**Disclaimer**

This syllabus is to be used as a guideline only. The information provided is a summary of topics to be covered in the class.
Information contained in this document such as assignments, grading scales, due dates, office hours, required books and materials may be from
a previous semester and are subject to change. Please refer to your instructor for the most recent version of the syllabus.

**DRAFT**: A complete, up-to-date syllabus and course schedule will be found in Canvas.

CEL 100: Great Ideas of Politics and Ethics

Course and Faculty Information

Course Description: This course introduces fundamental debates and ideas of politics
and ethics. It surveys ancient, medieval and modern thought in Greek, Roman, Jewish,
Christian and Muslim traditions, tracing their influences on contemporary debates with a
focus on the great questions of human nature, social and political life, and the
relationships among religion, ethics and politics. The course readings combine a
number of classic texts in political philosophy likely to be found in many introductory
approaches to this topic with several lesser known texts chosen especially for their
ability to broaden and enrich the key debates. By taking advantage of opportunities for
collaborative work in the online space, this course will rely heavily on student-led
discussion to encourage active learning, and students will be expected to write
analytical papers and make class presentations.
Credits: 3
Instructor: Dr. Jordan Dorney, Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Contact Info:
Email: jmdorney@asu.edu
Office Phone: 480-727-2204
Office: 6671 Coor Hall
Office Hours: TBA, and by appointment (Zoom Meeting Room)

Course Learning Outcomes

The readings, discussions, and assignments in this course are designed to enhance
your ability to:

• read texts discussing fundamental political and ethical ideas carefully in order to
understand their arguments, including their premises, assumptions, implications,
and evidence
• summarize great debates in ancient, medieval, and modern politics in a variety of
traditions, especially as they relate to the great questions of human nature, social
and political life, and the relationship between religion and politics

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• compare and contrast the arguments made and positions taken in these great
debates
• apply insights from these debates to contemporary political and social questions
• recognize and explain some of the challenges presented by this historical analysis
for modern, pluralistic, constitutional democracies
• communicate clearly and effectively through public speaking and written work

Texts
Because this course uses Perusall to facilitate the distribution and discussion of course
material, all texts must be purchased via access code through the ASU Bookstore. Use
of Persuall is necessary for the completion of discussion assignments and is integral to
the functioning of the course. To improve accessibility and reduce barriers to learning,
readings have been provided wherever possible (marked with an asterisk [*] below).
*Hesiod, Works and Days, trans. Gregory Nagy.
Plato, Apology and Crito in The Trial and Death of Socrates, trans. G.M.A. Grube and
John M. Cooper (Indianapolis: Hackett, 2000).
*The Books of Samuel (Hebrew Bible, Revised Standard Version).
Tacitus, Agricola and Germany, trans. A. R. Birley (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1999).
*Ibn Tufayl, Hayy ibn Yaqzan, trans. L. E. Goodman (New York: Twayne, 1972).
Abelard and Heloise: The Letters and Other Writings, trans. William Levitan
(Indianapolis: Hackett, 2007).
Christine de Pizan, The Book of the Body Politic, trans. K. L. Forhan (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1994).
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. William J. Connell (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2016).
*John Locke, The Two Treatises of Civil Government, ed. Thomas Hollis (London: A.
Millar et al., 1764).
*J. J. Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin and the Foundations of Inequality Among
Men, in Rousseau: The Discourses and other Early Political Writings, ed. Victor
Gourevitch (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997).
*Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens), The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrim’s
Progress (Connecticut: American Publishing Co., 1869).
Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science, ed. Bernard Williams (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2001).

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Course Requirements
Reading and Discussion (R&D) (35%): The foundation of this seminar is the reading
and discussion of our shared texts. This portion of your grade reflects your comments,
questions, and replies for each reading assignment, which you will access and
complete in Perusall. Think of these assignments as both your preparation for and
participation in our virtual classroom; there is a substantial time commitment involved
in both elements. Along with viewing the seminar starter videos (SSVs), which should
facilitate your reading and discussion, you will encounter course material and interact
with your co-participants through these assignments. You may engage in R&Ds at your
own pace, but you must complete all assignments for each module by the end of
each week. DO NOT leave these to the last minute (or the last hour), as each reading
involves the equivalent material and discussion of a single meeting of a campus-
immersion course. The compressed timeframe for our session together requires focus
and determination.
Presentations (15%): To further facilitate interactivity in the seminar, you will be required
to record three short (about 5 minutes) audio/video presentations (5 pts
each), due at the end of Modules 1, 3, and 5. Use my SSVs as a guide: these
presentations should focus on a single set of readings from the module and seek
to advance the existing discussion through direct replies to other students,
elaborations on questions and comments, and/or invitations to further discussion. If my
videos are seminar starters, these are intended to be seminar extenders. These do not
require, but may benefit from, the use of a script. Think of these assignments as a
hybrid between the spontaneous responses characteristic of a well-functioning
classroom and more formalized prepared remarks. Do not worry about production
values! I hope that these recordings can provide a low-pressure way to connect with
your fellow course participants.
Interpretive Essays (50%): At the conclusion of modules 2, 4, and 6, you will
write three interpretive essays (15 pts x 2, 1500 words, and 20 pts, 2000
words) that develop and support a thesis concerning the interpretation, analysis,
and evaluation of course readings. You will be given a choice of prompts that cover the
preceding two modules (1&2 for Essay 1, 3&4 for Essay 2, 5&6 for Essay 3). It is
essential that these be attempted only after careful reading of and engagement with all
required texts for the relevant units. This means that you should likely complete R&Ds
at your earliest convenience to ensure you have ample time for the writing process. You
will receive extensive feedback and will be expected to incorporate this
guidance into upcoming assignments. Do not use any outside sources or scholarship;
focus your writing solely on close reading of and argument about the relevant texts.
Proceed immediately to a clear statement of your thesis and support the same with
evidence. These assignments call for relatively short papers, and so a premium will be
placed on efficiency and economy of thought.

