Comparative Political Philosophy: Islam and the West Political Science (intermediate-level seminar) It is a little-known story that many of the classical texts of ancient Greece, texts that make up the foundation of the West s cultural heritage, were in fact preserved only in the Islamic world and transmitted back into Europe centuries later. While Europe was in the midst of the so-called Dark Ages, Islamic culture experienced a dynamic intellectual flourishing. Inspired by the writings of Plato and Aristotle, Islamic philosophers produced works that attempted to integrate Greek philosophy with Islamic theology. These Muslim interpreters of Greek thought so profoundly shaped the reintroduction of those ideas into Western Europe that for instance Averroes commentaries on Aristotle were for two hundred years far more widely read in Christendom than Aristotle s works themselves! This period is thus one of the richest cross-cultural moments of history of political thought, and an opportunity to explore truly comparative questions of political philosophy. How did Muslim thinkers adapt or modify Greek thought to make it compatible with their vision of Islam? Conversely, did their views about the good society change through their encounter with Greek political philosophy? How do apparently familiar works like Plato s Republic appear to us when seen through the eyes of someone like Al-Farabi? Were the tensions that arose in combining pagan politics with an Abrahamic faith similar to or different from those experienced in Christianity? In this class, we will explore these kinds of questions in an attempt to better understand the complex relationship between the thought of the West and that of the Islamic world. Instructor: Michael Hawley Email: mch46@duke.edu Office Hours: Gross Hall, Tuesday-Thursday 4:00-5:30, or by appointment Course Mechanics: This class meets Wednesdays from 3:00-5:15 in Gross Hall 114. The reading is assigned by week. Course Objectives This is a course in comparative political philosophy. We aim to explore the relationship between two traditions of political thought that are in some senses
worlds apart, and that in other senses share certain deep commonalities and continuities, and which both exert power influence on contemporary political thinking. Our primary focus will be on Medieval Muslim thought, and its relationship to classical Greek political philosophy. Toward the end of the class, we will also look at how later Western thinkers have approached this Greek- Islamic dynamic. Comparative political philosophy has the potential both to provide an appreciation for the political thought of a different culture and context, but also can provide a new perspective on the ideas we thought were our own. That is the goal of this class. By close reading of texts, you will also develop your analytical and critical reading skills, and improve as well your abilities as a writer. This class is a seminar, which means that our classes will be discussionbased, and you will each be responsible for contributing to the learning of the class as a whole. Grades: There are three components to the final grade: participation, two short papers, and a final paper. The breakdown of grades is as follows: Short papers: 20% each Participation: 20% Final paper: 40% When we begin studying each of the three major Islamic thinkers featured in this course, I will provide paper topics for a 5-7 page paper on that particular philosopher. You will have to write two such papers, but you are free to pick which two. You may also write on any other topic of your own choosing, provided you first consult with me. Your class participation grade is determined by regular attendance in class and by your willingness to contribute to the common learning endeavor. The final paper is due on December 12 th. It should be 15-20 pages, and be on a topic chosen in discussion with me. Papers are evaluated on the quality both of their content (Does the paper make an argument? Is that argument creative? Is it supported by evidence? How does it respond to potential counter arguments or contradictory evidence?) and their writing mechanics (Is the paper clearly and engagingly written? Is it free from grammatical errors and typos? Is its prose
straightforward and its citations properly formatted?). I will distribute more detailed paper-writing guidelines and grading rubrics in class. Course texts: Plato, The Republic Aristotle, The Poetics and the Rhetoric Al-Farabi, On the Perfect State Averroes, Long Commentary on Aristotle s Poetics Averroes, The Decisive Treatise Al-Ghazali, The Incoherence of the Philosophers These books will be available for purchase at the bookstore or on Amazon. If you already own a different edition of any of these, feel free to use it instead. All other readings will be uploaded to the course website.
Date and Topic Week 1: Introduction, first class Week 2: Plato Reading Plato, Euthyphro (on Sakai); Chism, Arabic in the Medieval World (on Sakai) Plato, Republic Books I-V Week 3: Plato (continued) Plato, Republic Books VI-X Week 4: Al-Farabi Islam and Platonism Al-Farabi, On the Philosophy of Plato and Aristotle (on Sakai); Gutas, Al-Farabi (on Sakai). First paper topics distributed. Week 5: Al-Farabi (continued) Week 6: Al-Farabi (concluded) Al-Farabi, On the Perfect State (first half). Al-Farabi, On the Perfect State (second half) Week 7: Aristotle Week 8: Al-Ghazali and the tension of reason and faith. Aristotle, Poetics; Aristotle Ethics (selections on Sakai). First short papers due Al-Ghazali, The Incoherence of the Philosophers (first third). Second short paper topics distributed.
Date and Topic Week 9: Al-Ghazali (continued) Week 10: Al-Ghazali vs. Averroes on reason and faith Week 11: Averroes and Islamic Aristotelianism Week 12: Averroes (concluded) Week 13: Ibn Khaldun and a philosophy of history. Week 14: Conclusion: New Perspectives in the West. Assignment Al-Ghazali, The Incoherence of the Philosophers (second third). Al-Ghazali, The Incoherence of the Philosophers (final third); Averroes, The Incoherence of the Incoherence (selections on Sakai). Second short paper due. Averroes, Long Commentary on Aristotle s Poetics. Third short paper topics distributed. Averroes, Decisive Treatise (pages 1-45, 120-141, 156-end). Ibn Khaldun, Muquaddimah. Third short papers due. Aquinas, Contra Averroistas (on Sakai); Strauss, Al-Farabi s Plato (on Sakai); Laffer, the Laffer Curve: Past, Present, and Future (on Sakai). Course policies Extensions for papers will be granted only in very limited situations and must be requested at least a week in advance of the deadline. Exceptions to this policy may be in unforeseeable cases such as a sudden illness or family emergency. An exam in another class on the same day as your paper is due is not an unforeseeable event!
Cheating, plagiarism, or any other violation of the Duke Community Standard will automatically result in a failure on the assignment in question, and will quite possibly entail severer punishment from the Dean s Office. When in doubt, consult the following resources: Duke Community Standard: http://integrity.duke.edu/new.html Duke Citations Practices: http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/ Duke Plagiarism Guidelines: https://plagiarism.duke.edu/ Most important of all, the success of this class depends on our respectful interaction with each other. Failure to treat members of this class accordingly will not be tolerated.