Past Events
2007 (Fall)
- Nov 30, 2007: discussion of (1) Max Weber, "Politics as a Vocation" (1921) and (2) Sheldon Wolin, "Political Theory as a Vocation" (1969), APSR, 63:1, pp. 1062-1082.
- Nov 16, 2007:discussion of Bonnie Honig, "Between Decision and Deliberation: Political Paradox in Democratic Theory", APSR (2007), 101: 1-17.
- Nov 2, 2007: discussion of "The Rule of the People: Arendt, Archê, and Democracy," by Patchen Markell. American Political Science Review 100, no. 1 (2006): 1-14.
- Oct. 19, 2007: Presentation and discussion of dissertation chapter - Fred Lee, "The American founding and race as the question of the social."
2006-2007
- July-Aug 2007: Summer Writing Group, and Wittgenstein Reading Group (Philosophical Investigations)
- Reading group: Linda Zerilli's Feminism and the Abyss of Freedom - Feb 19, Feb 26, Mar 12, 2007
- Mar 5, 2007 - Practice Conference Presentations: John Compton, "The Emancipation of the American Mind: J.S. Mill on the Civil War"; Mark Kaswan, "A Different View of Utility: William Thompson and the Ideological Foundations of Cooperatives"; Alex Schulman, "The Twilight of Probability: Bayle, Locke and the Toleration of Atheists"; Rebekah Sterling: "Thinking cosmo-politics otherwise: Derridean hospitality, democracy to come, and the politics of immigration"
- Feb 5, 2007 - Prospectus presentation: Fred Lee, "Race outside-in the American polity: Four exercises in historicizing the racial political"
- Jan 22, 2007 - Reading group: Benjamin Constant, "The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns" (1819)
- Jan 11, 2007 - Prospectus presentation: Mark Kaswan, "The Structure of Happiness: Utility, Democracy Theory and Cooperatives"
- Dec 7, 2006 — End-of-quarter meeting / lunch
- Nov 30, 2006 — Presentation of Dissertation Chapter: Theo Christov, "Beyond International Anarchy: Re-Reading Hobbes on International Relations"
- Nov 16, 2006 — Reading group: Kant's Critique of Judgment, "Introduction" and "Analytic of the Beautiful"(online)*
- Nov 9, 2006 — Presentation of Dissertation Prospectus: Alex Schulman, "The Secular Contract: God and Man in Enlightenment Political Theory"
- Oct 20, 2006 — Introductory meeting & theory welcome reception
* Online versions of Kant's Critique of Judgment:
Meredith translation through Adeleide University E-texts | Bernard translation through Liberty Fund
2005-2006
- April 14, 2006 — Discussion of Jeremy Bentham, selections from A Fragment of Government, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, The Theory of Legislation, and "Nonsense upon Stilts." Discussant: Mark Kaswan
- April 28, 2006 — Presentation by Theo Christov, "In Defense of Kant's Ideal of a World Federation"
- May 12, 2006 — Discussion of Descartes, Meditations on First PhilosophyDiscussant: Fred Lee
- May 26, 2006 — Meeting about preparing a dissertation prospectus
- February 28, 2006 — Discussion of selections from Carl Schmitt's Political Theology, and Jean Bodin's Six Livres de la République. Discussant: Fred Lee
- February 7, 2006 — Discussion of Federalist papers 1, 10 & 51, and Catherine Holland, "Becoming Unnatural: The Federalist's Techniques of Government," in The Body Politic. Discussant: Helen McManus
- November 10, 2005 — Presentation of dissertation prospectus: Theo Christov, "The Right of Alliance: Theories of European Federation in the Age of Empire"
- October 27, 2005 — Discussion of Sarah Song, "Majority Norms, Multiculturalism, and Gender Equality," [links: pdf, html] APSR 99 (4), November 2005. Discussant: Steve On.
