POLI 1041

IDEAS AND IDEOLOGIES

200607
 IDEAS AND IDEOLOGIES
200607
Lectures:Mondays12.001.00
JamesKnott,ScienceSite(MichaelmasTerm)

D110,DawsonBuilding,ScienceSite(Epiphany&Easter)

TeachingStaff:
DrR.W.Dyson,ModuleConvenor,Lecturer
DrStamatoulaPanagakou,LecturerandTutor
MrMilesHollingworth,Tutor
MrPeterRowell,Tutor

r.w.dyson@durham.ac.uk Ext.47218
stamatoula.panagakou@durham.ac.uk Ext.47219
m.c.hollingworth@durham.ac.uk Ext.47219
MrRowelldoesnotuseemail,contacthimthroughtheDepartmentOffice,
politics.department@durham.ac.uk, Ext.47213

Contents
Introduction to the Module: Aims and Learning Outcomes...........................3
Conduct of the Module:
Tutorials Essays Feedback Essay and Presentation Criteria
Plagiarism Formal (Summative) Assessment.........................................5
Tutorial, Presentation, and Essay Questions..................................................9
Style Sheet for Essays.................................................................................10
Content of Module (Lectures).....................................................................13
Guide to Reading.........................................................................................14
Lectures Part 1: Ideas..................................................................................15
Lectures Part 2: Ideologies..........................................................................20
Sample Examination Paper..........................................................................27
 THISMODULEBOOKLETSHOULDBEREADIN
CONJUNCTIONWITHTHEFIRSTYEARHANDBOOK200607

3
 Introduction to the Module
Aims
The module aims to lay the foundation for a systematic understanding of
the role of political ideas and ideologies in shaping modern political
thought and the context of political behaviour and change. Students will
be introduced to the contested nature of, and boundaries between different
political ideas and ideologies. This will provide a basis on which a more
detailed examination of thinkers and concepts in a wide variety of
historical circumstances may be made in the second and third years.

The first part of the module introduces some of the essential concepts of
political theory as they have developed in Anglo-American thought
recently. It begins by examining the scope of politics as an academic
discipline, and tries to identify the kinds of question that political theorists
typically attempt to answer. It then investigates some of the most familiar
concepts of political theory: liberty, equality, democracy, power and
authority, and consent. At the end of Part One, students should be well
acquainted with these concepts and the debates which surround them.

The second part of the module introduces the concept of ideology and
examines the role it has been assigned in modern political life by various
theorists. Part Two then explores some of the major ideologies which have
influenced British politics, especially, over the last three centuries. Some
account will be given of the origins and historical development of these
ideologies, paying particular attention to their central themes and
boundaries of demarcation. In addition, consideration will be given to the
coherence of each ideological tradition, its analytical strengths and
weaknesses, and the historical and political sources of its appeal.

Learning outcomes
Subject specific knowledge
Through the module, students should acquire knowledge and
understanding of

The principal ideas and ideologies in contemporary political life

The contested nature of political concepts and ideological traditions
The traditions of political thought that sustain specific ideas and
ideologies

Subject specific skills

Through the course students should be able to

Accurately summarize and describe appropriate political literature

Identify the nature of the differences between the ideas and ideologies
considered in the module and appreciate their relative merits
Develop an appropriate sensitivity to historical context

4
Key skills
During the module students will develop the following skills:

Access and effectively utilise information to which they have been

directed and use basic research techniques to supplement this
Plan and deliver oral presentations
Plan and write assignments to specific formats and within time
constraints
Effectively communicate information

Summative assessment:

Examination (100%) this requires the student to demonstrate

understanding of the contested nature of, and boundaries between the
ideas and ideologies considered in the module within time constraints;
also, appropriate planning of work in preparation for the examination
and in the examination itself.
Formative assessment

2 essays these test the students ability to construct detailed, well-

structured arguments on the basis of literature appropriate to level one;
also awareness of the context of debates and wider traditions of
thought. For more details, see pp. 6-8 below.

Ethics and Teaching

Durham University is committed to the impartial pursuit of academic
enquiry and to freedom of speech within the law. Academic enquiry
sometimes requires us to engage with issues that are contentious and
potentially distressing. Members of the School of Government and
InternationalAffairswillatalltimesapproachsuchissuessensitivelyand
insuchawayastoencouragefull,openendedandcandiddiscussionof
them.

5
 Conduct of the Module
Teaching and learning is through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and
skills sessions.

Lectures
There will be 13 substantive lectures which provide an introduction to the
topics of the course

Skills sessions
There will be three skills sessions which will take a lecture format. Skills
sessions will enhance intellectual and practical skills necessary for success
at level 1 and prepare for more advanced work beyond.

