Athenian Democracy and Its Critics (Spring 2006)

CC 348 (#31060) meets TT 5-6:15 in WAG 112
Stephen White, office hours TWTh 1:30-2:30 in WAG 200B (475-7457)

Ancient Athens was the birthplace of democracy, and its democratic institutions and practices are the source of one of the most powerful ideas in the world today. What was the world's first democracy like? How did it work, what were its strengths and weaknesses, and what was life there like? These are the main questions we'll explore in this course, as we study both the Athenian democratic system itself and the views of some of its leading proponents and critics. The focus will be on the ways Athenian democracy functioned, the challenges it faced, and some of its major successes and failures. We'll also consider how it differs from American democracy, and what we might learn today from the Athenian experience.

The course will be a mixture of lecture and discussion, including some seminar sessions.

It has a Substantial Writing Component and counts toward writing requirements.

Texts: all but one at the COOP
Aristotle, Athenian Constitution, trans. P. Rhodes (Penguin pb)
Aristotle, Politics, revised trans. T. Saunders (Penguin pb)
Plato, Republic, trans. T. Griffith (Cambridge pb)
Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, trans. R. Warner (Penguin pb)
Woodruff, First Democracy (Oxford hb)
Online readings: selections from ancient and modern writers (links are on the Syllabus)

Outline syllabus (Click here for the full Syllabus)
Weeks 1-2: Basic concepts and questions
Weeks 3-6: Athenian government: history and institutions
Weeks 7-8: Democratic values in Athens
Weeks 9-10: Athenian democracy in action: foreign policy and war
Weeks 11-12: Plato and public education
Weeks 13-15: Criticism and reform; and paper presentations

Requirements: attendance, reading, writing, participation.
Attendance: we meet twice weekly; attendance is mandatory and affects your grade. You may miss two classes without question or penalty; but each additional absence reduces your final grade by 2%, unless you give me a compelling excuse: medical or other emergency (with documentation upon my request) or a religious holiday (only with advance notice). NOTE: it's better to come unprepared than to skip class.

Reading: required reading is listed in the Syllabus. Assignments are rarely long but usually challenging. I expect you to read them carefully before class; lectures and discussions will assume familiarity with them.

Writing: this counts as an SWC course, and assignments are accordingly substantial.

1. Weekly response papers: addressing questions about assigned readings, usually asking you to explain and/or evaluate major claims or concepts, sometimes a request to develop a question or topic of your own. Questions (aka prompts) are posted every Thursday on CLIPs; papers (2 pp typed) are due in class (or by email before) the next Tuesday (half-credit if 1 day late); total of 7 responses required, best 5 count for grade.

2. Reports: written and oral presentations to class on assigned readings but involving additional research and/or teamwork; 3 reports required, best 2 count for grade.

3. Research paper: your topic may be based on weekly questions or reports, or a new topic; and your paper must address some critical work not on the syllabus. You must formulate a topic in writing by March 30; a 1-page summary or outline is due by April 11; the final paper (8-15 pp typed) is due by May 4 (last class).

Grades: weekly papers 30%, reports 20%, research paper 30%, participation 20%.

Other policies
Academic Integrity / Scholastic Dishonesty: All graded work must be your own. Copying or “borrowing” is unfair to everyone and will receive no credit. For info, go to http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/

Disabilities: upon request, UT provides appropriate academic arrangements for qualified students with disabilities. For info, go to http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/