Social and Political Philosophy Topic: Global Power PHI 240; AAS 229
		If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together. – Aboriginal activist sister
		I cannot rid myself of the thought that this, the last of my fatherlands [the United States], has invented for its own use a new kind of colonialism, one that is less conspicuous than the colonialism of old Europe. It achieves domination of other countries by investing American capital abroad, which makes those countries firmly dependent on the United States. Anyone who opposes this policy or its implications is treated as an enemy of the United States. – Albert Einstein to the Queen Mother of Belgium, January 2, 1955
		As long as the economic system provides an acceptable degree of security, growing material wealth and opportunity for further increase for the next generation, the average American does not ask who is running things or what goals are being pursued. – Daniel R. Fusfeld, 1972
		When a human being acts in accordance with her or his innermost principles, that person is very powerful. Almost invincible. . . . We must discover our real, basic values, because once we are working within those values, nothing can stop us. – Severn Cullis-Suziki

russellk@cortland.edu

http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~russellk

Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 11:30-1:30
Tues 4:15 - 5:30 and by appointment

Resources:

Ellwood, Wayne. The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization [N2G2]. New York: Verso, 2001. (General information about what ‘globalization' means; background on some of the economic terms, history, activist slogans, and ideas)

Bircham, Emma and John Charlton. Anti-Capitalism: A Guide to the Movement [AC]. Bookmarks Publications, Ltd., 2001. (Comprehensive overview of the issues, who's who, what has happened in recent progressive activism; breaks down issues by regions of the globe)

Lee, Wendy Lynne. On Marx [OM]. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2002. (Brief introduction and summary of some of Karl Marx's ideas)

Lent, Adam ed. New Political Thought: An Introduction [NPT]. London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1998. (Comprehensive introduction to current political theories, even Islamic politics, the New Right, and the Greens)

Starr, Amory. Naming the Enemy: Anti-Corporate Movements Confront Globalization [NE]. New York: Zed, 2000. (Breaks down global movements and shows how they differ from one another in terms of their political strategies and assumptions)

Welton, Neva and Linda Wolf. Global Uprising: Confronting the Tyrannies of the 21st Century, Stories from a New Generation of Activists [GU]. British Columbia, Canada: New Society Publishers, 2001. (Fun and easy to read; very personal approach to youth activism around the world)

Wolff, Johnathan. An Introduction to Political Philosophy [IPP]. Oxford University Press, 1996. (Overview of classical issues in political philosophy; very clear and thorough analysis from a contemporary liberal perspective)

Also: the Internet, audio tapes, periodicals, Democracy Now! radio news, xeroxed articles recommended by other students or me, etc.

Course description:

I hope the course is an unusual one. Let's build a community based on consensus and an orientation toward changing the world. Focus in this social philosophy course will be on current controversies over globalization. We'll look at how people in power assess economic and social "development" and at critiques of their approach by "anti-globalization" activists.

To make sense out of what's happening now and evaluate the possibility of alternatives, we'll need to understand different explanations offered by competing political theories: classical or contemporary liberalism, feminism, Marxism, or anarchism, for example. Our challenge will be to use philosophy to further social justice.

Course requirements:

1. Class participation: You are expected to attend every class session fully prepared having done the work for that day. Actively participating in class discussion is important! Here are some suggestions to prepare for class.

Consider these questions:

• What is the most interesting thing you got out of the assignments?
• What was the hardest thing to understand?
• Give an example of a controversy or issue from another class or your life that seems relevant to the assignments.
• Write up one or two questions you want the class to discuss.

What counts as participation?

Speaking up in class in constructive ways - either with questions or comments, collaborating effectively with other students and me, coming into my office, helping other students, etc.

2. Participation in course discussion page. See http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~russellk/courses for the link. Requirements for each week are to post your comment by early afternoon on Monday and to respond to at least one other student's comment by Thursday morning.

3. Political journal: Keep a separate notebook on political theories (definitions, arguments, etc.) and strategies. Record your personal reactions to them. Note important web links and helpful page numbers in course books for references. Bring it to class. Share it. Add to it and correct it as we move through the semester.

4. Other requirements for the course will be established by consensus and through contracts negotiated between individual students and me. Options: written exams, essays, creating pages on the web, organizing/ speaking at a rally, making a presentation, doing a performance or creating an exhibition on campus or in the community, etc.

5. Participation/ attendance at campus events of relevance to the class organized by Women's Studies, Africana Studies, Multicultural and Gender Studies, NYPIRG, USAS, BSU, LFL, the Rainbow Alliance, POWER, etc. Important events in addition to Black History Month and Women's History Month will be the World Economic Forum and Counter-Summit in New York City on February 1-2 and the Diversity Conference April 19-20 and the preceding Diversity Week at SUNY-Cortland.

Policies and general information:

1. You are expected to attend every class session and actively participate in discussion. Excessive absences (more than 2 sessions) will lower your grade.

2. SUNY-Cortland is committed to upholding and maintaining all aspects of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services located in B-40 Van Hoesen Hall or call (607) 753-2066 for an appointment. Any information regarding your disability will remain confidential. Because many accommodations require early planning, requests for accommodations should be made as early as possible. Any requests for accommodations will be reviewed in a timely manner to determine their appropriateness to this setting.

3. E-mail: Announcements, homework assignments, and information pertinent to our course work will be distributed by E-mail. Please get your account set up before the end of the first week. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR MAIL BEFORE CLASS.

3. There will be no mid-term or final exam.

4. Absolutely NO late work will be accepted unless PRIOR arrangements are made with me, and these will be made only in exceptional circumstances.

5. You are expected to follow college guidelines on academic honesty. All work submitted must be your own. All thoughts borrowed from others must be well documented. If I suspect plagiarism, you will be reported to the College's Vice President of Academic Affairs as required by college policy.