Tutorials
Tutorialsprovideanopportunityforclarificationanddiscussionofthe
lecturetopics.Eachtutorialgroupwillmeetninetimesovertheacademic
year(thefirstisabusinessmeeting,thelastisdevotedtorevision,and
thereareseventopicbasedtutorialsinbetween).Studentsshouldsignup
foratutorialtimeonthenoticespostedintheDepartmentofPoliticsafter
Registration, being careful to check compatibility with other
commitments. IntroductorymeetingswilltakeplacefromMonday10
Octoberonwards.
A tutorial is a meeting of a small group of students who discuss with their
tutor topics and issues arising from the lecture programme. Different
tutors have a variety of styles, but in all cases a tutorial is a student-
centred learning activity. Tutorials are compulsory.
Aftertheinitialbusinessmeeting,thefirsttutorialforeachgroupisbased
onareadingandcomprehensionexerciseforPartOneofthemodule.The
preciseformofothermeetingswillbeatthediscretionofthetutor,but
will usually consist of a presentation to the class by one member,
followedbygroupdiscussion.Everymemberisexpectedtoparticipatein
andbepreparedforclassdiscussion.Tutorialquestionsarelistedonp.9.

Essays
Inadditiontopreparingpresentationsandreadingin advanceofclass
discussion, students will be required to produce two formative essays
duringthecourseoftheyear,usuallytowardstheendofterm,attimesto
bespecifiedbyeachtutor.Theessaysshouldbeofabout1500wordsin
lengthandbebasedonthequestionsonp.9below.Tutorsmayrefuse
toaccept,ormaygivelowermarksto,essayswhicharesignificantly
overthislength.

6
Essay deadlines are to be regarded as the last possible date for
submission. Itisadvisabletoaimforanearlierdateinordertoavoid
excesspressureonlibraryorcomputingresources.Permissiontosubmit
an essay after the deadline must be sought directly from the tutor
concerned and will be given only in exceptional circumstances (e.g.
seriousillness).Failuretomeettheseconditionswillberecordedasnon
submissionoftheessayinthestudentspermanentrecord,whichmaybe
consultedbystaffmembersintheeventofareferencebeingrequested.

Feedback
Written comments by tutors will accompany essays when they are
returned. In addition, tutors will make themselves available for oral
feedback,onaonetoonebasis,attimeswhichtheywillspecify.

Essay and Presentation Criteria

Formativeessaysprovideyouwithanopportunitytosubmitworkand
receivefeedbackfromyourtutorsastowhetherornotthatworkmeets
Departmentalexpectations,andguidanceonareasforimprovement.This
feedback and guidance will concentrate on the areas indicated in the
criterialistedbelow.
Yourfinalmarkisdeterminedbyyourperformanceintheexamination.
Achievement of an overall pass mark of at least 40% acts as a
qualificationprocessforentryintolevel2.Therefore,theonlyformal
classification of level 1 summative assessment is Pass or Fail.
However,yourmarkwillindicatetheextenttowhichyouhavemetor
exceededminimumexpectations,andsessionswillbescheduledtowards
theendofEasterTermwhenstudentscanreceivemoredetailedfeedback.
In order to pass, your examination answers will be expected to
demonstratetheabilitytomeetthecriterialistedbelow.
In assessing essays and examination answers the following criteria
apply, subject to the specific requirements of the exercise (e.g. in an
examinationanswertheextentoftheoreticalandempiricalcontentwill
inevitablybelessandtheexpectationsofstandardsofpresentationare
lower)
Focus does the essay or examination answer address the specific
questionset?
Structureistheargumentoftheessayoranswerclear?Isthesequence
ofpointscoherent?
Theoreticalcontent doestheessayoranswershowunderstandingof
appropriateconceptsandtheories?
Empirical content is the essay or answers argument supported by
suitableandaccurateexamples?

7
Researcheffortdoestheessayoranswershowfamiliaritywitharange
ofappropriateliterature?
Presentation is the essay or answer written in clear and accurate
English? Does the essay comply with the Departments stated format,
includingforpresentingreferences?(Seethestylesheetandrequirements
foressayformat,below)

Plagiarism
Whenyousubmitwork,whetheranessay,projectordissertation,youare
claimingtobeitsauthor.Thismeansthatitconsistsofyourownideas
andiswritteninyourownwords~exceptwhereyouspecificallyindicate
othersources.Plagiarismoccurswhenyoucopyorsummarisesomeone
elses work without clear and accurate acknowledgement of what you
haveborrowedandfromwhere.Plagiarismcanoccurwhen(a)another
writerstextisusedasifitwerethestudentsown,throughfailureto
attributeitproperlytoitsrealsource,and(b)sourcesareclaimedtohave
beenusedwhichinfacthavenotbeenconsulted.
Studentsmustnotclaimothers(includingotherstudents)workastheir
own.Thisisaformofcheating.Inaddition,studentsmustmakeevery
efforttoavoidplagiarismarisingoutofdefectsinnotetaking,attribution
of sources and presentation of work. An example of correct style for
referencingandattributionissetoutinallmodulebooklets.Theissueis
dealt with in feedback on formative written work. Guidance on good
practiceinnotetakingisgivenintheStudySkillslectureswhichform
partofeachlevel1module,andisavailablefromallteachers.Ignorance
of the requirements for proper referencing and attribution does not
thereforeconstituteadefenceagainstanaccusationofplagiarism.
Anyconcernsaboutproperreferencingmustbebroughttotheattentionof
therelevantteacherbeforeworkissubmitted.TheDeclarationsubmitted
with summative written work is not a formality but is to be taken
seriously.
Allegationsofplagiarismaredealtwithinitiallybyapanelconvenedby
the Board of Examiners of the degree programme concerned, and
conductedinaccordancewithUniversityregulations(seesection6.1.4.4
oftheTeachingandLearningHandbook).Inextremecases,plagiarism
maybeclassedasadishonestpracticeunderSectionIV,2(a)(viii)ofthe
General Regulations and can lead to expulsion. Proven cases of
plagiarismwillformpartofastudentsrecord.

