The Philosophy, Politics & the Public Program brings together many of Xavier's traditional curricular strengths in an innovative and rigorous undergraduate honors program of study focusing on the unifying concept of “the public sphere” in democratic societies. The program is inspired by the Philosophy, Politics & Economics programs commonly found in the British university system, but differs from them by placing greater emphasis upon philosophical conceptions and historical context. The approach taken by this honors program is expressed in the meanings of the several conceptions identified in its very name. In its original meaning, philosophy denotes “the love of wisdom.” Aristotle, one of the greatest and most influential philosophers of the western tradition, defined politics as “the master science of the good.” “The public” represents a multi-dimensional domain of shared consciousness, ideals and action. Through course work that is both multi-disciplinary as well as centered in a particular disciplinary concentration, students are encouraged to follow their own interests in the theoretical engagement of the public in its many embodiments and meanings. In addition, the theoretical work in the program is complemented by engagement in the active world of politics through working on political campaigns, lobbying of behalf of legislation, internships in local and national government offices and summer study in Paris that includes a seminar in Brussels, the seat of the European Union. The program is highly selective, with 15 to 20 freshman students enrolling each fall.
THE CURRICULUM THE PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & THE PUBLIC CORE SEQUENCE
The program finds its center in two main areas. Students take the core interdisciplinary course sequence during sophomore and junior year. The sophomore year sequence brings together faculty from history and political science. Its focus is on America's civic culture in its growth and development, with special emphasis upon electoral and legislative politics. The junior year sequence is primarily philosophical and centers upon the philosophical ideas of the Enlightenment culminating in the French Revolution as a primary shaper of both modern democratic institutions as well as modern conceptions of “the public.” The course will culminate with the students traveling to Paris and Brussels to meet with French specialists and students who are likewise investigating the changing contours of the modern Western democracies that this revolution had so profoundly affected. Details of these sequences appear below.
THE PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & THE PUBLIC ELECTIVE CONCENTRATION
Together with the Constructing the Public sequence, the Elective Concentration forms the heart of the individual student's PPP program. Students are encouraged to choose an Elective Concentration in a discipline that most closely fits their own academic interest in “the public.” In this way, the Elective Concentration provides the conceptual center of the PPP student's course of study, supplying the dominant framework from which he or she investigates the complex content of “the public.” There are a total of 18 hours of available electives in the PPP honors program. Students may choose an Interdisciplinary minor or one that is departmentally based. Some examples are:
I. Philosophy, Politics & the Public combined with an Interdisciplinary
Minor
- Concentration in Gender & Diversity
- Concentration in International Studies
- Concentration in Latin American Studies
- Concentration in Peace Studies
- Concentration in Catholicism & Culture
II. Philosophy, Politics & the Public combined with a Discipline-based
Minor
- Concentration in Business
- Concentration in Economics
- Concentration in History
- Concentration in International Studies
- Concentration in Philosophy
- Concentration in Political Science
- Concentration in Art
THE SENIOR CAPSTONE RESEARCH THESIS
In the senior year, all PPP students will submit a research thesis for public defense. This thesis will be multidisciplinary in content and will address issues concerning the public that flow from the student's own elective concentration. A sample of some recent thesis titles appears below:
“The Cincinnati Neighborhood Movement: Community Building & the Grassroots Public Sphere"
“Are Cities Obsolete?: Urban Space as the Context for a Vital Public Sphere”
“The True Public Sphere of India: Withstanding the Threats of Globalization and Consumerism”
“The Emergence of Women in the Spanish Political Sphere After the Death of Franco”
“U.S. Fiscal Policy & the Possibility of Responsible Budgeting”
“The Social, Political and Psychological Effects of Increased Internet Use on the American Democratic Public"
“Building Frustration: Ohio Charter Schools, Public Schools, Communities, and the Properties That Divide Them”
ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS IN THE PROGRAM
In addition to these required core and elective courses, students in Philosophy, Politics and the Public must complete either a full minor in a foreign language or complete two languages through intermediate proficiency, one additional course from a history survey of the student's choice, and two courses in economics.
