Political Philosophy & North-American Philosophy
Syllabus in Three Parts
(1st Semester 2021-2022)
Viriato Soromenho-Marques
First Part
Calendar:
From September 13th to December 17th, 2021
Tuesday: 11 30-14 00h (150’)
Thursday: 12 30h-14 00h (90’)
A Political Philosophy Approach to the Struggles for Democracy and a Sustainable Society in the American Experiment.
From the War of Independence (1775-1783) until to the 21st century the North-American political experience has been defined by huge political transformations (the constitutional debate on republican federalism, the question of slavery within the broader reasons that ended in the Civil War/War between the States, Reconstruction and Segregation, the new status of World Power after the WWI, The New Deal, the dismantling of Segregation and the “nationalization” of the Bill of Rights…). In all of these historical transformations of American political and social institutions we may identify a wide range of philosophical concepts and principles used as grounding blocks for gaining legitimacy in the public sphere. In this course some of these categories and philosophical debates, linked to the core subject of democracy, will be submitted to analysis and discussion. New topics connect with the emergence of the environment crisis and intergenerational justice will be addressed.
The course activities will be based and supported in the study and discussion of an extensive list of readings that will be accessible to the students since the start of classes.
Evaluation criteria are as follows:
· 1 theoretical written test at the end of the course (50%)
· 1 intermediate practical test (25%)
· A logbook (minimum with 5 pages) containing personal reflections and/or reading notes from the students, including the draft of individual oral presentations in class (25%)
Bibliography
1. Boorstin, Daniel J. ed. 1985. An American Primer, New York, Meridian Classic.
2. Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison and John Jay. 1961. The Federalist, edited by J. E. Cooke edition, Cleveland and New York, Meridian Books. (Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison e John Jay. 2011. O Federalista, tradução, introdução e notas de Viriato Soromenho-Marques e João Duarte, Lisboa, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian).
3. Kenyon, Ceclilia M. ed. 1985. The Antifederalists, Boston, Northeastern University Press.
4. Rosas, João Cardoso (coordenador), 2020, História da Filosofia Política, Lisboa, Editorial Presença.
5. Soromenho-Marques, Viriato. 2011. Tópicos de Filosofia e Ciência Política: Federalismo. Das Raízes Americanas aos Dilemas Europeus, Lisboa, Esfera do Caos.
6. Soromenho-Marques, Viriato. 2012. “Who Are We, Europeans? What Europeans Can Learn from the USA about Their Own Political identity”, in Ideas of/for Europe. An Interdisciplinary Approach to European Identity, Teresa Pinheiro, Beata Cieszynska and José Eduardo Franco (eds.), Frankfurt am Main -Berlin- Bern- Bruxelles- New York- Oxford- Wien, Peter Lang, pp. 413-423.
Second Part
List of Readings
Anthology of American Fundamental Political Documents
(in a prevailing chronological order)
Political Philosophy & North American Philosophy
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa
Prof. Dr. Viriato Soromenho-Marques
1. Massachusetts Body of Liberties, December 1641.
2. Thomas Jefferson, Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence, July 2, 1776.
3. Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
4. The Articles of Confederation, 1781.
5. Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, January 16, 1786.
6. James Madison, Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787.
7. Benjamin Franklin Speech to the Constitutional Federal Convention, September 17, 1787.
8. Constitution of the United States, September 1787.
9. David Ramsay Address to the Freemen of South Carolina, 1787.
10. Brutus I (Robert Yates) Against the Federal Constitution, October 18, 1787.
11. Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper nº. 1, October 27, 1787.
12. Brutus II (Melancton Smith), November 1, 1787.
13. James Madison, Federalist Paper nº. 10, November 22, 1787.
14. James Madison, Federalist Paper nº. 39, January 16, 1788.
15. James Madison or Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper nº. 51, February 8, 1788.
16. James Madison, Speech on Amendments to the Constitution, June 8, 1789.
17. Congress, Amendments I-X (The Bill of Rights) to the Constitution, December 15, 1791.
18. James Madison, “Property”, National Gazette, March 19, 1792.
19. George Washington Farewell Address, September 19, 1796.
20. Thomas Jefferson, The Jentucky Resolutions of 1798 (1798-1799).
21. Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801.
22. Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, February 24, 1803.
23. Emma Willard, Improving Female Education, 1819.
24. The Webster-Hayne Debates, January 1830.
25. John C. Calhoun, Fort Hill Address, July 26, 1831.
26. W. L. Garrison, Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Convention, December 6, 1833.
27. John C. Calhoun, Speech on the Oregon Bill, June 27, 1848.
28. Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”, July 5, 1852.
29. Roger Taney (Ch. J.), Dred Scott v. Sandford, March 6, 1857.
30. Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861.