Word Limits
Wordlimitsexistinordertoensureequityinthemarkingofsummatively
assessedwork.Theyaretobeadheredtostrictly.

8
Thewordcountshould include:alltext,allfootnotesorendnotes,all
appendices,andalltablesanddiagramsestimatedintermsofthenumber
ofwordswhichwouldfillthesamespace.
Thefollowingshouldnotbeincludedinthewordcount:thebibliography,
pictorial illustrations, the title page, any acknowledgements or non
substantivepreface.
Thewordcountistobedoneusingthefacilitiesofawordprocessing
program,orifawordprocessorhasnotbeenused,byhand.The exact
number of words indicated by the count should be stated in the
Declaration. As wordprocessor word counts may overestimate by
countingfootnotereferencemarksandsuchlike,anallowanceof5percent
willbemadeinthecount,e.g.fora3,000wordessayastatedwordcount
ofupto3,150willbeacceptable.*
Noessayshouldbesubmittedwithawordcountabovethestatedlimit
plusallowance.Essayssubmittedwithawordcountacknowledgedinthe
Declaration to be above the limit will be subject to a mark penalty
dependingonthesizeoftheexcess.Overlengthessayssubmittedwitha
falsewordcountwillbesubjecttothesamepenalty,andinadditionmay
attractdisciplinaryactiononthegroundsofdishonestpractice.
Essaysmustbesubmittedprintedwiththemaintextina12pointfont
withdoublelinespacing.Footnotesorendnotesmaybeatareducedfont
size(minimum10point)andmaybesinglespaced.Pagemarginsshould
beapproximately1inch(2.5cm)topandbottomand1.5inches(4cm)on
eachside.Theserequirementsaretoensurereadabilityandtoenablethe
markertomakearoughcheckthatthewordlimithasbeencompliedwith.
Failuretomeettheserequirementsmayresultinamarkingpenaltyandis
likelytoinduceamanualwordcountbythemarker.

Marking Penalties
Length in excess of stated limit:
Up to 5%: no penalty
Between 5% and 20%: 10 mark penalty
Between 20% and 50%: 20 mark penalty
Above 50%: zero

*
When tables or diagrams are used, care should be taken to exclude these from the word-processor
word count and to add to that count an estimate of the number of words which would occupy the
same space.

9
 Tutorial and Presentation Questions
PartOne
1. What is freedom, and why should we value it?.

2. All men are born equal. Are they?

3. Is democracy possible?

4. What can make the exercise of power legitimate?

Part Two
5. Whatgoalshasliberalismpursuedandwhyhavetheyprovedso
controversial?
6. WhatdoesConservatismseektoconserve,andwhy?
7. Whatistheaimofthethirdwaypoliticsandwhicharethefive
dilemmasforsocialdemocracyandtheprescriptionsthatGiddens
elaboratesinTheThirdWay?WhatisAlexCallinicosscritiqueof
TheThirdWay?

Essay questions

You should choose your essay titles from the above, or

from the following extension to that list:

Part One
1. Why should we obey the government?

Part Two
2. Can politics ever be free of ideology?
3. What are nations and should they be self-determining?
4. What are the main ideas in the New Right discourse? Outline and
assess.
5. What is the Marxist approach to politics, power and the state?

N.B. You should write one essay for each part of the module

10
 Style Sheet for Essays
Essays must be submitted in accordance with a recognized style.
Whichever style you adopt you must use it consistently. The style
described below is the style preferred by the Department of Politics. If you
are not familiar with an alternative you should adopt this style. If there is
anything in these guidelines which you do not understand, ask before you
begin writing.

References
All references and notes should be sequentially numbered and placed at
the bottom of the page or the end of the text. Indicate the place in the text
with superscript numerals. References should take the following form:
First citation:
Peter Calvert, Revolution (London, Pall Mall, 1970), pp. 78
John Dunn, Revolution, in Terence Ball, James Farr, Russell L. Hanson
(eds), Political Innovation and Conceptual Change (Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press, 1986), pp. 33356
Vernon F. Snow, The Concept of Revolution in Seventeenth-Century
England, The Historical Journal, Vol. 5 (1962), pp. 16790
Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, The Communist Manifesto
[http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/docs/comman.htm] 30 August 2000
Second citation:
Calvert, Revolution, p. 5
Dunn, Revolution, p. 337
Snow, The Concept of Revolution in Seventeenth-Century England, p.
170
Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, The Communist Manifesto