Internship & Foreign Study Opportunities
Students in the program can, if they wish, pursue summer internship opportunities in their home cities or in Washington, D.C.. Recently PPP students have done internships in the Washington Offices of United States Senators and Congressmen and women from Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, and Connecticut, as well as in the Mayor's Office in Cincinnati. Other students have chosen internships in both the Democratic and Republican National Committees as well as in the White House Budget Office.
Students can also undertake semester-long study abroad while pursuing the program. In the past, PPP students have spent full semesters in Ireland, Scotland, England, France and Spain. Summer study has included London, Rome, Paris and Buenos Aires. The semester programs undertaken in Ireland and England, included internships in the Irish Parliament and British House of Commons alongside the academic work done in the classroom.
After Graduation
After graduation, PPP students have gone on to many varied activities. Some have gone on for more education, whether it be law school, a graduate program in public policy, or even study towards an advanced degree in a traditional discipline (such as philosophy or mathematics). Others choose to become involved in the active world of the public sphere both locally and nationally. We have had graduates go on to work in Congressional Offices and in Departments of the United States Federal Government, some have chosen to enter Teach For America or the Peace Corps, and still others have gone on to careers in journalism or to work at the grassroots level on behalf of marginalized communities. The program is an excellent preparation for careers in these areas or in related fields such as diplomacy, foreign service, or electoral politics.
THE PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & THE PUBLIC FIRST YEAR COURSES
The first semester courses reside in Xavier University's undergraduate core curriculum. Students will be placed in selected sections of European History I and Ethics as Introduction to Philosophy. In preparation for advanced work in the program, PPP students will take two blocked courses in spring of their first year, combining European History II (HIST 134) with Theory of Knowledge (PHIL 290).
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Fall Semester
HIST 133: European History I
PHIL 100: Ethics As Introduction to Philosophy
Spring Semester
HIST 134: European History II
PHIL 290: Theory of Knowledge
HIST 134 / PHIL 290: This combined course examines the development of modern philosophical ideas in conjunction with contemporaneous historical events. Primary emphasis will be placed on the Enlightenment and the manner in which questions surrounding human scientific knowledge become relevant to the reconfiguration of European society and political institutions. Philosophical sources include detailed study of works by Descartes, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Comte and Freud. These courses provide the background necessary for the student to advance in the program.
THE PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & THE PUBLIC SOPHOMORE YEAR SEQUENCE
The sophomore year sequence comprises a year-long set of four blocked courses drawn from history and political science. The sequence combines a rigorous, interdisciplinary investigation of public experience and civic culture in the United States with a practical experience in shaping public affairs. During the fall semester, students actively work on political campaigns, writing campaign strategy leading up to Election Day and offering analysis of the results. In the spring, the class chooses a legislative issue and travels to Washington to research that issue and to interview the relevant parties both on and off Capitol Hill. Taken as a whole, the four courses are designed to develop engaged and informed citizens who are imaginative and practical, reflective and effective, possessing vision and knowing how to exercise power, equally comfortable with political argument and political technique.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Fall Semester
HIST 408: Constructing the Public: America's Civic Culture
POLI 246: Mass Media in Politics
HIST 408: America's Civic Culture: The first part of the course focuses on the historical development and present condition of our civic culture. We begin by reading the work of several public intellectuals who have brought historical, philosophical, economic, political scientific, sociological and other approaches to the study of contemporary American politics. The idea is to engage students in arguments now going on, to ground our investigations in a concern with the here and now, and to show how indispensable rigorous, scholarly inquiry is to those arguments. The second part of the course traces the historical development of American civic culture with the help of student reports on outside readings in history, sociology, philosophy, economics and other disciplines. This part of the course explores the roots of the present in the past and, just as importantly, the roads not taken, the forgotten alternatives and buried possibilities as a means of enlarging and invigorating our political imaginations.
POLI 246: Mass Media and Politics: This course examines the intersection between contemporary electoral politics and the role of the media in political and cultural affairs in the United States. The students volunteer in one of the presidential campaigns, travel to some part of the state of Ohio to campaign over a long-weekend, complete field reports on their experiences, prepare and present a campaign strategy to win Ohio for their candidate based on their study of the behavior and attitudes of Ohio voters. As part of this exercise, they produce a short, thirty-second political commercial. They also speak on WVXU on election night on various local, state and national races in which they have a particular expertise.
