Religion and Political Thought: From Early Modernity to the 20 th Century. Course Schedule and Readings

Transcription

1 Religion and Political Thought: From Early Modernity to the 20 th Century Winter credits Lecturer: Matthias Riedl Time: Tuesday 9:00 10:40, 11:00 12:40 Place: Hanak Room The course discusses classical and basic texts addressing the relation between religion and politics. The focus is on the literature of West. The chief aim of the course is to explore the intellectual and spiritual foundations of Western social order. In class, the texts will be analyzed with respect to their specific historical and intellectual background. The course may also be taken as an exercise in the reading of sources. So the primary requirement for all participants is the careful preparation of the assigned readings. Course requirements and grading: 20% Class presentation of one of the authors discussed in the course (mid term) 30% Class participation 50% Final essay on one of the authors discussed in the course (5000 words) Course Schedule and Readings Week 1: The Ambiguity of the Renaissance Pico della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of Man, in: The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, ed. Ernst Cassirer, Paul Oskar Kristeller, John Herman Randall jr., Chicago: University of Chicago Press: Savonarola, Girolamo, Treatise on the Constitution and Government of the City of Florence, in: Humanism and Liberty. Writings on Freedom from Fifteenth Century Florence, ed. Renée Neu Watkins, University of South Carolina Press.

2 2 Rubinstein, Nicolai, Italian Political Thought, in: The Cambridge History of Political Thought , ed. J.H. Burns, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp Week 2: Humanism Machiavelli, Niccolò: Discourses on Livy, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996; I,11 15; III,1. Machiavelli, Niccolò, The Prince, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997, ch. 6 7, 11, 17 19, 21, Erasmus of Rotterdam, The Education of a Christian Prince, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997, ch. I. Erasmus of Rotterdam, The Free Will, in: Discourse on free will by Erasmus and Luther, New York: F. Ungar, Week 3: Reformation Luther, Martin, Christian Liberty, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, Luther, Martin, Bondage of the Will, in: Discourse on free will by Erasmus and Luther, New York: F. Ungar, Luther, Martin: On secular authority, in: Luther and Calvin on secular authority, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Müntzer, Thomas, Revelation and Revolution: Basic Writings of Thomas Müntzer, Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, Oakley, Francis: Christian Obedience and Authority, , in: The Cambridge History of Political Thought , ed. J.H. Burns, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp Week 4: Utopias Thomas More, Utopia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Campanella, Tommaso, The City of the Sun, in: The New Atlantis and the City of the Sun: Two Classic Utopias, Dover Bacon, Francis: New Atlantis, in: The New Atlantis and the City of the Sun: Two Classic Utopias, Dover 2003.

3 3 Davis, J.C.: Utopianism, in: The Cambridge History of Political Thought , ed. J.H. Burns, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp Week 5: After the Great War Hobbes, Thomas, Leviathan, New York: Touchstone, 1997; ch , 31 36, 44. Spinoza: The Theologico Political Treatise, in: The political works, Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1958 Malcolm, Noel: Hobbes and Spinoza, in: The Cambridge History of Political Thought , ed. J.H. Burns, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp Week 6: The Quest for the Origins of Power Filmer, Robert, Patriarcha. The Natural Power of Kings Defended against the Unnatural Liberty of the People, in: Patriarcha and other writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Locke, John, Two Treatises on Government, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991; treatise I, ch. 1 3, treatise II, ch Tully, James, Locke, in: The Cambridge History of Political Thought , ed. J.H. Burns, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp Week 7: Vico s New Science and Rousseau s Civil Religion Vico, Giambattista, The New Science, New York: Anchor Books, 1961; Introduction. Rousseau, Jean Jacques: The Social Contract, in: The social contract and other later political writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997; bk. I; bk. IV, ch.8. Löwith, Karl, Vico, in: Meaning in History, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1957, ch. VI. Week 8: German Enlightenment: The Ambiguity of Progress Lessing, Gotthold E., The Education of the Human Race, in: Nathan the Wise, Minna von Barnhelm, and other Plays and Writings. New York: Continuum, 1994.

4 Kant, Immanuel, What is Enlightenment?, in: Political Writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Kant, Immanuel, Idea for a Universal History with Cosmopolitan Intent, in: Political Writings, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Hassner, Pierre: Immanuel Kant, in: History of Political Philosophy, ed. Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987, pp Week 9: Progress and the Religion of Mankind Comte, Auguste: Aims of the Course. General Considerations on the Nature and Importance of Positive Philosophy, in: Auguste Comte and Positivism: The Essential Writings, Chicago: New York: Harper & Row, Mill, John Stuart: Utility of Religion, in: Three Essays on Religion, Amherst: Prometheus, 1998, pp Löwith, Karl, Comte, in: Meaning in History, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1957, ch. IV,2. Millar, Alan, Mill on Religion, in: The Cambridge Companion to Mill, ed. John Skorupski, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Week 10: Rebellion against Christianity Nietzsche, Friedrich, On the Genealogy of Morals, in: Basic Writings, New York, Modern Library, part I, pp Nietzsche, Friedrich, Beyond Good and Evil, in: Basic Writings, New York, Modern Library, 32 62, pp Feuerbach, Ludwig, The Essence of Christianity, New York : Harper, 1957, part I. Dannhauser, Werner J.: Friedrich Nietzsche, in: History of Political Philosophy, ed. Leo Strauß and Joseph Cropsey, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987, pp Week 11: Political Theology Schmitt, Carl, Political theology: Four chapters on the concept of sovereignty, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1988.

5 Gereby, György, Carl Schmitt and Erik Peterson on the Problem of Political Theology. A footnote to Kantorowicz, in: János M. Bak, Aziz al Azmeh, eds., Monotheistic Kingship. The Medieval Variant, Budapest: CEU Press, 2005, pp Schmitt, Carl, Politische Theology II. Die Legende von der Erledigung jeder Politischen Theologie, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot (Not available in English translation). Peterson, Erik, Der Monotheismus als politisches Problem: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der politischen Theologie im Imperium Romanum, Leipzig: Hegner, (Not available in English translation). 5 Week 12: Political Religions/Final Discussion Voegelin, Eric: The Political Religions, in: The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin Vol. 5, Columbia/London: University of Missouri Press, pp Henningsen, Manfred: Editor s Introduction, in: The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin Vol. 5, Columbia/London: University of Missouri Press, pp.1 17.