Example
The literature on the Nazi period is now so extensive that even
specialists have difficulty keeping up with it. Possible starting
points include interpretations of the German problem, for
example by Harold James.1 Alternatively, one can begin with
the standard biographies of Adolf Hitler.2 At a later stage it will
be necessary to consult the more specialised literature on, for
example, the evolution of Hitler's foreign policy. These studies
will throw light upon our general understanding of Hitler. Thus,
Stokes points out that Hitlers foreign policy was guided by a
more coherent Weltanschauung than was once assumed.3
Elsewhere he emphasises the need to place Hitler in the
context of other Nazis.4 There are also collections of primary

11
sources on various aspects of the period, including some
available on the internet.5 At the end of the day, however, it is
the demonic figure of Adolf Hitler who will continue to fascinate
students of the period.6

1. Harold James, A German Identity 1770-1990 (London,

Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1989).
2. See Joachim C. Fest, Hitler (Harmondsworth, Penguin,
1962) and Alan Bullock, Hitler: A Study in Tyranny
(Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1962).
3. Geoffrey Stokes, The Evolution of Hitler's Ideas on Foreign
Policy, in Peter Stachura (ed.), Shaping the Nazi State (London,
Macmillan, 1978), p. 22. For the central text of this new
interpretation see Eberhard Jckel, Hitlers World View
(Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1981).
4. Geoffrey Stokes, More Unfinished Business? Some
Comments on the Evolution of the Nazi Foreign Policy
Programme, European Studies Review, Vol. 8 (1978), pp. 425
42.
5. See, for example, the transcript of The Trial of Adolf
Eichmann [http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/e/eichmann-
adolf/tanscripts/] 20 August 2000
6. This despite the fact that Fest regards Hitlers personality
as being of little interest. Hitler, p. 6

Bibliography
This should include all material consulted and not just material cited. On
the other hand, it should not include material that you have not consulted
(such as items that your sources have used). Use the format indicated for
references. List items according to the alphabetical order of the authors
names.

Quotations
Quotations of more than five lines should be indented with no inverted
commas, unless to mark a quotation within the indented quotation when
single inverted commas should be used. For shorter quotations use single
inverted commas. For interpolations use square brackets. For the omission
of material use three dots.

Capitals
Capitalise proper names and substantives where they refer to particular
individuals. Thus social democrats follow in the footsteps of classical
liberalism, but West German Social Democrats displayed the same

12
preference in the 1960s. Retain capitals throughout titles. Thus, Eastern
Europe, the Western Powers, East Germany, as well as the West.

A Brief Citation Guide for Internet Sources*

Basic citation components
Theseappearwhereavailableinthefollowingorder,withcertainitemsin
squarebracketsasindicated.
AuthorsLastName,FirstName.
[authorsinternetaddress,ifavailable.]
TitleofWorkortitlelineofmessage.
TitleofCompleteWorkorTitleofList/Siteasappropriate.
[URLinternetaddress].
Dateofpublicationand/oraccess,asappropriate.
NOTE: Because of the impermanence of electronic media it is very
important to give the date when you accessed the site and obtained
informationeitherbyreading,downloadingorprintingmaterialfrom
theweb.
Itisnotnormaltoprovidepagenumbers,giventhattheymaynotexistor
mayvarydependingupontheviewerorprinterused.

Examples
WorldWideWeb
Limb, Peter. Relationships between Labour and African Nationalist/
Liberation Movements in Southern Africa [http://neal.ctstateu.
edu/history/world_history/archives/limbl.html],22May1998.
ListservMessages
Siebelink,Roland[rcsiebel@vub.ac.be],ReformingtheEuropeanUnion
inLISTEU[listproc://eu@knidos.cc.metu.edu.tr],6February1995
UsenetGroupMessages
Legg,Sonya.[legg@harquebus.cgd.ucar.edu],Africanhistorybooklist
in[Usenet://soc.culture.african],5September1994.

*
This text has been substantially edited and adapted by Andrew MacMullen, from a
text by Melvin E. Page of the History Department at East Tennessee State University
<pagem@etsuarts.east-tenn-st.edu>, incorporating suggestions and information
supplied by Jeffrey Hart at Indiana <HARTJ@ucs. indiana.edu> and Bruce McFarling,
at Knoxville <brmcf@utkux.utk.edu>.

13
14
 Content of Module

Michaelmas term
1. Introduction to the study of politics at Durham (skills)
2. What is Political Theory?
3. Liberty
4. Equality
5. Democracy
6. Power and Authority
7. Political Obligation
8. Ideology
9. Liberalism
10. Conservatism

Epiphany Term
11. The New Right
12. Essay Feedback (skills)
13. Marxism
14. Democratic Socialism
15. Nationalism
16. Revision(skills)

15
 Guide to Reading (ESSENTIAL)
Studentsare stronglyrecommended topurchasethefollowingtextbooks
forEACHpartofthemodule.

Part 1
Either
Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory
(Macmillan, 4th edition, 2000)
Or
A. Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction (Macmillan, 3rd
edition, 2004)
And
John Hoffmann
and Paul Graham Introduction to Political Theory (Pearson, 2006)

An excellent, brief introduction to political theory with which to

suppplement the above is:

J. Wolff An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Oxford,

1996).

