PHIL 4330A

Seminar in Social or Political Philosophy

Political Authority

Fall 2023

Course Outline

I. Admin

Instructor: Gabriele Contessa

Office Hours: Wednesday, 10:35am–11:25am or by appointment

Zoom Link to Virtual Office: See Admin section in Brightspace

Zoom Link to Virtual Seminar Room: See Admin section in Brightspace

E-mail: gabriele_contessa@carleton.ca

II. Description

In this seminar, we will explore a number of questions related to political authority and related notions (such as political obligation and political legitimacy). The questions will include: ‘Do we have a duty to obey political authorities?,’ ‘If we do, where does the duty come from?,’ and ‘What, if anything, makes political authority legitimate?’

III. Prerequisites

Eligibility for fourth-year standing in a Philosophy Honours Program or permission of the department.

IV. Readings

All of the readings for this course will be made available on Brightspace.

V. Grading

1. Three Response Papers (the best of which worth 20% of your final grade, the other two worth 15% each (see Brightspace for deadlines));
2. Discussion Questions (cumulatively worth 20% of your final grade);
3. Attendance and Participation (30%).

Standing in a course is determined by the course instructor subject to the approval of the Faculty Dean. This means that grades submitted by the instructor may be subject to revision. No grades are final until they have been approved by the Dean.

VI. Seminar Policies

Overview. In a seminar, the role of the instructor is to lead and facilitate the discussion among students (instead of lecturing them). Seminars encourage students to adopt a more active approach to learning, to engage more directly with the issues discussed, and to take responsibility for their own learning. This approach is supported by empirical studies that suggest that, while lecturing might give students a false sense of understanding, actively engaged students actually learn more (see, e.g., (Deslaurier et al 2019) and (Carpenter et al 2020)). However, the success of a seminar partly depends on everyone doing their part. This includes, among other things, doing the readings, submitting thoughtful and relevant discussion questions, and making constructive contributions to the discussion in class.  

Discussion Questions. Before each meeting, you are expected to submit a discussion question about one of the readings for that meeting. Discussion questions must be posted on Brightspace before the start of the meeting. The questions can be interpretive (e.g. ‘What does the author mean in this passage?’) or evaluative (e.g. ‘Do you think that the argument that the author gives in this passage works?’) and,  regardless of whether your discussion question is specific (i.e. a question that refers to a specific passage) or general questions (i.e. a question about the reading in general), they need to make clear and explicit reference to the relevant reading. If your question refers to a specific passage, please give a clear reference and please provide a full quotation of the passage in your post. Generic questions (i.e. questions that do not clearly and explicitly relate to the reading but only to the general topic of the reading) are not acceptable and will not receive full credit. During the meeting, students will take turns asking their discussion questions and giving tentative answers to their own questions (e.g. ‘I don’t think that the argument works because… ’) and then we’ll open the discussion. Your tentative answer to your question does not have to be submitted with your discussion questions but will count as part of your participation mark (see below). If, for whatever reason, you are unable to attend either of the meetings of the week, you should still submit your discussion questions (if possible).  

Please note that, unless exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness or family emergency) prevent you from submitting a discussion question, failing to submit a discussion question on time will result in an ‘Incomplete’, which is equivalent to a 0%. 

If exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness or family emergency) prevent you from submitting a discussion question, please notify me by email as soon as possible.

Attendance and Participation. Attendance and participation are crucial to the success of a seminar. You are strongly encouraged to contribute to the class discussion. For every session you attend, you will receive a participation grade based on both the quantity and the quality of your contributions to the class discussion. While the most important way for you to contribute to the discussion is by speaking in class, contributions you make to the discussion forums on Brightspace might also count towards your participation grade.

Please note that, unless exceptional circumstances (e.g. illness) prevent you from attending, failure to attend a session will result in an ‘Absent’ for that session, which is equivalent to 0%. 

If exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness or family emergency) prevent you from attending a meeting, please notify me by email as soon as possible.

Response Papers. Response papers are supposed to engage critically with one (or more) of the readings in the course. They are expected to have a clearly stated thesis and a clearly stated argument to support that thesis. A response paper might argue that one of the main theses in one of the readings is false or that one of the main arguments offered in one of the readings is unsound (i.e. the argument does not support its conclusion either because one of its premises is false or because the argument is invalid). In either case you are expected to describe clearly and accurately the thesis/argument you are arguing against. Response papers should be submitted through Brightspace. Please note that response papers have a strict 400-word limit (not including references), and they should not contain any identifying information, as they will be graded anonymously.

Please note that, barring extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness, family emergency), failing to submit a response paper will result in 0% on that paper. Please also note that late response papers will lose five points for every day they are late.

Academic Integrity. You are responsible for ensuring that you understand the nature of academic offences (such as plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration), as defined in the Undergraduate Calendar, and to avoid both committing them and aiding or abetting academic offences perpetrated by other students. Please be aware that I am bound to report any suspected academic offence directly to the Office of the Dean.

