Universität Wien
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210171 LK BAK5: History of Theory and Debates on Theory (2023S)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work

Eine Anmeldung über u:space innerhalb der Anmeldephase ist erforderlich! Eine nachträgliche Anmeldung ist NICHT möglich.
Studierende, die der ersten Einheit unentschuldigt fern bleiben, verlieren ihren Platz in der Lehrveranstaltung.

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Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 50 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

ACHTUNG: Erste Einheit am 20.3., nicht am 6.3.!

  • Monday 06.03. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 20.03. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 27.03. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 17.04. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 24.04. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 08.05. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 15.05. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 22.05. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Saturday 27.05. 10:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Saturday 03.06. 10:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 1 (S1), NIG 2. Stock
  • Monday 05.06. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 12.06. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 19.06. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock
  • Monday 26.06. 20:15 - 22:00 Hörsaal 1 (H1), NIG 2.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The course complements the VO "Theory History and Theory Debates". It offers a topic- and discourse-oriented introduction to the foundations of political theory and familiarizes students with the role that theory formation plays within political science. An examination of key theoretical texts provides substantive insight into some of the central issues and thematic areas of political theory:
(1) Politics and the political: what do we mean when we say something is 'political'? How is the 'political' sphere, its objects, and the ways in which action is taken within it different from other social spheres?
(2) Power and sovereignty: who exercises political power and how? How can (sovereign) power and political decision-making power be justified?
(3) Freedom, equality, justice: On which principles do we base our political community? How can they be justified?
What is the meaning and status of these central concepts in different (social) theories? What are the debates and shifts in content? What procedures and decision-making processes allow these values to be realized in the best possible way?
What is the relationship between these core values? How can they be reconciled?
(4) Democracy and political legitimacy: What models of democracy exist? On which values and principles is the thinking of democracy based in each case? How are relations of power and domination legitimized within different models of democracy?
Who are the people? What power does it have as sovereign? Who can and should participate in the affairs of the political community? What procedures are used to form political opinion and will, and to make legal and political decisions?

In addition, the course aims at practicing and practicing methodological competencies:
(1) Basic competencies of textual work (text analysis, reconstruction of arguments).
(2) Theory-guided reflective competence as a basis for political science work
(3) Critical conceptual work and evaluation skills
(4) Ability to contextualize theoretical concepts
(5) Competence for scientific text production as well as for independent coherent argumentation

Assessment and permitted materials

(1) Regular and active participation (max. three missing units) (20%).
- Attendance (max. 3 missing units) is a prerequisite for positive assessment, not a component of participation.
- Ungraded withdrawal from the course until 20.04.2023.
- Make sure you have a working e-mail address. Please always confirm arrangements by mail.
(2) Written preparation of texts (online comments on Moodle) (20%).
- For every second text, short comments on the respective text are to be written on Moodle in a forum. (Group A + Group B)
- Submission: Until Sunday 15:00 at the latest before the respective unit.
- Approximately one third to one half A4 page
- Each reading commentary must contain three things:
1. at least one important quotation from the text
2. comments on at least one central concept
3. at least one question for joint discussion (comprehension question or further question).
- S. reading guide on Moodle!

(3) (Group) presentation (20%)
- Duration: maximum (!) 15 minutes
- Handout/presentation until Thursday before the unit by mail to the course instructor
- Structuring and preparation of the text for common, text-oriented reading and discussion (no mere retelling!)
- S. Guidelines for presentations on Moodle

(4) Seminar paper (40%)
- A short proseminar paper is to be written at the end of the course.
- Length: approx. 10 pages
- The short paper should be a concise and independent examination of the texts read and discussed. (No mere "retelling"!) The seminar context as well as the state of discussion in the seminar are to be included.
- The short papers correspond to the criteria of scientific (theoretical) work; they are evaluated with regard to content and formal aspects. (Cf. Flatscher, Matthias/Posselt, Gerald/Weiberg, Anja: Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten im Philosophiestudium. Vienna: facultas 2011. Please also follow the formatting instructions given there).
- Free choice of topics; at least two secondary texts should be cited after independent research.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

20% Collaboration
20% text comments
20% presentation
40% Seminar paper

Grading scale:
90-100% Very good
80-89% Good
70-79 % Satisfactory
51-69 % Sufficient
0-50 % Not sufficient

Examination topics

Examination-immanent course: The grade is composed of the partial performances participation, documented text reading, presentation and seminar paper (see above).

Reading list

Arendt, Hannah (1960): Vita activa oder Vom tätigen Leben. München/Zürich: Pieper 2013.
Butler, Judith (2004): „Unbegrenzte Haft“, in: Dies.: Gefährdetes Leben. Politische Essays. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp, 69–119.
Brown, Wendy (2012): „Wir sind jetzt alle Demokraten…“, in: Giorgio Agamben u.a.: Demokratie? Eine Debatte. Berlin: Suhrkamp, 55–71.
Foucault, Michel (1975): „Recht über den Tod und Macht zum Leben“, in: Ders.: Der Wille zum Wissen: Sexualität und Wahrheit I. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp, 129–145.
Habermas, Jürgen (1999): „Drei normative Modelle der Demokratie“, in: Ders.: Die Einbeziehung des Anderen. Studien zur politischen Theorie. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp, S. 277–292.
hooks, bell (2000): Die Bedeutung von Klasse. Warum die Verhältnisse nicht auf Rassismus und Sexismus zu reduzieren sind. Münster: Unrast.
Honneth, Axel (2015): „Drei, nicht zwei Begriffe der Freiheit. Ein Vorschlag zur Erweiterung unseres moralischen Selbstverständnisses“, in: Internationales Jahrbuch für philosophische Anthropologie, 5/1 2015, 113–130.
Mouffe, Chantal (2005): Über das Politische. Wider die kosmopolitische Illusion. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp 2007.
Rawls, John (1985): „Gerechtigkeit als Fairneß: politisch und nicht metaphysisch“, in: Ders.: Die Idee des politischen Liberalismus. Aufsätze 1978-1989. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp 1992, S. 255–292.
Schmitt, Carl (1936): Der Begriff des Politischen. Text von 1932 mit einem Vorwort und drei Corollarien. Berlin: Duncker & Humbolt 2009.
Young, Iris Marion (1996): „Fünf Formen der Unterdrückung“, in: Politische Theorie. Differenz und Lebensqualität, hg. v. Herta Nagl-Docekal u. Herlinde Pauer-Studer. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp, 99–139.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 13.04.2023 13:49