SYLLABUS

TEXTS:

     Roger Pilon, ed., The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America, Cato Institute, 2002.

     Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method, trans. L.J. Lafleur, LLA (Prentice-Hall).

     John Locke, The Second Treatise on Civil Government, Prometheus Books.

     A. Hamilton, J. Madison, J. Jay, The Federalist Papers, Tribeca Books. 

  Note: Texts are recommended for convenience; all readings will be available on Internet sites    (though in less satisfactory form) or made available as files on the course website.  Some links are provided below, others on the Materials page.  See the Bibliography page for links to Amazon.com for the books above.


TOPICS:

   Jan. 24: The Declaration of Independence, exegesis and analysis.  (N.B.: Students should have    read through the D.I. before this class meeting.)

   Jan. 31: Rene Descartes and the foundation of the modern mind; the rationalist enterprise; Discourse, Pt. I, etc.

        Good: Part I, all.

        Better: Part I; Part II, pars. 7-12; Part III, par. 5; Part IV, pars. 1-7; Part VI, Pars. 1-3, 12-13.

        Best: Entire Discourse.

   Feb. 7: John Locke and the modern contractarian tradition; natural rights; empiricism;  selections from The Second Treatise on Civil Government.

   Feb. 14: The Constitution of the U.S., Pt. 1, exegesis and analysis; constitutionalism and the idea of the rule of law.

   Feb. 21: The Constitution, Pt. 2, Amendments; Selections from The Federalist Papers.

         Most important: Nos. 1, 6, 10, 39, 46, 49, 51, 63, 78, 84.

         Less important: Nos. 22, 37, 40, 42, 44, 47, 54, 55, 70. 

   Feb. 28: Our philosophical heritage and contemporary political problems. 


© R.E. Walton 2012