Copyright. Carleton University is committed to compliance in all copyright matters. Noncompliance is a violation of the Canadian Copyright Act. In addition to any actions that might be taken by any copyright owner or its licensing agent, the University will take steps against any breach of this policy. In Canada, copyright for a work is given automatically to the creator of the work. The work does not need to be marked or declared as copyrighted in order to be copyrighted. The majority of works in Canada are copyrighted. It is important for students to understand and respect copyright. Copyright determines your usage rights for a particular work, which includes textbooks, web pages, videos and images, both electronic and hard copy. Students may not photocopy entire or major portions of books or other works, even if it is only for their personal use. Fair dealing makes some allowances for copying small portions of works. See Carleton's Fair Dealing Policy for more information. If journal articles or portions of works are available through the library, either as hard copies or electronically, students may make a single copy for their personal use. Students may not distribute copies of works that are under copyright. For more information, please see the Carleton's Fair Dealing Policy and the library's copyright website: www.library.carleton.ca/copyright.

VII. Seminar Schedule

The seminar schedule can be accessed here.

VIII. Learning Objectives

1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the concept of political authority and its philosophical foundations.
2. Explore and evaluate major political theories that address the sources, justifications, and limitations of political authority.
3. Examine the normative implications associated with political authority.
4. Enhance research skills by critically analyzing scholarly works, primary sources, and case studies related to political authority, and effectively communicate findings through class discussions and written assignments.
5. Foster the ability to engage in constructive debates and discussions about complex issues related to political authority, while respecting diverse viewpoints and challenging assumptions.
6. Synthesize the knowledge gained throughout the seminar and reflect on personal perspectives on political authority, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of its multifaceted nature.

Department of Philosophy and Carleton University Policies (Fall/Winter 2023-24)

Assignments:

Please follow your professor’s instructions on how assignments will be handled electronically.  There will be NO hard copies placed in the essay box this coming year.  

Evaluation:

Standing in a course is determined by the course instructor subject to the approval of the Faculty Dean.  This means that grades submitted by the instructor may be subject to revision.  No grades are final until they have been approved by the Dean.

Deferrals for Term Work:

If students are unable to complete term work because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control, they should contact their course instructor no later than three working days of the due date.  Normally, any deferred term work will be completed by the last day of the term.  Term work cannot be deferred by the Registrar.  

Deferrals for Final Exams:

Students are expected to be available for the duration of a course including the examination period.  Occasionally, students encounter circumstances beyond their control where they may not be able to write a final examination or submit a take-home examination. Examples of this would be a serious illness or the death of a family member.  If you miss a final examination and/or fail to submit a take-home examination by the due date, you may apply for a deferral no later than three working days after the original due date (as per the University Regulations in Section 4.3 of the Undergraduate Calendar). Visit the Registrar’s Office for further information.  

Plagiarism:

It is the responsibility of each student to understand the meaning of ‘plagiarism’ as defined in the Undergraduate or Graduate Calendars, and to avoid both committing plagiarism and aiding or abetting plagiarism by other students.  (Section 10.1 of the Undergraduate Calendar Academic Regulations)

Academic Accommodation:

You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term:

• Pregnancy or religious obligation: write to your professor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the EDC website.  
• Academic accommodations for students with disabilities: The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), chronic medical conditions, and impairments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first in-class test or exam requiring accommodation.  After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with your professor to ensure accommodation arrangements are made.  
• Survivors of Sexual Violence:  As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and where survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton’s Sexual Violence Policy.
• Accommodation for Student Activities:  Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist.

Important Dates:

Sept. 6        Classes start.

Sept. 19        Last day for registration and course changes for fall term and fall/winter (two-term) courses.

Sept. 30        Last day for entire fee adjustment when withdrawing from fall term or two-term courses. Withdrawals after this date will result in a permanent notation of WDN on the official transcript.  

Oct. 9        Statutory holiday. University closed.

Oct. 23-27        Fall Break – no classes.

Nov. 24        Last day for summative tests or examinations, or formative tests or examinations totaling more than 15% of the final grade, before the official examination period.  

Dec. 8        Last day of fall term classes. Classes follow a Monday schedule. Last day for academic withdrawal from fall term courses. Last day for handing in term work and the last day that can be specified by a course instructor as a due date for term work for a fall term course.

Dec. 10-22        Final examinations for fall term courses and mid-term examinations in two-term courses. Examinations are normally held all seven days of the week.

Dec. 22        All take-home examinations are due.

Jan. 8        Classes begin.

Jan. 19        Last day for registration and course changes in the winter term.

Jan. 31        Last day for a full fee adjustment when withdrawing from winter term courses or from the winter portion of two-term courses. Withdrawals after this date will result in a permanent notation of WDN on the official transcript.  

Feb. 19        Statutory holiday. University closed.

Feb. 19-23        Winter Break – no classes.

Mar. 15        Last day for academic withdrawal from fall/winter and winter courses.

Mar. 27        Last day for summative tests or examinations, or formative tests or examinations totaling more than 15% of the final grade, in winter term or fall/winter courses before the official examination period.  

Mar. 29        Statutory holiday.  University closed.

Apr. 10        Last day of two-term and winter term classes. Classes follow a Friday schedule. Last day for handing in term work and the last day that can be specified by a course instructor as a due date for two-term and for winter term courses.

Apr. 11-12        No classes or examinations take place.

Apr. 13-25        Final examinations for winter term and two-term courses. Examinations are normally held all seven days of the week.

Apr. 25        All take-home examinations are due.  

Addresses:

Department of Philosophy:

www.carleton.ca/philosophy

520-2110

Registrar’s Office:        

www.carleton.ca/registrar

520-3500

Academic Advising Centre:                 

www.carleton.ca/academicadvising

520-7850

Writing Services:        

http://www.carleton.ca/csas/writing-services/ 

520-3822

MacOdrum Library        

http://www.library.carleton.ca/

520-2735