Political Thought from Machiavelli and the Renaissance Political Science 3341 Spring 2015 Dr. Fuchs EPFuchs@Central.uh.edu Course Objectives Master the basic concepts, methods, and theories of modern political thought Write intelligently about modern political concerns Understand the structure and logic of the theories of Great political thinkers Better understand the structure of ones own political views Course Outcomes Develop knowledge about modern political issues Develop analytical and critical thinking skills Improve capacity to think clearly about politics Be able to comprehend the strengths and weaknesses of political arguments Write logically about politics Required Text: William Ebenstein; Great Political Thinkers Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 6th Edition ISBN 0-15-507889-5 Exams There will be three multiple choice exams. All will take place on campus on a Saturday morning. The exams are weighted equally in calculating a final grade. The traditional U.H. grading scale will apply to this course. Exams must be taken under the auspices of the University of Houston Guidelines for online courses. All exams will be administered on campus in the controlled environment of the CASA Testing Center. Students are to obtain an exam ID, and then register for a reserved seat for each exam. There are no exceptions. There are no make-up exams. Nor can an exam be taken early. A minimum of two exams are required to attain course credit. A missed exam will result in a loss of a partial letter grade (B reduced to B-) in a student's final grade. The course will conclude with a take home creative essay. The essay can move a final grade as much as one full letter grade. Course Outline Schedule

Professors Introduction to Modern Political Thought What is Political Philosophy? What is Modern Political Philosophy? Anatomy of a Political Theory

Structure of the Text Machiavelli Professors Introduction to Machiavelli Ebenstein - Chapter 14, Machiavelli pp. 283-301 Luther Professors Introduction to Luther Ebenstein Luther, Chapter 15, pp. 302-04; 308-18 Exam One Saturday February 21 Brutus Professors Introduction to Brutus Ebenstein Brutus, Chapter 15, pp. 305-07; 328-343 Locke Professors Introduction to Lockes Social Contract Ebenstein, Locke, Chapter 18, pp., 380-407 Exam Two Saturday, March 28 Professors Introduction to Federalist Paper 10 Federalist Paper 10 contained within the module Tocqueville Ebenstein, Tocqueville Chapter 26, pp.557-572

Exam Three Saturday, May 2 Final Take Home Essay Topic and Parameters Announced May 2