31. Abraham Lincoln, Final Emancipation Declaration (January 1, 1863) and XIII Amendment of the USA Constitution (February 1, 1865).
32. Justice Brown/Justice Harlan, Plessy v. Ferguson, May 18, 1896.
33. Woodrow Wilson, “Fourteen Points” Message to the USA Congress, January 8, 1918.
34. Calvin Coolodge, Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 5, 1926.
35. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Commonwealth Club Address on the “New Deal”, September 23, 1932.
36. Herbert Hoover, Consequences of the Proposed “New Deal”, October 31, 1932.
37. FDR, Four Freedoms Speech, 06 01 1941,
38. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, State of the Union Address, January 11, 1944”.
39. Chief Justice Warren, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and II, May 17, 1954.
40. Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Speech, August 28, 1963.
41. USA Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973.
42. Correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison about the issue of intergenerational justice, 1789-1790.
43. Aldo Leopold, “Land Ethic”, 1949.
44. Kenneth Boulding, “The Econmics of the Coming Spaceship Earth”, 1966.
45. “Environment: Fighting to save Earth from Man”, Time, Feb.2, 1970.
Note: the above mentioned texts may be found, after instructions presented in the first class in: www.viriatosoromenho-marques.com
Third Part
KEYWORDS
Anthology of American Fundamental Political Documents
Political Philosophy & North-American Philosophy
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa
Prof. Dr. Viriato Soromenho-Marques
I -Fundamental Rights and Liberties
(1) Massachusetts Body of Liberties, December 1641.
(5) Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, January 16, 1786.
(23) Emma Willard, Improving Female Education, 1819.
(26) W. L. Garrison, Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Convention, December 6, 1833.
(28) Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”, July 5, 1852.
(29) Roger Taney (Ch. J.), Dred Scott v. Sandford, March 6, 1857.
(31) Abraham Lincoln, Final Emancipation Declaration (January 1, 1863) and XIII Amendment of the USA Constitution (February 1, 1865).
(32) Justice Brown/Justice Harlan, Plessy v. Ferguson, May 18, 1896.
(39) Chief Justice Warren, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka I and II, May 17, 1954.
(40) Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Speech, August 28, 1963.
(41) USA Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973.
II-Human Rights and Intenational Order
(2) Thomas Jefferson, Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence, July 2, 1776.
(3) Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
(4) The Articles of Confederation, 1781.
(33) Woodrow Wilson, “Fourteen Points” Message to the USA Congress, January 8, 1918.
(34) Calvin Coolodge, Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 5, 1926.
(37) FDR, Four Liberties Speech, 06 01 1941.
III-Human Rights, Intergenerational justice, Environment Crisis and Economic Order
(42) Correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison about the issue of intergenerational justice, 1789-1790.
(18) James Madison, “Property”, National Gazette, March 19, 1792.
(35) Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Commonwealth Club Address on the “New Deal”, September 23, 1932.
(36) Herbert Hoover, Consequences of the Proposed “New Deal”, October 31, 1932.
(38) Franklin Delano Roosevelt, State of the Union Address, January 11, 1944”.
(43) Aldo Leopold, “Land Ethic”, 1949.
(44) Kenneth Boulding, “The Econmics of the Coming Spaceship Earth”, 1966.
(45) “Environment: Fighting to save Earth from Man”, Time, Feb.2, 1970-
IV-The Philadelphia Convention and the Constitution of the USA
(6) James Madison, Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787.
(7) Benjamin Franklin Speech to the Constitutional Federal Convention, September 17, 1787.
(8) Constitution of the United States, September 1787.
IV-Antifederalists and the Constitution of 1787
(10) Brutus I (Robert Yates) Against the Federal Constitution, Ocyober 18, 1787.
(12) Brutus II (Melancton Smith), November 1, 1787.
V-The Federalists and the Constitution of 1787
(9) David Ramsay, Address to the Freemen of South Carolina, 1787.
(11) Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper nº. 1, October 27, 1787.
(13) James Madison, Federalist Paper nº. 10, November 22, 1787.
(14) James Madison, Federalist Paper nº. 39, January 16, 1788.
(15) James Madison or Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper nº. 51, February 8, 1788.
(16) James Madison, Speech on Amendments to the Constitution, June 8, 1789.
(17) Congress, Amendments I-X (The Bill of Rights) to the Constitution, December 15, 1791.
VI-Public Ethics and the Role of the President
(19) George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796.
(21) Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801.
VII-Judicial Review, Dual federalism, Slavery, North-South Divide
(22) Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, February 24, 1803.
(20) Thomas Jefferson, The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 (1798-1799).
(24) The Webster-Hayne Debates, January 1830.
(25) John C. Calhoun, Fort Hill Address, July 26, 1831.
(27) John C. Calhoun, Speech on the Oregon Bill, June 27, 1848.
(30) Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861.