Spring Semester
HIST 300: Writing in Public
POLI 328 Legislative Practice
HIST 300: Writing in Public: This is a writing intensive tutorial designed to encourage students to develop philosophical, political, economic and historical perspectives on contemporary public issues and, second, to develop the skills of persuasive writing for a general public. The students will produce a portfolio of writings of different sorts (examples range from book reviews and review essays, analytical and research papers to letters to editors, press releases, policy statements, op-ed pieces). The idea is to do a good deal of writing in a variety of forms, some of which is related to the practical exercise in legislative politics which will include web-based and image-oriented communications. The course will feature four two-week presentations from faculty in diverse disciplines who will explore various approaches to contemporary public issues and various strategies of public communication.
POLI 328: Legislative Practice: This course examines legislative politics and, more broadly, the various ways power in exercised in the contemporary U.S. In researching a specific issue and crafting a campaign designed to shape public opinion and the public agenda, the students will engage in policy research and policy-formulation, coalition-building, negotiation, organization, media relations, broadcast and narrowcast communications. The students will examine the issue in terms of local, state and national politics and will travel to both Columbus and Washington, D.C. Some past legislative issues include mass transit in modern urban centers, the proposal to reform the Social Security system, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Small Black Farmer in the American Southeast, and the municipal use of Eminent Domain for the renewal of cities.
THE AMERICAN DREAM PROJECT
The Philosophy, Politics & the Public honors program is a key participant in a new academic project centered upon the concept of “The American Dream.” Through a series of combined courses, students will become well-versed in the various languages of politics. The purpose is to overcome unnecessary misunderstandings among political actors, and also to sharpen our understanding of what divides us politically. The American Dream Project serves as something of a test case for our understanding - and refinement - of our political languages. It represents an ideological tool used across the political spectrum and one that gets to the heart of American values, aspirations, and anxieties. The block of courses will enhance the students' ability to debate and deliberate on issues of public importance as well as their capacity to articulate a vision of the promise of American life.
Each of these courses will include guest speaks from a variety of disciplines within the university. There will also be, at appropriate points, outside speakers who will help refine the survey instrument and provide students with the visual and digital skills for establishing a presence for the American dream project on the web. In the spring, the students will take a third and final course in this block in which they will produce (perhaps in teams) a visual documentary on the American dream and help launch an initial survey of the American dream. Both the videos and the survey will be part of an on-going effort to make the Institute for Politics and Public Life a major nation voice in interpreting the American dream. That effort will include a web presence for the documentaries, a contest state-wide and then nation-wide for the best short documentary on the American dream and, eventually, an annual, professional-quality opinion survey on the state of the American dream.
Courses for the American Dream Project
Fall 2009
Philosophy: “The American Dream: Past, Present and Future”
Instructor: Michelle Brady, Associate Professor of Philosophy
This course considers the American Dream by focusing on one core concept of that dream, the idea that we are “self-made.” It has long been part of America's self understanding that our path in life is not determined by our origins, but we instead have unlimited potential to succeed. This dream of potential takes different forms, including political and economic success. Over the course of the semester, we will examine some of the most significant statements of that dream. In addition to understanding the historical context of these specific versions we will also consider whether or to what extent those particular conceptions are applicable in contemporary American politics and
culture.
Two time periods will receive particular attention: the founding of our nation and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. What are the ideas that shaped our nation at its origin? What do the choices made then about the form our government would take say about who we are as Americans? Do we still hold the values that informed that origin? Was the expansion of civil rights a fulfillment of that original dream? Was it a different version of the dream of the Founding Fathers, one that was necessary to overcome inherent problems in the values that animated them?
