Exercises in Political Theory

Political life is - inevitably - made of conflicts. Conflicts cannot be reduced simply to power struggles or to negotiations between divergent interests. They are also formulated as opposing ideas. In the crucible of political life, radically different visions of the world confront each other and a whole range of conceptions of living together are developed. Political actors construct theories and put forward concepts both to justify their claim to power and to criticize the domination to which they are subjected. All these representations and theorizations constitute what we could call, in a broad sense, political thought.

Since this thought is inseparable from the political contexts in which it emerges, it has a history. Our concepts of today bear, inscribed in their contemporary uses and applications, the traces of their genealogy. Understanding where they come from and what led to their invention, tracing the multiplicity of their uses through time and observing the plasticity of their content allows for a finer and more critical knowledge of their meaning and their contemporary uses. It is to this work of critical and historical return on concepts and theories that mark contemporary political thought that this teaching unit is devoted.

The teaching will take the form of interactive seminars, in small groups, under the responsibility of a lecturer or an assistant. For example, past seminars have focused on "Cosmopolitanism and its Critics", "Male Domination", "Capitalism and Social Justice", and "Totalitarianism".

The objective of this seminar is to take the time to read in detail important texts from the history of political thought and to see how they can still be fruitful for our contemporary reflection. Putting the texts in their historical context will only be a prerequisite for their proper interpretation and will always aim at discussing the issues and ideas they raise in light of the current context. The evaluation mechanisms are designed to encourage both reading, active critical examination, and assimilation of the texts in order to write a paper that echoes the themes discussed throughout the seminar.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

There is no prerequisite knowledge or skill for this course. However, having previously taken the course "History of Political Thought (1)" will facilitate participation in the course.

This seminar is based on an active pedagogy and requires the participation of the students. The teacher of each seminar will apply his or her own pedagogical approach. However, they will all have in common the objective of involving the students as much as possible in the discussion of the texts and authors dealt with in the course.

Prior reading of the texts to be discussed during the session is essential to the success of the seminar. This is a seminar and not an ex cathedra course. The goal is therefore to take the time to read the text in detail and in depth, and to discuss it during the sessions in order to acquire all the concepts necessary to write a rigorous and personal work.

Attendance at the seminar is mandatory. One unexcused absence is tolerated. Beyond this one absence, any unjustified absence will be penalized by a penalty of one point on the final grade. In the event of a foreseeable and justifiable absence, students are encouraged to contact the professor to notify him/her.

In addition to attendance, students will be expected to participate (in varying ways depending on the course instructor) in the exploration, explanation, and discussion of political theories and concepts specific to their topic.

Contribution to the teaching profile

At the end of this seminar, the student will have acquired :
- an analytical and academic approach based on methodological rigor
- advanced writing and oral presentation skills in English
- linguistic skills essential to the professional world;
- an openness to the world.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

The bibliography will be different in each seminar group. A complete and detailed bibliography of required readings will be provided by the seminar instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Additional information

The teaching assistants for the seminar this year will be :

Christophe MAJASTRE - christophe.majastre@ulb.be
 

Contacts

For questions related to the content or organization of a particular seminar group, please contact the instructor of that seminar group directly.

For questions related to the administration and organization of the course, its evaluation or in case of particular difficulties, please contact :

Martin Deleixhe - martin.deleixhe@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Personal work
• written examination
• Oral presentation

Personal work

written examination

• Open book examination

• Open question with developed answer

Oral presentation

The evaluation of the students is divided into two parts: a written exam (12 points) and a mark for participation (8 points). This type of evaluation aims to recognize both individual work (readings and the exam) and participation in the group during the seminar (oral presentation, interactions and participation during the seminars).

A) Participation (6 points - 30% of final grade)

By participation, we mean
- individual preparation before the seminar (reading texts, preparation of questions, ability to mobilize textual resources in exchanges, etc.)
- active participation during the seminar (the texts will be discussed, you will have to explain and argue your point of view and insert it into the group's discussions, or enlighten them with contextual points).
- the ability to summarize and present research on a given theme in preparation for the reading of a text by the rest of the group.
The precise means of evaluating participation will be specified for each group.

B) Written work and oral exam (14 points - 70% of final grade)

In preparation for the oral exam, each student is required to submit a written essay, i.e. an explanation of a text, approximately 5 pages long. This work will focus on a text of the student's choice but related to the seminar theme, and will aim to explain the author's intention, the philosophical meaning of the text and its political significance.

The oral exam will consist of open-ended questions on both the texts seen in class and on the 5-page paper submitted by students in advance.

An oral examination will be organized before the end of June.

An absence or a grade for attendance ("note de présence") for either part (participation or written exam) will result in an absence or a grade for attendance for the overall grade.

In case of a second session, the participation grade will be definitive. It will apply to both sessions. If the student failed the seminar, they will be allowed to present again the written exam in second session in order to improve their grade (amounting to 14 points out 20).

An absence or a grade of attendance ("note de présence") for either part (participation or exam) in the second session will result in an absence or failing grade for the overall grade, just like during the first session.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

Participation: 6 points out of 20, i.e. 40% of the total score

Written exam : 14 points out of 20, i.e. 60% of the overall score

An absence or a grade for attendance ("note de présence") in one of the two parts  - that is, participation or written exam - will result in an absence or a grade for attendance for the overall grade.

Language(s) of evaluation

• english
• (if applicable french )