowly,
pausing to argue virtually with the author, or rereading” (Naomi S. Baron. “How E-Reading Threatens Learning in
the Humanities.” The Chronicle of Higher Education July 18, 2014: A52. Print.). See also a study published in
Computers and Education in 2013, which suggests that the use of laptops in the classroom lowers comprehension
and performance for their uses as well as the students around them (http://tiny.cc/laptopsinclass).

Cell phones and other communication devices must be out of sight and turned off during class. Violations of this
policy will result in a reduction of the participation grade.

Special Circumstances
If you have a problem with any aspect of the course and its requirements please be certain to make an appointment
with me to discuss this. If you have a disability that prevents the fullest expression of your abilities, please contact
me as soon as possible so that we may discuss the appropriate accommodations necessary for you to successfully
complete the course.

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 Reading and Assignment Schedule
The following schedule is subject to change based on the pace of the class. If I have to make changes to this
schedule, I will announce them in class or via e-mail and note them on the Canvas course page. You are responsible
for keeping track of any changes that are made and completing all assignments on time

DA DATE Topic and Reading

Y
M 8/19 Course Introduction and Syllabus Review
Foundations of Philosophical Liberalism
W 8/21 Hobbes’ Leviathan—a brief overview
M 8/26 Locke, Second Treatise of Government, preface; chapters 1-3 M
E
W 8/28 Second Treatise, chapters 4-5, 7 M
E
M 9/2 Labor Day—No Class
W 9/4 Second Treatise, chapters 8-10; 11-13 M
E
M 9/9 Second Treatise, chapters 11-13(cont.); 18-19
W 9/11 Rousseau, Of the Social Contract, Book One, chapters 1-4; 6-9 M
E
M 9/16 Of the Social Contract, Book Two, chapters 1-3
W 9/18 Of the Social Contract, Book Two, chapters 4, 6-7 M
E
M 9/23 Of the Social Contract, Book Three, chapters 1-4
Liberalism and the Cosmopolitan State
W 9/25 Kant, Perpetual Peace M
E
M 9/30 Midterm Exam
W 10/2 Kant, Perpetual Peace M
E
Fall Break 10/7-10/11
M 10/14 Career Center Visit
W 10/16 Kant, Perpetual Peace
M 10/21 Module one: Catholic Perspectives on International Order (Dr. Barrett Turner, Theology)
W- 10/23- Module II: Liberalism and Liberal Internationalism (Drs. Kristen Urban and Allison Berland)
M 10/28
Political Liberalism
W 10/30 Rawls, Political Liberalism, introduction to the paperback edition and pp. 3-40 M
E
M 11/4 Political Liberalism, Part Two: lecture IV M
E
W 11/6 Political Liberalism, Part Two, lecture V M
E
M 11/11 Political Liberalism, Part Two, lecture VI M
E
W 11/13 Political Liberalism, “The Idea of Public Reason Revisited” (selections) M
E
M 11/18 Module III: Liberalism in Austrian Economics (Dr. Alejandro Canedas)
The Limits of Liberalism
W 11/25 Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed, Introduction and chapter 1 M
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 E
M 12/2 Why Liberalism Failed, chapters 2-3 M
E
T 12/3 Thesis Paper due
W 12/4 Why Liberalism Failed, chapter 7 and conclusion M
E
M 12/9 Final Exam 3-5:30 p.m.