MazorTeaching Portfolio

Mazor
Teaching Portfolio
Included in this teaching portfolio are:
I. Statement of Teaching (pp. 1-2)
II. Description of Courses Taught (p. 3)
III. Teaching Evaluation Summary Statistics (pp. 4-6)
IV. Student Comments from Introduction to Political Thought (p.7)
V. Draft Syllabus for Planned Course on Distributive Justice (pp. 8-13)
VI. Syllabus of Justice Course (pp. 14-17)
VII. Syllabus of Introduction to Political Thought Course (pp. 18-22)
VIII. Syllabus of Economics and Political Theory Course (pp. 23-26)

Teaching Portfolio Mazor
Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Teaching political theory is both a wonderful privilege and an enormous
responsibility. Knowledge of the history of political thought is crucial for students’
understanding how it is that they now live in a liberal democracy - a remarkable fact that
many of them take for granted. In addition, the ability to reason about normative issues
in politics is a crucial skill for students to develop in their role as responsible citizens. At
the same time, teaching political theory presents significant challenges. Students often
have a hard time engaging with works written centuries ago. In addition, reasoning
clearly about normative questions is a skill that many students find difficult to learn.
In teaching political theory, I aim to navigate these challenges while working

towards three main goals:
1) To convey to students the basic arguments each thinker makes and to highlight to
controversies among different political thinkers.
2) To show the students how these arguments and controversies are relevant to
contemporary political life.
3) To teach students how to reason about normative political issues and to coherently
communicate their arguments both orally and through their writing.
I believe that harnessing technology and different pedagogical techniques can help me
achieve all three of these goals.
My first goal in teaching political theory is to ensure that the students understand
the basic theoretical arguments, concepts, and positions of the different thinkers. For
example, in my Gov 10 section, I began a discussion on Isaiah Berlin’s work by asking
the students to explain the difference between negative and positive freedom. I then
asked them to relate this distinction to the previous thinkers we had studied. Only when I
was satisfied that they understood the basic concept did I ask a more thought-provoking
question such as whether they thought a very poor person can be seen as free. I believe
that it is important to spend time going over basic arguments and concepts before moving
on to more complicated topics, especially in introductory courses. This serves as a useful
review for advanced students while helping struggling students to comprehend the more
complicated material to follow.
I am also a strong believer in relating arguments to contemporary political

controversies and examples. This accomplishes two objectives. First, it sparks the
students’ interest in the theoretical arguments of the different thinkers. Second, a well-
chosen example can help students grasp what are often abstract and difficult arguments.
In my Justice section, for example, I used a controversy over the use of eminent domain
(Kelo v. New London) to illustrate an important conflict between individual property
rights and the will of the majority in Locke’s theory. Connecting thinkers’ arguments to
contemporary issues can help students see that these arguments are not merely of
historical interest.
My third goal as a teacher of political theory is to enable students to reason about

normative controversies and to convey their reasoning to others. For many students, this
1
kind of reasoning does not come naturally. I consciously try to point out examples of
good philosophical arguments in the readings, in particular when one thinker directly
confronts the view of another. In such cases, I often ask students to think about how the
first thinker might respond, and then ask them to marshal arguments or examples in favor
of one position or the other (or in favor of some synthesis of the two positions).
But it is not enough for students to know how to construct strong normative
arguments. They must also be able to convey these arguments in clear and well-
organized writing. In my sections, I strongly encourage students to review paper outlines
with me well before papers are due. This allows me to catch poor organization or major
problems with students’ arguments and leads to better student written work.
Many professors teach political theory in much the same way as it has been taught
for hundreds of years: by lecturing at a podium. However, I believe that technology
offers powerful new tools to engage students. For example, I hope to incorporate
occasional video clips into my lectures, something which I have observed Professor
Sandel do with great success in his Justice course. Justice also has a blog where students
debate the thinkers’ arguments and vote on different topics. In addition to encouraging
students to continue to engage with the issues outside of section, the blog generates an
alternative way of assessing the participation of students who might be reluctant to speak
in section. Learning from the success of the Justice blog, I utilized a blog in my Gov 10
section to encourage students to continue the section discussion online.
Besides utilizing technology, I aim to move beyond the traditional lecture and
seminar discussion in other ways. Like Sandel, I hope to make my lectures more
participatory, by, for example, asking students to vote on controversial issues and then
asking for volunteers to defend different positions. I also plan to incorporate more active
learning in my lectures. In my Ec10 sections, I had students break into pairs and play the
roles of Coke and Pepsi in a prisoner’s dilemma game. If designed carefully, I think
these kinds of activities could work in larger lectures as well. In my sections, I have tried
to occasionally employ alternatives to the usual teacher-led discussions. For example,
several times I had students work in small groups to tackle questions related to different
parts of a text and then had the groups present their arguments to each other. I have
found students enjoyed and learned from such activities.
In emphasizing three goals, I do not mean to imply that other objectives are
unimportant. For example, it is also important to place thinkers within their proper
historical context. In addition, the alternative pedagogical techniques that I have
mentioned do not replace more traditional approaches. I still plan to lecture and to assess
students based on papers, traditional section participation, and a final exam. Nonetheless,
technology and alternative pedagogical methods can enormously enrich a course, helping
students grasp the basic arguments, making contemporary examples more vivid, and
providing new opportunities for students to develop their ability to reason about
normative controversies.
2
Course Descriptions
• Justice: This course was taught by Professor Michael Sandel in the fall of 2005. I
led two sections once a week with approximately 20 students per section. The
course focused on different theories of justice and morality including those of
Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Nozick, and Rawls. It also applied these theories to
contemporary political controversies such as affirmative action and gay marriage.
• Principles of Economics: I taught this introductory economics course (known as