Part 2
Either
M. Festenstein & M. Kenny (eds.)
Political Ideologies: A Reader and Guide (Oxford
University Press 2005)
Or
A. Vincent Modern Political Ideologies (Blackwell, 2nd ed., 1995).

16
 Lectures
Lecture 1 Introduction to the Study of Politics at Durham
Teaching methods and organization of the Politics Department. Study
skills, library skills, essay writing and the rules of scholarship. This
lecture forms part of a three-lecture short course, occupying the first
lecture in each of the three Politics first-year modules.
A. Northedge The Good Study Guide (ESSENTIAL)

Part 1: Ideas and Concepts

Lecturer: Dr R.W. Dyson
Inadditiontotheitemslistedonp.14,formoreadvancedreadingonthis
partofthemodulestudentsmayalsofindthefollowingbooksuseful:

ESSENTIAL

William E. Connolly
The Terms of Political Discourse (Oxford: Basil
Blackwell, 1993).
Will Kymlicka Contemporary Political Philosophy (Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1990).

John Rawls Political Liberalism (New York: University of

Columbia Press, 1993)

R. Bellamy & A. Mason (eds.)

Political Concepts (MUP, 2003).
RECOMMENDED
S.I. Benn and R.S. Peters
Social Principles and the Democratic State (out of
print and now rather dated, but still useful).

17
Lecture 2 What is Political Theory?
What place does political theory have in the academic study of politics?
What is theoretical about political theory: what kinds of question do
political theorists ask, and by what means do they answer them? Can
political theory tell us what to do?
ESSENTIAL

Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory, ch. 1.

Bernard Crick In Defence of Politics (4th ed., 1992).
William E. Connolly
The Terms of Political Discourse (1974).
Barbara Goodwin, Using Political Ideas, ch. 1.
Andrew Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction, ch. 1.
John Hoffmann
and Paul Graham Introduction to Political Theory, Introduction
David Miller Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
(2003).

RECOMMENDED
Andrew Vincent The Nature of Political Theory (2004)
Joel Feinberg Social Philosophy (1973).
John Plamenatz The Use of Political Theory, in Anthony Quinton
(ed.), Political Philosophy (1967)
W.G. Runciman Social Science and Political Theory (1969)

Lecture 3 Liberty
What is liberty? Why is it valuable? Should it have priority in social
calculations? What kind of society maximizes freedom? How
real/important is the distinction between negative and positive freedom?
ESSENTIAL
Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory, ch. 8.
Isaiah Berlin Two Concepts of Liberty, in his Four Essays on
Liberty (1969).
Barbara Goodwin Using Political Ideas, ch. 5.
Andrew Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction, ch. 9.
John Hoffmann
and Paul Graham Introduction to Political Theory, ch. 2
Charles Taylor Whats Wrong with Negative Liberty? in Alan Ryan
(ed.), The Idea of Freedom (1979)
G. McCallum Negative & Positive Liberty, in P. Laslett (ed.),
Philosophy, Politics and Society, 4th series (1972Po)
Ian Carter Liberty, in R. Bellamy & A. Mason (eds.), Political
Concepts (MUP, 2003).

18
RECOMMENDED
David Miller (ed.), Liberty (1993)
Joseph Raz The Morality of Freedom, chapters 1-3, 8, 14-15.

G.A. Cohen The Structure of Proletarian Unfreedom, in

Philosophy and Public Affairs (1983), or in his
History, Labour and Freedom: Themes From Marx
(1988).
Richard Lindley Autonomy (1986)
Ian Carter A Measure of Freedom (1999)

Lecture 4 Equality
What sense does it make to claim that all men are born equal? Equal in
respect of what? Does the notion of equality have anything more than
rhetorical force? Is the promotion of equality by political means either
desirable or possible?
ESSENTIAL

Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory, ch. 7.

H.A. Bedau (ed.) Justice and Equality (1971), esp. chapters by Benn,
Lucas and Williams.
Barbara Goodwin Using Political Ideas, ch. 14.
Andrew Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction, ch. 10.
John Hoffmann
and Paul Graham Introduction to Political Theory, ch 3.
Ronald Dworkin What is Equality?, Philosophy and Public Affairs
(1981)
Robert Nozick Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 232-275.

RECOMMENDED
Colin Farrelly Contemporary Political Theory: A Reader (2004),
Part One.
Will Kymlicka Contemporary Political Philosophy (1990), chapter 3.
G.A. Cohen The Currency of Egalitarian Justice, Ethics (1989).
Thomas Nagel Equality, in his Moral Questions (1979).
David Miller Arguments for Equality, Midwest Studies in
Philosophy (1982)
Paul Barker (ed) Living as Equals (1998).
M. Cavanagh Against Equality of Opportunity (OUP, 2002)

19
Lecture 5 Democracy
Is democracy either feasible or desirable as a form of government? What
problems arise in translating the preferences of individuals into a
democratic will? Indeed, is the very notion of a democratic will (a)
intelligible, or (b) dangerous?
ESSENTIAL
Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory, ch. 10.
Barbara Goodwin Using Political Ideas, ch. 10.
Andrew Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction, ch. 8.
John Hoffmann
and Paul Graham Introduction to Political Theory, ch. 5.
R. Blaug & J. Schwarzmantel (eds.),
Democracy: A Reader (2001)
John Dunn Democracy: the Unfinished Journey (1993).
Jack Lively Democracy (1975).

