POLS 2900 Western Philosophy

1. In his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. repeatedly refers to Socrates as a key source of inspiration behind the practice of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. Why is Socrates often regarded as an inspiration for protesting injustice and breaking unjust laws? In other words, how do Socrates’ philosophical beliefs and his own concrete actions lend themselves to this interpretation? However, aren’t there other parts of Socrates’ arguments that could be interpreted as challenging, rather than supporting, a politics of civil disobedience? In particular, explore the tensions in Socrates’ arguments about obedience/disobedience, law-breaking, and about political participation in general, and how these arguments relate to those of MLK Jr.

A crucial aspect of this assignment is to provide a close, in-depth analysis of the Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates Third Edition (Apology and Crito), complemented by some discussion of the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. This analysis should be well supported by direct quotations and other references to the texts. (Please consult with your TA about their preferred citation method.) Since the task here is to read and analyze the text(s) directly, you need not—and in fact you should not—use sources beyond the course readings (although if you do use other sources, you must cite them appropriately and list them in a bibliography). In your introduction, provide a clear thesis that responds directly to the assigned question, and clearly outline how your paper will proceed.

 

Please stay within the required word range for full credit and/or to avoid penalty. Also, be sure to double space your essay, and include your name and page numbers in the document. If you do not proofread your paper to eliminate all glaring typos and errors, we reserve the right to return your paper to you without a grade until all corrections have been made.

Late essays will be assessed a penalty of 2% per day, including weekends. Please note that plagiarism is a very serious academic offense, and will be treated accordingly.

Essays should adhere to the required word length and all other guidelines, and must cite only the assigned versions of the required texts. All submitted work should be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Please be sure to include page numbers in your document, but a dedicated title page is not needed. Proper academic performance depends on students not only doing their work well, but on time. Accordingly, assignments for this course should be received by the due date specified for the assignment. All assignments must be submitted electronically through the course Moodle page, although hard copies may also be requested by your TA. Every student is responsible for keeping a copy of all submitted work until after the course has been completed and the final grade has been assigned. Late essays will be assessed a penalty of 2% per day, including weekends. Please do not expect late papers to be returned at the same time as papers submitted on time. Extensions may be granted for medical or compassionate reasons with 6 appropriate documentation, but only to those who request the extension at the earliest possible opportunity. Please consult with your TA.