Ec10) for four semesters, twice in the fall focusing on microeconomics and twice
in the spring focusing on macroeconomics. I am including my evaluations from
my second semester teaching macroeconomics in the spring semester of 2006. In
that semester I taught two sections each with approximately 25 students. The
class is organized so that most of the material is taught in small sections as
opposed to a large lecture. The graduate student instructor leads sections a little
over twice a week on average. I received a teaching award (a score of 4.5 or
higher) for this course twice, once in the spring of 2005 and once in the spring of
2006.
• Introduction to Political Thought: This course was taught by Professor Andrew

Sabl (a visiting professor from UCLA) in the fall semester of 2006. Due to a
much smaller-than-expected enrollment in the course, I led a discussion section
(once a week) of only seven students. This course surveyed the canon of political
thought including works by Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Locke, and Mill.
Since only four students commented on my teaching for this course, I am
including all of the student comments I received for this course. Note that the
online reporting system for evaluations changed in fall of 2006. The categories
are somewhat different and it is possible to indicate the average evaluation of
teaching assistants in the Government Department, which I have done.
• Economics and Political Theory: This course, which is currently ongoing, is

being taught by Professor Michael Rosen. The goal of this course, which I helped
to design along with Professor Rosen and the other teaching assistant, is to
explore the ideas in the intersection between economics and political theory.
Topics include rational choice, social choice, and distributive justice. There are a
variety of reading by contemporary political theorists and economists including
Amartya Sen, Thomas Scanlon, John Rawls, Jon Elster, and Albert Hirschman.
The course includes about 15 students a little over half of whom are graduate
students. The other teaching assistant and I alternate leading a weekly “ancillary”
section in which we review economic concepts in preparation for the discussion
session in which students are exposed to political theory work that engages with
these economic ideas.
3
Course Evaluation Summary Statistics
4
5
6
Student Comments: Introduction to Political Thought
7
Sample Syllabus
Explanatory note: This is a syllabus I designed for a hypothetical advanced
undergraduate seminar primarily intended for political science students concentrating in
political theory. In designing the course, I assumed that it meets twice a week for an
hour and a half each session. Of course, the organization and content of the course
could be adjusted in various ways depending on the needs of the department.
Course Catalog Name Professor Joseph Mazor

Course Time E-mail
Course Location Office Location
Fall 2009 Office Hours
Distributive Justice
Course Description
How should economic resources be divided among different people? This is the question
of distributive justice. Together we will explore a variety of answers to this question
given by contemporary utilitarians, liberal egalitarians, libertarians, Marxists, and
communitarians. We will also explore the objections to these theories from those
concerned with issues of gender, race, and global justice. In addition to exploring a
variety of theoretical writings, we will also consider contemporary policy debates over
issues such as tax policy, social security, and the minimum wage. Our goal will be not
only to understand the arguments of the different thinkers, but also to be able to apply
these arguments in forming our own considered views of what the requirements of
distributive justice entail.
Course Grading and Requirements