RECOMMENDED
M. Rosen & J. Wolff (ed.),
Political Thought (1999), Ch. 3.
M. Saward Democracy (Polity, 2003).
A. Arblaster Democracy (Open University Press, 2002)
William Nelson On Justifying Democracy (1980), introduction and
chapters 2-6.
Jon Elster The Market and the Forum, in his Foundations of
Social Choice Theory (1986).
Carole Pateman Participation and Democratic Theory (1970).
Iain Maclean Public Choice (1985), chapters 8-9.
William Riker Liberalism Against Populism (1982), chapters 1, 4, 5
and 10.
Benjamin Barber Strong Democracy (1984).
James L. Hyland Democratic Theory (1995)

Lecture 6 Power and Authority

What makes the difference between power and authority? What do we
mean by legitimacy? In what sense may political relationships be
described as moral relationships? If they are moral relationships, what
makes them so? Is might right?

20
ESSENTIAL
Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory, ch. 4.
Barbara Goodwin Using Political Ideas, ch. 11.
Andrew Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction, ch. 5.
John Hoffmann
and Paul Graham Introduction to Political Theory, ch. 1
William E. Connolly
The Terms of Political Discourse (1974), chapters 2-3.
Steven Lukes Power: a Radical View (1974).

RECOMMENDED
Steven Lukes (ed.), Power (1986).
Dennis Wrong Power: Its Forms, Bases and Uses (1979).
Robert Nozick Coercion, in Peter Laslett et al. (eds.), Philosophy,
Politics and Society, 4th series (1972).
John Gray Political Power, Social Theory and Essential
Contestability, in David Miller and Larry Siedentop
(eds.), The Nature of Political Theory (1983).

Lecture 7 Political Obligation

In what sense (if any) are we obliged to obey the State? How do we
acquire such an obligation? What sense can be made of the idea of consent
as constituting/creating political obligation? Under what circumstances do
we have the right to civil disobedience?
ESSENTIAL
Norman P. Barry An Introduction to Modern Political Theory, ch. 4.
Barbara Goodwin Using Political Ideas, ch. 11.
Andrew Heywood Political Theory: An Introduction, ch. 5.
A.J. Simmons Moral Principles and Political Obligation (1979),
chapters 2-6, 8.
Leslie Green The Authority of the State (1988), chapter 6.
Joseph Raz The Morality of Freedom (1985), part 1.
J.P. Plamenatz Consent, Freedom, and Political Obligation (1968).
Rex Martin Political Obligation, in R. Bellamy& A. Mason
(eds.), Political Concepts (2003)

RECOMMENDED
Ronald Dworkin A Matter of Principle (1979), chapter 4.
Carole Pateman The Problem of Political Obligation (1979)

21
 Part 2: Modern Political Ideologies
Lecturer: Dr Stamatoula Panagakou
Allthereadingsspecifiedbelowunderparticulartopicssupplementthe
twotextbooksrecommendedunderPartTwoofessentialreadingonpage
14ofthisbooklet.Othergeneralintroductorytextbookswhichmightbe
consultedinconnectionwitheachtopicareasfollows:
R.Eatwell&A.Wright(ed.),ContemporaryPoliticalIdeologies(2nd.ed.,
Continuum,1999).
R.Eccleshall,V.Geoghegan,M.Lloyd,I.Mackenzie,R.Wilford,M.
Kenny, and A. Finlayson, Political Ideologies: An Introduction (3rd
edition,2003).

I. Adams, Ideology and Politics in Britain Today (Manchester University

Press, 1998)
A.Heywood,PoliticalIdeologies(3rd.ed.,Palgrave,2003).
Readingsbelowwithanasteriskbesidethemindicatethatthebookisin
print, should be available in the University Bookshop, and is worth
purchasing.

Lecture 8 Ideology
The meaning of the term ideology and the value of ideologies themselves
have been much disputed since the concept was first used during the
French Revolution. In ordinary language it has acquired a negative
connotation when contrasted with the objective knowledge gained
through science. But do ideologies merely simplify and distort reality in
the interests of particular classes and groups? How do we account for the
significance of ideology in modern political life? Has the collapse of
communism signalled the end of isms?
ESSENTIAL

*M. Freeden Ideology: A Very Short Introduction (2003)

*D. McLellan Ideology, 2nd edition (1995).
J. Plamenatz Ideology (1970).
N. Harris Beliefs in Society (1968).

