FRESHMAN SEMINAR SYLLABUS

COURSE NUMBER: PHIL 109-6

TITLE: CONSERVATIVES, LIBERTARIANS, AND REACTIONARIES
INSTRUCTOR: MARK ALZNAUER

Time: TuTh 12:30-1:50PM

Location: University Library, 4722

Office Address: Kresge 3-417

Office Hours: W 12:30-2:30
Phone: 847-491-2559
E-Mail: m-alznauer@northwestern.edu

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: In this course, we will study several key texts in the history of
right-wing thought from the last century (restricting our attention to thinkers from the
U.S. and Western Europe). These texts are important not because their authors are
necessarily conservative, etc., but because they are crucial in understanding some of
the central themes of broadly right-wing thought in the 20th Century. Our goal is to
better understand the philosophical differences between the dominant forms of such
thinking (ranging from fascism to neo-conservatism), and to understand what concerns
motivate these thinkers in this tradition. Authors covered include T. S. Eliot, Carl
Schmitt, Leo Strauss, Friedrich Hayek, and Michael Oakeshott.

CLASS OBJECTIVE: This course is designed to help you:

-understand the various forms of right-wing ideology: including traditionalism,
classicism, fascism, anti-communism, and neo-conservatism
-understand the philosophical presuppositions of these forms of political consciousness,
particularly their criticisms of liberal or progressive or socialist thought
-improve your writing

TEACHING METHOD: Discussion

METHOD OF EVALUATION:
Attendance & Participation – 20%
Short writing assignments – 30% (10% each)
First Paper, final version – 20%
Second paper, final version – 30%

PARTICIPATION: This is a significant portion of your grade. You are expected i.) to
attend class (any more than two absences will incur a reduction in your grade), ii.) to be
prepared to discuss the reading assignment in class with your classmates (i.e. to bring
the book and have done the reading) and iii.) to regularly participate in the discussion.
(If you know that you will be unable to regularly participate in discussion, you should let
me know as soon as possible, so an alternative means to gauging your weekly
preparation can be devised.)
SHORT ASSIGNMENTS (3): These assignments are going to be graded in a peculiar
way: as excellent (100%), adequate (90%), and inadequate (50%). Since these are
meant mainly as exercises, and not to test your ability to write, you will be allowed and
expected to repeat any assignment that you have not completely adequately without
any penalty.
Assignment 1 (1/16): Write a paragraph on a question to be provided (150 words
max.). Question: What does Hulme mean by defining
romanticism as ‘spilt religion’?
Assignment 2 (1/30): Write a single page on a topic to be provided (300 words
max.). Topic: What is Schmitt’s concept of an enemy?
Assignment 3 (3/6): Write a single page proposal for the topic of your second
paper (300 words max.).

PAPERS (2): There will be two papers. The first paper should be three pages long
(700-800 words), topics will be provided (due 2/20). The second should be around five
pages (1200-1300 words) on a topic of your choosing (due 3/26). Please provide the
word count at the end of your paper. The first paper will be graded by an anonymous
member of the philosophy faculty. To ensure the anonymity of the grading process, you
should submit your final version without any identifying information aside from your
initials and your student i.d. number. In addition to emailing your paper to me, you will
be asked to submit your paper online to Turnitin (so it can be date stamped and
checked for plagiarism). The second paper will be graded by me. I will be available to
read drafts of the second paper during reading week.

NOTE: Any plagiarism will result in a zero for the essay and will be reported to the
dean’s office. The final paper will not be accepted late except in extraordinary
circumstances—and these cases need to be approved by the instructor in
advance. Drafts and late assignments will be penalized ten percentage points per
day.

Readings (subject to revision!):

Week 1: Introduction
Tu: Introduction, “The Flight 93 Election” (provided in class)
Th: T. E. Hulme “Romanticism and Classicism” (1917):
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69477/romanticism-and-classicism

Week 2: Classicism
Tu: T. S. Eliot, “Tradition and the Individual Talent” (1919):
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69400/tradition-and-the-individual-talent
ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE
Th: NO CLASS

Week 3: Fascism
Tu: Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political (1933), pp. 19-53:
https://is.muni.cz/el/1423/jaro2017/SOC286/um/Schmitt_1996_-
_Concept_of_the_Political.pdf
Th: Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political (1933), pp. 53-79:
https://is.muni.cz/el/1423/jaro2017/SOC286/um/Schmitt_1996_-
_Concept_of_the_Political.pdf

Week 4: Straussianism
Tu: Leo Strauss, Natural Right and History, Chapter 1, pp. 1-34:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1404883?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents ASSIGNMENT
2 DUE
Th: Leo Strauss, Natural Right and History, Chapter 3, pp. 81-119:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40969284?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Week 5: Libertarianism
Tu: Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom, Chapters 1-3, pp. 13-48 (canvas)
Th: Friedrich Hayek, “Equality, Value, and Merit” from The Constitution of Liberty,
pp. 148-64 (canvas)

Week 6: Libertarianism Continued

Tu: Andrew Koppelman, The Corruption of Libertarianism, Introduction & Chapter
1, (canvas).
Th: Andrew Koppelman, The Corruption of Libertarianism, Chapter 2 (canvas).
GUEST LECTURER: ANDY KOPPELMAN

Week 7: Cold Warriors

Tu: Whittaker Chambers, Witness (1952), “Foreword in the Form of a Letter to
my children” (pp. xxxiii-l), “Flight” (pp. 48-57) (canvas); OPTIONAL: “Big Sister is
Watching You” (1957): http://www.nationalreview.com/article/213298/big-sister-
watching-you-whittaker-chambers FIRST PAPER DUE
Th: Raymond Aron, The Opium of the Intellectuals, “Appendix: Fanaticism,
Prudence, and Faith” (1956) (canvas).

Week 8: Philosophy and Tradition

Tu: Michael Oakeshott, “Rationalism in politics” (1962), pp. 5-42 (canvas).
Th: Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue (1982), pp. 1-5; 109-120, 256-63 (canvas).
OPTIONAL: G. E. M. Anscombe, “Modern Moral Philosophy”

Week 9: The Question of Religion

Tu: Richard John Neuhaus, The Naked Public Square (1984), “The Vulnerability
of the Naked Square,” pp. 78-93. ASSIGNMENT 3 DUE
Th: Richard John Neuhaus, The Naked Public Square (1984), “Christendom
Reconsidered,” pp. 156-176.

Week 10: (Readings TBD)

SECOND PAPER Due on Monday 3/26