1. Two ten to twelve page papers (first paper 20%, second paper 30% of final
grade): Suggested topics will be distributed, but students may also choose their
own topic, subject to approval at least one week before the due date. The due
dates of the papers are _____. Students are strongly encouraged to come to office
hours well in advance of the paper due dates to review outlines (of no more than
two pages) of their papers.
2. A final exam (25% of the overall grade): The exam will cover the entire course
and will consist of five essay questions (students will be able to choose the five
out of a list of seven questions.)
3. Participation (25%): Students will be graded on their participation in the class
discussion. Participation includes not only well-informed, thoughtful
contributions, but also listening and engaging with the contributions of others. In
addition to participation in section, well-informed, thoughtful posts on the course
blog also counts towards the participation grade.
8
Assigned Books:
These books are available at the bookstore and have been placed on reserve at the library.
Copies of other readings will be available on the course website.
Cohen, G. A. Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality. Cambridge University Press, 1995
Goodin, Robert, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy. Cambridge University Press,

1995
Kymlicka, Will, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction (Second Edition).

Oxford University Press, 2002
Nozick, Robert, Anarchy, State and Utopia. Basic Books, 1977
Okin, Susan Moller, Justice, Gender, and the Family. Basic Books, 1989
Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Revised Edition. Belknap Press, 1999
Pogge, Thomas. World Poverty and Human Rights. Polity Press, 2002
Walzer, Michael. Spheres of Justice. Basic Books, 1984
______________________________________________________
Introduction
Session 1: The Problem of Distributive Justice
Utilitarianism
Session 2: Overview of Utilitarianism
Will Kymicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy (2nd edition), Ch. 1-2 (pp. 1-52)
Session 3: Utalitarianism as a Public Philosophy
Robert Goodin, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy, Ch. 1-2 (pp. 1-44)
Session 4: Ensuring Social Security Part I
Robert Goodin, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy Ch. 11-12 (pp. 160-206)
On Point: An Alternative Fix for Social Security

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2005/05/an-alternative-fix-for-social-security/
9
Session 5: Ensuring Social Security Part II
Robert Goodin, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy Ch. 13-15 (pp. 207-261)
Liberal Equality
Session 6: Overview of Liberal Equality
Will Kymicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy (2nd edition), Ch. 3 (pp. 53-101)
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (revised edition), pp. 3-19
Session 7: Rawls’s Theory of Justice Part I
On Point: Jobless in America

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2002/10/jobless-in-america/
Session 8: Rawls’s Theory of Justice Part II
Session 9: Dworkin against Equality of Welfare

Dworkin, R. “What is Equality? Part 1: Equality of Welfare.” Philosophy and Public
Affairs 10, no. 3 (1981): 185-246
Session 10: Dworkin for Equality of Resources

Ronald Dworkin, “What is Equality? Part 2: Equality of Resources,” Philosophy and
Public Affair 10, no. 4 (1981): 283-345
The Beauty Tax Proposal

“Argentina: Ugly People Strike Back”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7125580.stm
Libertarianism
Session 11: Overview of Libertarianism
Session 12: Libertarianism and Natural Resources
10
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Ch. 5 (pp. 18-30)

Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 174-182
G.A. Cohen, Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality, Ch. 3 (pp. 67-91)
Michael Otsuka, “Self-Ownership and Equality, A Lockean Reconciliation,” Philosophy
and Public Affairs, 27 (1998) pp. 77-92
The Conflict Over Natural Resources

“Russia to Sink Flag to Arctic Sea Floor in Oil, Land grab”
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/01/arctic.grab.ap/index.html
Session 13: Self-Ownership
Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 149-174, 183-231
Liberty and Taxation

“Fight Looms Over Who Bears the Biggest Tax Burden”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E07E4DB1231F937A25752C0A9659C
8B63
Paper 1 due
Contemporary Marxism
Session 14: Overview of Contemporary Marxism
Session 15: Cohen on Marxism
G. A. Cohen, Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality, Ch. 5-6, pp. 116-164
Session 16: Exploitation
John Roemer, "Should Marxists be Interested in Exploitation?” Philosophy and Public