RECOMMENDED
M. B. Hamilton The Elements of the Concept of Ideology, Political
Studies, XXXV (1987), 18-38.
I. Adams The Logic of Political Belief (1989).
R. J. Benewick (ed),
Knowledge and Belief in Politics (1976)

22
A. Macintyre The End of Ideology and the end of the end of
ideology, in his Against the Self-Images of the Ages:
Essays on Ideology and Philosophy (1971).
A. Shtromas (ed.),
The End of Isms? Reflections on the Fate of
Ideological Politics after Communisms Collapse
(1993).

B. Parekh Marxs Theory of Ideology (1982).

M. Kenny Ideas, Ideologies and the British Political Tradition,

In I. Holliday, A. Gamble, & G. Parry (eds),
Fundamentals in British Politics (1999)

Lecture 9 Liberalism
Liberalism originated in Protestant insistence on freedom of worship and
expression in early modern Europe (See Q. Skinner on neo-Roman
conceptions of citizenship in early-modern political thought in Britain).
But its zenith was reached in nineteenth-century classical liberalism
which claimed economic and political sovereignty for the individual. To
which perceived evils was early and classical liberalism a reaction?
What did their exponents understand by minimal government and
representative government? To what extent did they presuppose the
atomistic and selfish nature of individuals? Was classical liberalism
simply a weapon in the struggle of the middle classes for political power?
Was the New Liberalism of the late-nineteenth century simply a
defensive move against the challenge of organised Labour? To what extent
has liberalism triumphed over rival ideologies today?
ESSENTIAL
R. Eccleshall British Liberalism: Liberal Thought from the 1640s to
the 1980s (1986).
R. Bellamy Liberalism and Modern Society: An Historical
Argument (1992).

RECOMMENDED
*Q. Skinner Liberty Before Liberalism (1997).
J. Gray Liberalisms (1989).
A. Arblaster The Rise and Decline of Western Liberalism (1984)
J. Waldron Theoretical Foundations of Liberalism, The
Philosophical Quarterly, 37 (1987), 127-50.
J. Gray Liberalism, 2nd ed., (1995).
C. Bird The Myth of Liberal Individualism (1999).

23
Lecture 10 Conservatism
Conservatism has taken different forms in different countries since it
emerged as a political doctrine following the French Revolution. In
Britain, it has taken a characteristically moderate form, seeking to
reconcile progress with tradition in the manner of Edmund Burkes
political philosophy. In Europe, conservatism has been more closely
associated with reaction, romanticism, and cultural pessimism.
Sympathetic writers on conservatism stress its roots in political scepticism
- the conception that society is too complex and fragile, and human beings
too imperfect, for the world to be changed consciously for the better. But
how valid is the claim of moderate conservatives that their approach to
politics is essentially pragmatic and therefore non-ideological?
ESSENTIAL

F. OGorman British Conservatism: Conservative Thought from

Burke to Thatcher (1986)
N. K. OSullivan Conservatism (1976).
R. Eccleshall English Conservatism as Ideology, in Political
Studies, 25 (1977).
A. Aughey Traditional Toryism, in K. Hickson (ed.), The
Political thought of the Conservative Party since 1945
(2005).

RECOMMENDED
W.H. Greenleaf The Character of Modern British Conservatism, in
R.J. Benewick (ed.), Knowledge and Belief in Politics (1976).
M. Oakeshott Rationalism in Politics: and other essays (1962)
R. Scruton The Meaning of Conservatism (1980).
T. Honderich Conservatism (1990).
A. Vincent Conservatism and the Problem of Ideology in
Political Studies, 42, 2 (1994), 204-227.
A. Quinton The Politics of Imperfection (1978).

Lecture 11 The New Right

The New Right developed in the 1970s as a reaction against the increases
in the power of the state in postwar social democracy. However, it was by
no means homogeneous, with several distinct and not always consistent
strands. There were clear libertarian and neo-Conservative dimensions,
for example. Some commentators have seen no difficulty in reconciling
these contrasts within the New Right and with the wider Conservative
tradition - although from different perspectives (compare Andrew Gamble
from the perspective of the Left and Shirley Letwin from the Right, for

24
example). To what extent was the New Right continuous with, and to
what extent a departure from traditional conservatism? What has been its
legacy within Conservatism?

ESSENTIAL

A. Gamble The Free Economy and the Strong State: The Politics
of Thatcherism (1988).
S. Letwin The Anatomy of Thatcherism (1992).
N. Barry The New Right (1987).
D. King The New Right: Politics, Markets and Citizenship
(1987).
Green, D.G. The New Right: The Counter-Revolution in Political,
Economic and Social Thought (1987).

RECOMMENDED
E.H.H. Green Thatcherism: an Historical Perspective, Proceedings
of the Royal Historical Society, IX (6th series) (1999),
17-43.
J. Gray Beyond the new Right: Markets, Government and the
Common Environment, (1993).
J. Gray & D. Willetts
Is Conservatism Dead? (1997).
D. Willetts Modern Conservatism (1992).