2004-05
- March 11, 2005 — Practice conference presentations for Western Political Science Association conference
- January 21, 2005 — Journal Reading Group: Wendy Brown's "Neo-liberalism and the End of Liberal Democracy." Theory & Event, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2003 Discussant: Paul Osher
- December 3, 2004 — Journal Reading Group: Fetherson, A.B. 2000. "Peacekeeping, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: A Reconsideration of Theoretical Frameworks" in Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution. Woodhouse, Tom and Oliver Ramsbotham, eds. London: Frank Cass. Discussant: Mark Kaswan
- October 22, 2004 — Journal Reading Group: "Political Philosophy: The View from Cambridge" Journal of Political Philosophy, 2002. Discussant: Richard James
Previous years
- Fall 2002: Antigone Reading Group
- Spring 2002: Arendt Reading Group
- May 24, 2002 — Journal group: “Foucault and Critique: Deploying Agency against Autonomy.” Political Theory. Bevir, Mark. 1999. Discussant: Scott Hoaby
- May 10, 2002 — Journal group: “Rights as Critique and the Critique of Rights: Karl Marx, Wendy Brown, and the Social Function of Rights.” Political Theory. Kukathas, Chandran. 2000. Discussant: Lahra Smith
- April 12, 2002 — Journal group: “Constructing Inequality: City Spaces and The Architecture of Citizenship.” Political Theory. Bickford, Susan. 2000. Discussant: Benjamin R. Levine
- March 15, 2002 — Field Paper Discussion: Benjamin R. Levine, "Timely and Dangerous Freedoms
- March 1, 2002 — Journal group: “Are There Any Cultural Rights.” Political Theory. Kukathas, Chandran. 1992. Discussant: Lahra Smith
- February 15, 2002 — Journal group: “Womanizing Nietzsche. Oliver, Kelly. 1995. Discussant: Raquel Zamora
- February 1, 2002 — Journal group: “Politics and Time: The overcoming of the past.” CSPT. Strong, Tracy. 2001. Discussant: Benjamin R. Levine
- January 18, 2002 — Journal group: “Privacy, Privation, Perversity: Toward New Representations of the Personal.” Signs. Morris, Debra. 2001. Discussant: Steven On
- November 16, 2001 — Journal group: “Weak Ontology and Liberal Political Reflection.” Political Theory. White, Stephen K. 1997. Discussant: Flori Fischetti
- November 9, 2001 — Luncheon: Prof. Brian Walker, UCLA, "Cultivation Thinking as a Framework for Political Inquiry
- October 26, 2001 — Journal group: “Machiavelli and Moral Change. Ball, Terence. 1993. Discussant: Scott Hoaby
- October 5, 2001 — Journal group: “Political Theory as a Critical Activity.” APSA. Tully, James. 2001. Discussant: Benjamin R. Levine
- May, 23 2001 — Luncheon: Prof. Andrew Sabl, UCLA, discussion of articles by Daniel A. Bell and Evan Charney
- May 18, 2001 — Journal group: “Reception Theory and The Interpretation of Historical Meaning. Thompson, Martyn. 1993. Discussant: Danise Kimball
- May 4, 2001 — Journal group: “Aestheticism and Morality: Their Cooperation and Hostility.” Political Theory. Kateb, George. 2000. Discussant: Flori Fischetti
- April 20, 2001 — Journal group: “Thoreau on Democratic Cultivation.” Political Theory. Walker, Brian. 2001. Discussant: Benjamin R. Levine
- February 22, 2001 — Journal group: “Imitation and Gender Insubordination.” Inside/Out: Lesbian Theories, Gay Theories. Butler, Judith. 1991. Discussant: Richard James
- February 8, 2001 — Journal group: “Cross-Purposes: The Liberal-Communitarian Debate.” Philosophical Arguments. Taylor, Charles. 1995. Discussant: Ron Den Otter
- January 25, 2001 — Journal group: “Heidegger on Freedom: Political Not Metaphysical.” American Political Science Review. Thiele, Leslie Paul. 1994. Discussant: Benjamin R. Levine