English: “The Rhetoric of Politics”
Instructor: Tyrone Williams, Professor of English
This course examines the crucial role that political rhetoric, and its underlying philosophical presuppositions, has played in the development of how Americans conceive of their nation. Indeed, as we will see, political rhetoric has shaped “America” as a nation as much as the wars it has fought, as much as the social and cultural convulsions it has absorbed and, thus, withstood. One might even say that these military, social and cultural upheavals were predicated on, and justified by, a certain rhetoric of nationhood. We will trace some of this rhetoric from the inception of the nation to the present day, drawing on political rhetoric that is, in many cases, almost inseparable from literary, theological and philosophical rhetoric. Guest lecturers in political science, history, philosophy, theology and other disciplines will dissect the key words and ideas that shape conservative, liberal and moderate thought in the United States. The course will identify points of agreement and disagreement as well as misunderstandings and obstacles to compromise and agreement. One task of this course is to identify a set of issues that can be translated into a series of questions as the basis for an opinion survey interpreting the ever-evolving American Dream.
Spring 2010
History: “The Politics of Image-Making”
Instructor: John Fairfield, Professor of History
At least since Thomas Nast's devastating caricatures of Boss Tweed in the early 1870s, images have played an important role in American politics. With the development of motion pictures at the turn of the century, the power and pervasiveness of images exploded and reshaped every aspect of American culture. During the Great Depression, New Deal, and World War II, a variety of images, from the Blue Eagle and the Four Freedoms to such Hollywood creations as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Victory
Through Air Power, and the Why We Fight series, transformed the character of political and ideological struggles. Images, combined with the modern means of communication, enabled politicians to reach over the political parties and speak directly to national constituencies. In other words, the political culture that brought the Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan to the White House had its origins in the age of Franklin Roosevelt. The digital age has now ratcheted up the role of images in daily life to an even higher degree, so much so that virtual reality has come to rival and displace - even call into question the existence of - physical reality.
This course traces the history and examines the present condition of image-making in the United States. It will include a series of special lectures and seminars from nationally recognized leaders in digital communications. Students in the class will produce their own documentary videos as a practical exercise designed to sharpen their visual literacy, that is their ability to produce, understand, and critically examine images. This course will result in a web presence for the documentaries, a contest state-wide and then nationwide for the best short documentary on the American dream and, eventually, an annual, professional-quality opinion survey on the state of the American dream.
In the following summer or fall, interested students will be placed in a high-level internship or residency in which they can apply what they have learned in practical work in the public realm (government, public relations, think tanks).
THE PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & THE PUBLIC JUNIOR YEAR SEQUENCE
This two semester sequence examines the philosophical and historical elements behind the formation of the modern democratic public. Key texts in modern political philosophy are discussed in conjunction with the historical events surrounding the two great revolutions of the 18th century in America and in France. The spring semester offers a critical evaluation of the classic texts devoted to an appraisal of what those revolutions had accomplished. Both fall and spring courses will be accompanied by a second course pertinent to this material.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Fall Semester
PHIL 338: Enlightenment and Revolution
According to Aristotle, the primary theme of ancient pre-Socratic philosophy was the discovery and discussion of Nature. Subsequently, a set of questions emerged regarding the relationship between Nature and political things. Specifically, Plato portrays Socrates as inquiring into whether political things are natural and, if so, to what extent. Similarly, Socrates raises the question of whether the laws, and even justice itself, have their roots in something other than mere convention. Classical political philosophy suggests that the laws must be “according to nature,” and especially according to the nature of man, if they are to be good. This course explores the modern responses to the classical explanations of law and nature, particularly the modern discussion of natural right and convention.
Texts:
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
Benedict Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise, Political Treatise
John Locke, Second Treatise on Government
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Second Discourse
Courses offered in conjunction with PHIL 338: Enlightenment and Revolution include...
PHIL 352: Machiavelli & Bacon
PHIL 385: Habermas and the Public Sphere
HIST : Agora to Piazza: Public Space (in Pre-Modern European Cities)
Spring Semester
PHIL 339: Revolution and its Aftermath
“All circumstances taken together, the French Revolution is the most astonishing that has hitherto happened in the world.” Edmond Burke
“The French Revolution is such an extraordinary event that it must serve as the starting point for any systematic consideration of the affairs of our own times.” Ernest Renan
During the fall semester, we studied the origins of modern politics, including its ambitious claims about nature and reason. On the basis of these claims, thinkers such as Rousseau and Locke worked out a justification for a dramatic political agenda including “revolution.” This course continues our examination of modern politics by focuses on the practical expression of political theory as it unfolded in the 18th century. Specifically, we'll focus on the first two democratic revolutions in modern history: the American Revolution and the French Revolution. In shifting to the writings of statesmen and politicians, we will discover how philosophical claims were translated into political action and thereby grasp the nature of modern politics more clearly. We shall pay particular attention to the relation between philosophy, politics, and the emergence of the Public.