Lecture 12 Essay Feedback

Lecture 13 Marxism
Marxs political philosophy developed from a critique of Hegelian
Idealism and classical political economy. Its claims on behalf of alienated
labour in a capitalist system has inspired communist revolutions in many
parts of the world, revolutions that have subsequently collapsed and
brought the Marxian legacy into discredit. But how central to the socialist
tradition is that legacy?
ESSENTIAL
K. Marx The Communist Manifesto
A. Callinicos Marxism and Politics in A. Leftwich (ed), What is
Politics? (2004), pp. 53-66.

25
L. Kolakowski Main Currents of Marxism (1978), Vol.1, The
Founders (see esp. pp. 363-76).
*I. Berlin Karl Marx (1939).
G. Lichtheim Marxism (1961).
P. Singer Marx (1980).

RECOMMENDED
K. Graham The Battle of Democracy (1986), chapters on Marx
and Lenin.
G. Lichtheim A Short History of Socialism (1975).
R.N. Berki Socialism (1975).

Lecture 14 Democratic socialism

Eduard Bernstein presented the first challenge to Marx from within the
Marxist camp in 1899. A German socialist from the largest socialist party
in Europe, the SPD, Bernstein questioned whether capitalism would
collapse and laid the basis of democratic socialist politics from his denial
that it would. Subsequent reformist socialists have ranged from the early
Fabians who valued efficiency above democracy to ethical socialists
such as R.H. Tawney and Anthony Crosland and more recently, market
socialists and adherents of the Third Way. Can the democratic socialism
which emerged in reaction to the Marxist stress upon revolution provide
the basis for a new socialist revival? Can socialists overcome liberal
scepticism about the compatibility of equality with liberty? Can socialist
ends be realised through market mechanisms?

In this lecture, we will also discuss The Third Way by Anthony Giddens.
Giddenss book attemps to offer a new perspective concerning the
theorisation of social democratic politics which can lead to a renewal of
social democracy after the challenges of neo-liberalism, the inadequacies
of the old left, and the ongoing global transformations.

ESSENTIAL

L. Kolakowski Main Currents of Marxism, II, The Golden Age, Ch.4.

P. Gay The Dilemma of Democratic Socialism: Bernsteins
Challenge to Marx (1957).
*H. Tudor (ed) Bernstein: The Preconditions of Socialism (1993).
A. Giddens The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy
(1999)
A. Giddens The Third Way and its Critics (2000)
A. Giddens (ed) The Global Third Way Debate (2001)
A. Callinicos Against the Third Way (2001)
A. Callinicos An Anti-Capitalist Manifesto (2003)
A. Giddens (ed) The Progressive Manifesto (2003)

26
RECOMMENDED
A. Wright Socialisms: Theories and Practices (1987)
J. Le Grand & S. Estrin (eds.)
Market Socialism (1989).
D. Miller Theoretical Foundations of Market Socialism (1990).
V. Geogheghan Has Socialism a Future?, Journal of Political
Ideologies, 1 (1996), pp. 261-75.
A. Giddens Beyond Left and Right (1994)
A. Giddens Runaway World: How Globalization is Shaping Our
Lives (2002)
A. Giddens Where Now for New Labour? (2002)

Lecture 15 Nationalism
There is a great difference of scholarly opinion on whether nationalism is a
primordial or a modern phenomenon; also whether it has a reactionary,
subversive, or unifying effect. What is nationhood? What type and degree
of collective identity does it require and in what circumstances is it
shaped? Can a clear line be drawn between cultural and political
nationalism? Can patriotism be effectively detached from nationalism,
requiring only common loyalty to a set of institutions and ideals rather than
an inevitably more exclusive sense of cultural homogeneity?

ESSENTIAL

R. Brubaker In the name of the nation: reflections on nationalism

and patriotism, Citizenship Studies, 8 (2004), pp. 115-
27.
M. Viroli For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and
Nationalism (1995), Introduction and Epilogue.
A.Vincent Nationalism and Particularity (2003).

RECOMMENDED
E. Gellner Nations and Nationalism (1983).
B. Anderson Imagined Communities (1983).
E. Kedourie Nationalism (1960).
E. Hobsbawm Nations and Nationalism since 1780 (1992).
K. Kumar The making of English National Identity (2003), ch. 2.
E. Kedourie Nationalism: the nature and evolution of an idea
(1973), chapters by Kamenka and Plamenatz.
D. Miller On Nationality (1996).
B.OKelly Nationalism and the State, in R. Bellamy & A. Mason
(eds.), Political Concepts (2003).
A. Smith Nationalism (Polity, 2003)

27
Lecture 16 Revision

28
 Sample Examination Paper
May/June2006
Timeallowed: 2Hours
Instructions: AnswerTWOquestions,ONEfromEACHSection

SECTION A

1. What is the role of political theory in the study of politics?

2. Is the difference between positive and negative freedom politically

significant?

3. Are there good reasons to prefer democracy to the rule of an

enlightened monarch?

4. Does social contract theory provide an adequate justification of

political obligation?

SECTION B

5. How is the role of ideology in politics best understood?

6. Is EITHER liberalism OR nationalism a recipe for social conflict

rather than harmony?

7. How much common ground is there between the New Right and
traditional Conservatism?

8. Are Marxism and democratic socialism divided only over the

question of the means to the achievement of socialist ends?

END

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