Department of Politics and
International Relations
Research Methods Training
Research Methods for
Political Theory:
TEXT AND INTERPRETATION
Hilary Term 2002
Fridays 10.00 a.m. Weeks 1,2,3,4,7 & 8
DPIR George Street
Aims and Objectives
The objectives of this course are to introduce students to the techniques and methods of critical analysis of political theory texts, covering a range of alternative methodological approaches, and to enable them to research, analyse, and prepare a critical introduction to a political theory text. The aim is to introduce, discuss and practice techniques of analysis including conceptual analysis and conceptual history, hermeneutics, the formalisation of argument, and the contextual interpretation of texts.
Course Organisation
The course will be taught in six workshop sessions in Hilary Term. In the first three sessions the theory and methodology of political theory will be be studied. In the final three sessions students, in a workshop setting, will practice the critical interpretation of historical texts.
Course Outline
Week 1 Hermeneutics
and Conceptual History
R Koselleck
Futures Past pp 73-91 (a copy of this will be
available at the Desk in the PIRS Library)
Q Skinner ‘Language and Political Change’ and J Farr ‘Understanding conceptual change politically’ in T Ball, J Farr and R L Hanson (eds) Political Innovation and Conceptual Change
Week 2 Structural
Analysis of Concepts and Formal Analysis of Argument
D Gauthier The Logic of Leviathan ch4
Elizabeth Frazer, ch 2 Problems of Communitarian Politics
Week 3 Context
and Practice
J Tully (ed) Meaning and Context: Quentin Skinner and his critics
Q Skinner Reason and Rhetoric in the Philosophy of Hobbes esp Introduction and chs 10 & 11
Week 4 Workshop:
Analysis of the United States Declaration of Independence
Weeks 7 & 8 Workshop on students’ own analytic work
Assessment
Participants in this course are required to prepare a critical introduction to any one historical text from this list:
Mary Astell A Serious Proposal to the Ladies 1697
Mary Astell Reflections upon marriage 1703
Annie Besant Is
socialism sound? 1887
Annie Besant Socialism versus Individualism 1890
Harriet Martineau ‘Female Industry’ in The Edinburgh Review, London 1859
Christabel Pankhurst The great scourge and how to end it. 1913
Christabel Pankhurst International militancy, a speech. 1915
Emmeline Pankhurst LLoyd George takes the mask off. 1920
T.H. Green, Liberal
Legislation and Freedom of Contract 1881.
H.J. Laski, Socialism and Freedom Fabian Tract, 1925
Sidney Webb, 'Eugenics and the Poor Law'
1910 + S. Herbert, 'Eugenics and Socialism' 1910
J.A. Hobson, 'The Re-Statement of
Democracy' 1902,
J.M.Keynes, (three essays): The End of
Laissez-faire'; 'Am I a Liberal?';
'Liberalism and Labour' - in J.M. Keynes, Essays in Persuasion 1931.
A.J. Balfour, 'Decadence' in Essays
Speculative and Political 1920, pp. 3-52.
Wordsworth Donisthorpe, 'Liberty or Law?'
1885.
The Primrose League – objects of the league
.... London 1885
Any suitable article from The
Anti-Suffrage Review
Any suitable article from The Edinburgh
Review
Any suitable article from Votes for Women
Candidates MAY choose a text other than those on this list, but approval must be sought from course tutors.
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