Syllabus

Course Information

Phil 3751: Political Philosophy
Barnard College, Spring 2026
MW 2:40–3:55pm, Milbank Hall 328, CourseWorks

Course Description

How should we live together? This course considers and critiques received answers to this question from the history of Western philosophy. We will spend the first half of the semester working our way through the development of modern political philosophy as a field. We will then take a deep dive into the political critiques that emerged from the civil rights, anti-war, women’s liberation, and gay rights movements of the 1960s, which are being rediscovered and recentered in political philosophy today.

Required Texts

I have asked Book Culture to order the following text; you can usually find excellent bargains from used bookstores too (e.g., try searching on BookFinder). Bookshop is another place to shop independent bookstores.

• Andrew Bailey, Samantha Brennan, Will Kymlicka, Jacob T. Levy, Alex Sager, and Clark Wolf, eds., The Broadview Anthology of Social and Political Thought: From Machiavelli to Nietzsche (2018). Paperback, 978-1554814220, $58.95.

I will make all other required readings available digitally. If there are any barriers (technical, financial, etc.) that make it difficult for you to access these texts, please don’t be afraid to let me know.

Barnard statement on affordable access to course texts and materials

All students deserve to be able to study and make use of course texts and materials regardless of cost. Barnard librarians have partnered with students, faculty, and staff to find ways to increase student access to textbooks. By the first day of advance registration for each term, faculty will have provided information about required texts for each course on CourseWorks (including ISBN or author, title, publisher, copyright date, and price), which can be viewed by students. A number of cost-free or low-cost methods for accessing some types of courses texts are detailed on the Barnard Library Textbook Affordability guide. Undergraduate students who identify as first-generation and/or low-income students may check out items from the FLI lending libraries in the Barnard Library and in Butler Library for an entire semester. Students may also consult with their professors, the Dean of Studies, and the Financial Aid Office about additional affordable alternatives for having access to course texts. Visit the guide and talk to your professors and your librarian for more details.

Assessment

Final course grades will be awarded on the following basis:

• Participation: 10%
• Four short response papers: 40%
• Scaffolded term paper: 50%

All course requirements must be completed in order to pass this class. An F received on any work due to academic misconduct is grounds for an F in the course.

Participation

In approaching a philosophical issue, we will often find ourselves in the middle of a long conversation among many different authors. A hallmark of what we do in philosophy is the way we participate in this conversation and position ourselves in relation to these authors: we are not outside observers just here to absorb what each author has said and perhaps to summarize some of the points of agreement and disagreement; rather, we are equal parties to the conversation, just like every other philosopher. It’s helpful, then, to think of philosophy classes not as where you come to be lectured about particular philosophical views but as where we gather to do philosophy together, to contribute our own insights to ongoing philosophical conversations, and to think through these difficult issues for ourselves.

Participation in philosophy courses also serves a wide range of pedagogical purposes: class discussions help students make sense of difficult ideas and arguments in the texts; they help students learn to explain and apply concepts, analyze and assess arguments, and formulate and respond to worries and objections; in addition, they contribute to other students’ learning experience by helping to build a vibrant, mutually supportive classroom environment that encourages questions, exchange of ideas, and philosophical reflection.

You are expected to regularly contribute to class discussions and participate in class activities. To do so, you are expected to have read the assigned texts carefully and critically in advance of class (remember to bring a copy with you as we will often look at difficult passages together!).

It’s useful to keep in mind that philosophical writing is, at bottom, argumentative—that is, its goal is to defend or criticize a particular view. As you do the readings, be sure to:

• Keep track of what the author says they mean by a particular term or distinction, and take note of terms and distinctions that don’t quite make sense to you.
• Identify the view the author is defending and the argument they are offering in support of their view (be careful to distinguish passages where the author is speaking for themself and where they are explaining another author’s view or considering objections!), and write down thoughts and questions in the margin as you react to each step in the argument.
• Ask yourself if you think what the author is saying is not only plausible but well-argued. If not, think about why not: Is it because the author’s argument relies on a false premise, or is it because the author’s reasoning is fallacious? Is there a more plausible or more arguable way of formulating the point the author hopes to make? Are there countervailing considerations, alternative positions, or further complications that the author fails to take into account? Even if you agree with the author, try to anticipate objections that other readers may reasonably raise and think about how you can respond to them on the author’s behalf.

For this class, I will use in-class activities (which will be graded for completion) to establish a baseline participation grade, and then move up or down taking into account preparation, engagement, contribution, and respect for others. Class participation will make up 10% of your final grade.

Response Papers

For at least four weeks this semester, you will write a short (600–800 words) paper responding to that week’s readings. The aim of a response paper is to critically examine—rather than merely summarize—a claim or argument raised in the readings. Focus on something that you find interesting but puzzling, raise an interpretive and/or evaluative question, and try to work out an answer.

You may choose any four weeks to write response papers for, as long as you do at least one before and at least one after the spring break. You may also write more than four response papers, in which case only your best four will count toward your final grade.

Response papers are due to CourseWorks > Assignments by midnight on Sunday at the start of the week for which the readings are assigned. They will make up 40% of your final grade.

Scaffolded Term Paper

You will be asked to conceive, draft, and revise a term paper. We are lucky to have Barnard’s undergraduate Writing Fellows attached to our class. Your assigned Writing Fellow will ask questions to clarify, explain, expand, and explore your writing, and then conference with you about next steps for revision.

At least three conferences with your Writing Fellow are a required part of this course and factor into your grade:

• A meeting as you begin to research your chosen topic;
• A meeting after you receive comments from your Writing Fellow on your first draft; and
• A meeting after you receive comments from your Writing Fellow and our TA on your revised draft.

Your Writing Fellow will explain when these meetings will take place and how you can sign up. If you miss the deadline to submit your paper to the Writing Fellow, are running late to your conference, or are unable to attend your scheduled conference, please contact your Writing Fellow immediately.

If you would like additional individual support, you can make additional appointments with the Writing Fellow Program on their website.

The term paper assignment as a whole will account for 50% of your final grade.

Schedule

Course Policies