LIBERALISM, ITS CRITICS, AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

An exploration of the most significant arguments for and against liberal democracy, followed by an examination of challenges facing liberal orders today. Beginning with a comparison between ancient and modern republicanism, the course scrutinizes the intellectual architecture of the modern state, proceeds to examine the foundational arguments for liberalism of John Locke, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill, and then turns to the critical writings of Edmund Burke, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche (and their modern heirs). Finally, the course canvasses contemporary challenges to liberal democracy: the replacement of politics by bureaucracy (or administration), tensions between nationalism and multiculturalism, the dangers of populism, and the rise of social media disinformation and surveillance capitalism. While situating thinkers within their contexts, students will be encouraged to view liberal democracy through the competing theoretical lenses of the course.

• Knowledge of the positions of canonical thinkers in the history of liberalism and of their critics • Understanding of the historical contexts of these thinkers • Ability to read texts with care, precision, and insight, and apply their arguments to contemporary issues. • Ability to analyze critically (and draw conclusions about) opposing positions & arguments • Ability to communicate, verbally & in writing, reasoned views on theoretical/political positions about liberal democracy and its challenges today.

N/A

The course will be broken into three parts: 1). "The Foundations of Liberalism"; 2). "Critics of Liberalism"; and 3). "Contemporary Challenges." A provisional thematic list of topics can be found below. Part I Foundations of Liberalism Topic I: Ancient and Modern Republicanism: Feb 2; Feb 6 Topic II: Representation and the Modern State: Feb 9; Feb 13 Topic III: The Liberalism of Locke: Feb 16; Feb 20 Topic IV: The Cosmopolitanism of Kant: Feb 23; Feb 27 Topic V: The Utilitarianism of Mill: March 2; March 6; March 9 (guest lecture) Part II Critics of Liberalism Topic VI: Burke/Oakeshott: Rationalism and Politics: March 13; March 16 Topic VII: Marx/Gramsci: Historical Materialism and Liberal Democracy: March 20, March 23 Topic VIII: Nietzsche/Schmitt: Human Greatness and War: March 27, March 30 Midterm: April 10 (Fri) Part III Contemporary Challenges Topic IX: Politics, Technocracy, Bureaucracy: April 13; April 17 Topic X: Multiculturalism & Nationalism: April 20; April 24 Topic XI: Populism, of Left and Right: April 27; May 4 Topic XII: Democracy, Disinformation, and Surveillance Capitalism: May 8 Final Exam

All readings, required and optional, are available via Luiss learns

Classes will be principally lectured based -- laptops, tablets, and cell phones must be stowed and out of sight in bags or coats. We will occasionally split into smaller groups for debates, activities, and focused discussions. The instructor will also solicit student feedback and encourage class discussion at various moments throughout his formal lectures. All readings will be posted on My Luiss, and you are expected to do them before the class session for which they are assigned.

MIDTERM (35%) AND FINAL EXAM (65%). Assessments will be hand-written. The midterm will be ninety minutes and held in class on Fri, April 10th. The final will be three hours long, though you may require less time. Exams will involve short essays questions (i.e., open questions involving political philosophical thinking, demonstrated understanding of the course material, and ability to evaluate critically opposing theoretical positions), each requiring around a half to a full page in response, minimum. The midterm centers on "The Foundations of Liberalism" and "Critics of Liberalism" parts of the course, while the final will be comprehensive. It will, however, orbit "Contemporary Challenges", while inviting students to use material from the first two part of the course to address these challenges. Students will have 'some' choice as to which questions they answer. The material of the examinations will track along with the course lectures, class activities, and assigned readings. There will not be surprises. Materials (PPT slides) will be posted to My Luiss which will facilitate note-taking and review. After the midterm, if an attending student wishes, they can choose to take the written final for 100% of their course mark, but only if they alert the Professor and TA within one week after the return of the exam (this procedure will be explained in class). Failure to take the midterm will cause a student to become non-attending, which will be assessed by a comprehensive written exam on the entirety of the course material, INCLUDING optional readings. If a student rejects their final grade after the written final, they will take a comprehensive written final at a later appello worth 100% of the mark. The exam for attending students will always involve only the required readings; the exams for non-attending students will always involve required AND optional readings. The midterm mark (35% of the grade) will expire after next winter's appello. At that point, students must take a comprehensive written final, worth 100% of the mark. Non-attending students will be given an written, comprehensive exam based on the course material AND optional readings.

At the end of the semester, Prof. Jaffe will be happy to meet with you to explain your grade if you have questions or concerns and to discuss thesis supervision.