Course Access

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Your ASU courses can be accessed by both my.asu.edu and myasucourses.asu.edu;
bookmark both in the event that one site is down.

Computer Requirements
This course requires the following technologies:

• Web browsers (Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari)

• Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
• Adobe Flash Player (free)
• Webcam, microphone, headset/earbuds, and speaker
• Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365 is free for all currently-enrolled ASU students)
• Reliable broadband internet connection (DSL or cable) to stream videos.

Note: A smartphone, iPad, Chromebook, etc. will not be sufficient for completing your
work in ASU courses. While you will be able to access course content with mobile
devices, you must use a computer for all assignments, quizzes, and virtual labs.

Student Success
To be successful:

• check the course daily

• read announcements
• read and respond to course email messages as needed
• complete assignments by the due dates specified
• communicate regularly with your instructor and peers
• create a study and/or assignment schedule to stay on track
• access ASU Student Resources

Grading
Your grade will be determined based on the following grading schema:

Grade Percentage

A 94-100%

A- 90-93%

B+ 87-89%

B 83-86%

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 B- 80-82%

C+ 77-79%

C 70-76%

D 65-69%

E Below 64%

Submitting Assignments
All assignments, unless otherwise announced, MUST be submitted to the designated
area of Canvas. Do not submit an assignment via email.
Assignment due dates follow Arizona Standard time. Click the following link to access
the Time Converter to ensure you account for the difference in Time Zones. Note:
Arizona does not observe daylight savings time.

Grading Procedure
Grades reflect your performance on assignments and adherence to deadlines. Grades
on assignments will be available within 72 hours of the due date in the Gradebook.

Late or Missed Assignments

Notify the instructor BEFORE an assignment is due if an urgent situation arises and you
are unable to submit the assignment on time. Late work will not ordinarily be accepted
without prior authorization for an extension.
Follow the appropriate University policies to request an accommodation for religious
practices or to accommodate a missed assignment due to University-sanctioned
activities.

Communicating With the Instructor

Community Forum
This course uses a discussion topic called "Community Forum" for general questions
and comments about the course. Prior to posting a question or comment, check the
syllabus, announcements, and existing posts to ensure it's not redundant. You are
encouraged to respond to the questions of your classmates.

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Email questions of a personal nature to your instructor. You can expect a response
within 24 hours.

Email
ASU email is an official means of communication among students, faculty, and staff.
Students are expected to read and act upon email in a timely fashion. Students bear the
responsibility of missed messages and should check their ASU-assigned email
regularly.
All instructor correspondence will be sent to your ASU email account.

Syllabus Disclaimer
The syllabus is a statement of intent and serves as an implicit agreement between the
instructor and the student. Every effort will be made to avoid changing the course
schedule but the possibility exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes
necessary. Remember to check your ASU email and the course site often.

Academic Integrity
Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, and
laboratory work, academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include,
but are not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the
transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated on the
transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification and
dismissal. For more information, see http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity

Disability Resources
Students who feel they will need disability accommodations in this class but have not
registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) should contact DRC
immediately. The DRC Tempe office is located on the first floor of the Matthews Center
Building. DRC staff can also be reached at: (480) 965-1234 (V) or (480) 965-9000
(TTY). For additional information, visit: www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/drc.

Policy Against Threatening Behavior

All incidents and allegations of violent or threatening conduct by an ASU student
(whether on-or off campus) must be reported to the ASU Police Department (ASU PD)
and the Office of the Dean of Students. If either office determines that the behavior
poses or has posed a serious threat to personal safety or to the welfare of the campus,
the student will not be permitted to return to campus or reside in any ASU residence hall
until an appropriate threat assessment has been completed and, if necessary,
conditions for return are imposed. ASU PD, the Office of the Dean of Students, and

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other appropriate offices will coordinate the assessment in light of the relevant
circumstances.

Reporting Title IX Violations

Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex
from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any
education program or activity. Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual
violence and harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual who believes they
have been subjected to sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek
support, including counseling and academic support, from the university. If you or
someone you know has been harassed on the basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you
can find information and resources at https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/faqs.

Policy on Sexual Discrimination

Arizona State University is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination,
harassment, or retaliation for the entire university community, including all students,
faculty members, staff employees, and guests. ASU expressly
prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by employees, students,
contractors, or agents of the university based on any protected status: race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender
identity, and genetic information.
As a mandated reporter, I am obligated to report any information I become aware of
regarding alleged acts of sexual discrimination, including sexual violence and dating
violence. ASU Counseling Services, https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling, is available if you
wish discuss any concerns confidentially and privately.

Copyrighted Materials
Students must refrain from uploading to any course shell, discussion board, or website
used by the course instructor or other course forum, material that is not the student's
original work, unless the students first comply with all applicable copyright laws; faculty
members reserve the right to delete materials on the grounds of suspected copyright
infringement.

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