Assignments: Friday, January 25 - Friday February 1
Friday, January 25 Welcoming remarks and distribution of course outline
Tuesday, January 28
Read, in The Democratic Idea, "Was Democracy Just a Moment?" Robert D. Kaplan, 187 - 201
"If democracy, the crowning political achievement of the West, is gradually being transfigured, in part because of technology, then the west will suffer the same fate as earlier civilizations"
We begin this course by speculating on the future of Democracy. For most of the last two centuries the predominant line of thinking in much of the West has been that Democracy represented the wave of the future. Democracy and "progress" were almost identical: one brought forth the other. Kaplan is less sure that this is the case. He raises two questions: first, is Democracy ideal for all cultures and all places? and second, is the future of democracy secure in liberal Western nations, including the United States?" We're going to spend three class sessions considering these questions, and I'm going to ask you to write a response to Kaplan.
For Tuesday's discussion I want to focus on the international aspects of the essay. Kaplan is a foreign correspondent by profession, and his career has taken him into many corners of the world. Be aware of his analysis of the successes and failures of democracy in "third world" countries. Note, too, that Kaplan mentions places where economic progress and political democracy have come "uncoupled". Is it possible for a country to be peaceful and prosperous without political democracy as defined by western thought?
The links below will allow you to trace information about the current political conditions in many of the countries he mentions. Track some of these down if you have the time. Be aware that many of the sources you will find are not impartial in their analyses.
As you read, begin to identify and distinguish between "assertions" and "evidence". If you are a "highlighter," Highlight one and not the other, or highlight in different colors. Assertions are generalized statements of fact: observations of the author's assessment of how the world "really is". Evidence, when present, provides evidence in support of the assertions made. To judge the truth of the assertion requires the evaluation of the evidence supporting it. I'll be calling on your assistance to list Kaplan's assertions in class.
Don't forget to bring your 4" x 6" card with three questions, observations, or assertions with you.
We will continue our discussion of Kaplan's essay, this time focussing on what he has to say about the future of Democracy in the United States. Note that the challenges he mentions are primarily products of technological and economic change, not power struggles between nations. Be sure you understand his discussion of the role of the modern corporation. If "politics" become less and less relevant to individuals does "democracy" also become less relevant?
Don't forget to bring your 4" x 6" card with three questions, observations, or assertions with you.
LOOKING AHEAD
Tuesday, February 5 Paper on Kaplan due:
Assignment: Write a 500 word essay in reaction to Kaplan's "Was Democracy Just a Moment?"
Choose to focus on either his international or his national observations. Are you convinced by his arguments and evidence? What is strongest and what is weakest about his observations? If you find yourself in agreement with him, are you alarmed, concerned, encouraged, or unaffected by what he has to say.
Write in your best style. Proofread your work (using spell check, but remembering that spell check doesn't catch all errors)
Part of the class discussion will concentrate on the different kinds of evidence Kaplan uses...especially his use of history. He is not a historian, but history informs and shapes his life professionally and personally. Take note of those he mentions as reference points (you might want to also look at the table of contents of The Democratic Idea to see how many of those names appear here.
No 4" x 6" cards due today. I will have several of you read your papers to the class, first calling for "volunteers". If not enough volunteer, I may volunteer for some of you myself.
