Texts: The following books are on sale at the Pitt book center and on reserve in Hillman Library:

Seyla Benhabib, ed., Democracy and Difference

Lani Guinier, The Tyrrany of the Majority

Amy, Gutmann, ed., Multiculturalism

Julia Kirsteva, Strangers to Ourselves

Will Kymlicka, ed. The Rights of Minority Cultures

Anne Phillips, Engendering Democracy

John Rawls, Political Liberalism

Yael Tamir, Liberal Nationalism

Some additional required and suggested readings listed on the syllabus are on reserve either in books or as xeroxed articles in folders.

Assignments:

You will write three 5-8 page papers specifically synthesizing and responding to some themes and arguments in the readings. You will also write a major term paper. In all of these papers I will expect you to state a position clearly on some issue and give a clear and cogent argument for that position. In all your papers you will be expected to refer to, synthesize and respond to the arguments of philosophers and political theorists on this issue. In your shorter papers you will be expected only to respond to some of the course readings. In your term paper you will be expected to do some reading on your subject additional to that assigned for the seminar. I will evaluate your papers according to standards of clarity, organization, conciseness, completeness in space allowed, and most important, the cogency or your arguments. Each student will make a short presentation on your term paper at the end of the semester.

Topics and Readings by Week

September 2 - Introduction

September 9 - Difference as doctrine and the solution of political liberalism.

Rawls, Political Liberalism, especially Lecture I, II, IV and VI. I.M. Young, Review of Political Liberalism, (xerox on reserve).

September 16 - Multiculturalism and the politics of recognition.

Taylor, "The Politics of Recognition," Walzer, "Comment," Habermas "Struggles for Recognition in the Democratic Constitutional State," Appiah, "Identity, Authenticity, Survival: Multicultural Societies and Social Reproduction," all in Gutmann, ed.

September 23 - Indigenous peoples and self-determination

Darelene M. Johnston, "Native Rights as Collective Rights; A Question of Group Self-Preservation," Young, "Together in Difference: Transforming the Logic of Group Political Conflict," both in Kymlicka, ed; James Tully, "Cultural Demands for Constitutional Recognition," (xerox folder on reserve)..

Franke Wilmer, The Indigenous Voice in World Politics, Chapters 5 and 6 (on reserve in library).

September 30 - Class as difference

E.O. Wright, excerpt from Class Counts (reserve folder); Poulantzas, Political Power and Social Classes, Part I, Chap 2, "Politics and Social Classes," and Part III, Chap 4, "The Capitalist State and the Dominant Classes," (book on reserve). Paper due.

October 7 - Gender and politics

Phillips, Engendering Democracy, whole book.

Suggested additional reading: Phillips, "Democracy and Difference: Some Problems for Feminist Theory," in Kymlicka, ed.; Fraser, "Gender Equity and the Welfare State: A Postindustrial Thought Experiment".

October 14 - Theorizing democracy and difference

Phillips, "Dealing with Difference: A Politics of Ideas, or a Politics of Presence?" , Kymlicka, "Three Forms of Group-Differentiated Citizenship in Canada", Dallmayr, "Democracy and Multiculturalism," all in Benhabib. Lijphart, "Self-Determination versus Pre-determination of Ethinic Minorities in Power Sharing Systems", Kukathas, "Are There Any Cultural Rights?" in Kymlicka, ed.

October 21 - Liberal Nationalism

Tamir, Liberal Nationalism, whole book.

October 28 - Nationalism, international law and universality

Margalit and Raz, "National Self-Determination," Anaya, "The Capacity of International Law to Advance Ethnic or Nationalist Rights Claims," both in Kymlicka, ed.; Judith Lichtenberg, "How liberal Can Nationalism Be?" (Xerox folder on reserve). Paper due.

November 4 - 'Race' and Representation

Howard Winant, "Difference and Inequality: Postmodern Racial Politics in the United States," (xerox on reserve in folder); Guinier, The Tyrrany of the Majority, Chap 1-3.

November 11 - 'Race' and Representation

Guinier, Chapt 4, 5 and Epilog Term paper proposal due.

November 18 - Cosmopolitanism and its discontents

Kristeva, Strangers to Ourselves, Chap 6-9; Waldron, "Minority Cultures and the Cosmopolitan Alternative," in Kymlicka, ed.

November 25 - Immigration and exclusion

Carens, "Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders" Paper due.

December 2 - Term paper presentations

December 9 - Term paper presentations. Term paper due.