Texts:
Alexis De Tocqueville, The Old Regime and the Revolution
University of Chicago, The Old Regime (A Reader)
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France
Hamilton, Jay, Madison, The Federalist Papers
William Doyle, The French Revolution (Recommended)
François Furet, Revolutionary France 1770-1880 (Recommended)
Courses offered in conjunction with PHIL 339: Revolution and its Aftermath include. . .
ECON 316 Globalization (cross listed with Theology and History)
Intersession PPP Seminar in Paris & Brussels
This unique program will bring together faculty and students from the Sorbonne (University of Paris) with students from Xavier to discuss relations between the United States and Europe. Topics will include Church-State Relations, Comparative Revolutions, Federalism, International Relations, environmental issues and economic policy. The seminar will meet each day from May 11-20, 2009 on the campus of the University of Paris from 9am-Noon. Each afternoon, sightseeing and architectural field trips in and around Paris will be scheduled. A weekend trip to Versailles has been planned. From May 21-23, students will travel to Brussels to meet with representatives from the State Department and European Union. All accommodations, airfare, transportation, fieldtrips, and meals are included. Students who complete the course successfully will receive 3 units credit in Philosophy. Financial support for this Intersession is provided to the student by the program.
Intersession Program in Paris Schedule for 2009
May 9, 2009, (Saturday) Depart for Paris
May 10, 2009, (Sunday) Arrive in Paris, Check-in at FIAP, Orientation
May 11, 2009, 9am- noon, Prof. Chantal Delsol, The Two Revolutions ("Les deux revolutions")
2:00-4:00 pm: Debriefing at the US Embassy
May 12, 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. Stephen Launay, Tocqueville on American Democracy: Precedent or Model? ("Tocqueville: la democratie americaine, precedent et modele?") 2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- le Musee Carnavalet, la place des Vosges
May 13, 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. Gaelle Demelemestre, Political Structures: Centralization and Federalism ("Centralisme et federalisme: les organizations politiques")
2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- Notre Dame de Paris
May 14 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. Joanna Nowicki, Culture and Education ("Culture et education")
2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- Le Marais, St. Gervais, St. Paul, L'Hotel de Sully
May 15 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. Laurent Godmer, Liberalism: left and right, church and state ("Le mot “liberal,” la gauche et la droite, secularisation et laicite")
2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- East facade of the Louvre, College of the Four Nations
May 16, 2009, Field Trip to Versailles
May 17, 2009, Free Day, Evening Meeting with Prof. Terence Marshall, "France and Europe: The Issues that Divide Us")
May 18, 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. Francoise Nicolas, Foreign Affairs and Policy ("Politiques‚ etrangeres") 2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- le Palais Royale, la Galerie Vivienne, La rue des Colonnes, la Bourse
May 19, 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. David Smadja, The Tension between Liberty and Autonomy ("Esprit d'autonomie et esprit d'egalite") 2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- les Tuileries, la place de la Concorde, rue de Rivoli
May 20, 2009, 9:00 am - noon, Prof. Bertrand Alliot, Sustainable Development and the Environment ("Ecologie et developpement durable") 2:00-4:00 pm: Architectural Visit -- l'Opera Garnier, Saint-Germain-des-Pres
May 21, 2009 Transfer to Brussels, Check-in, Meeting at EU Parliament
May 22, 2009 Walking Tour of Historical Brussels, Meeting with US delegation at EU
May 23, 2009 Airport Transfer, Depart for Cincinnati
Contact the Director
E. Paul Colella
Director, Philosophy, Politics and Public Program
Professor of Philosophy
Xavier University
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45207-4444
Phone 513 745-3629
E-mail colella@xavier.edu
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