Affairs, 14, Winter, pp. 30-65
G. A. Cohen, Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality, Ch. 8, 195-208
“Workers in Bondage”
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_48/b3709036.htm
Communitarianism
Session 17: Walzer’s Distributive Justice Part I
11
Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice, Ch. 1-2, pp. 3-63
Session 18: Walzer’s Distributive Justice Part II
Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice, Ch. 3-4, pp. 64-128
Session 19: Walzer’s Distributive Justice Part III
Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice, Ch. 6,7,13 pp. 165-196, 312-321
Gender and Distributive Justice
Session 20: Justice, Gender, and the Family
Susan Okin, Justice, Gender, and the Family, Ch. 1-2 pp. 3-40
Session 21: Okin’s Critique of Nozick and Rawls
Susan Okin, Justice, Gender, and the Family, Ch. 4,5,7 pp. 74-109, 134-169
Session 22: Okin’s Critique of Walzer
Susan Okin, Justice, Gender, and the Family, pp. 62-73, 110-133, 170-186
Race and Distributive Justice
Session 23: Responding to Racial Injustice
Kwame Appaiah, Amy Gutmann, and David Wilkins, Color Conscious, pp. 106-150,
163-176
Global Distribution Justice
Session 24: Global Justice Part I
Thomas Pogge, World Poverty and Human Rights, Introduction and Ch. 1, pp. 1-51
Session 25: Global Justice Part II
Thomas Pogge, World Poverty and Human Rights, Ch. 4-5, pp. 91-145
12
Paper 2 due
Session 25: Global Justice Part III
Thomas Pogge, World Poverty and Human Rights, Ch. 7-8, pp. 168-215
Conclusion
Session 26: Unresolved Issues in Distributive Justice
Final Exam Time and Location Will Be Announced
13
14
15
16
17
Harvard University
Fall 2006
INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT

Government 10
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11a.m.-12 noon

Harvard Hall 202
Instructor:
Andrew Sabl
Visiting Associate Professor
1737 Cambridge St., Room N-410
(617) 496-0234
asabl@gov.harvard.edu
Office Hours: Wednesday, 2-4, or by appointment.
This course is about political unity and political diversity. Politics requires a polity: a
political body cohesive enough to take, and abide by, common decisions and to agree on
civic essentials. At the same time, human beings are not uniform. We judge and choose
for ourselves, at the risk of political disagreement. Moreover, we tend to favor those
close to us (friends, family, those who share our religion or politics) above the claims of
citizens generally.
Political theory—as well as politics—is the project of reconciling these things. We hope
to sustain political allegiance and law-abidingness in spite of diverse and partial
judgments. And we hope to allow, even encourage, differences in taste, ability, and
belief in spite of the political impulse to insist on ever-more uniformity. Through reading
a wide range of classic political theorists, writing in particular times and places but with
results that have proven of permanent interest, we shall examine and judge different ways
of doing this.
How do different political regimes ensure unity, and which kinds of diversity are ignored
or sacrificed as they do so? Which aspects of human nature cause the most problems for
political unity, and which can be relied on or appealed to in addressing them? Do
conceptions of cosmic order, differences in talent and ability, political authority, human
nature, social progress, or economic justice ensure unity—or are all these things on the
contrary matters on which citizens will always differ, sometimes violently? Finally, how
(if at all) can we address disagreements on basic values, given that in all times some seem
to prize above all the political values of security and unified allegiance and others are
willing to risk such ends or values in the name of diversity, private allegiances, and free
choice?
18
Texts (available at the Coop, and on reserve at Lamont—Hilles pending):
Books (not all will be assigned in full: see course schedule):
Sophocles, Antigone, in The Three Theban Plays, trans. Robert Fagles (Penguin,
1984).
Plato, The Republic, trans. Tom Griffith, ed. G.R.F. Ferrari (Cambridge, 2000).
(**Note: This translation is out of stock at the publisher: only forty or so copies
are available, used or new. As a supplement, several copies of Allan Bloom’s
translation [Basic Books] have been ordered. Either translation is fully
accurate; the Griffith/Ferrari is more readable.)
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, Revised student ed., ed. Richard Tuck (Cambridge,
1996).
John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration, ed. James Tully (Hackett, 1983).
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Discourses and Other Early Political Writings, trans.
Victor Gourevitch (Cambridge, 1997).
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and
the Communist Manifesto, trans. Martin Milligan (Prometheus Books, 1988).
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty. ed. Elizabeth Rapaport (Hackett, 1978).
Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political, trans. George Schwab (Chicago, 1996).
Article:
Isaiah Berlin, “Two Concepts of Liberty”—as a course reader or handout (TBA

later during the term).
Requirements and Evaluation:
Three short (about 4 pp.) papers ………………………………………….…….55%

(of which)
First paper ………………………………………………15%
Second paper ……………………………………………...20%
Third paper ………………………………………………20%
Final exam (covering the whole course) ………………………….……………30%
Quantity and quality of participation in weekly discussion sections ………..15%
** Except in cases of medical emergency or the death of close family members, no make-
up exams will be given and late papers will be penalized 1/3 of a letter grade per day. **
Class Schedule
I. The basic problems
September 19 Introduction
19
September 21 Sophocles, Antigone, in The Three Theban Plays.
II. Justice and order in the soul and the polity
A. What is justice and why should one observe it?
September 26 Plato, Republic, Book I
B. Perfect Justice and Perfect Order
September 28 Republic II-IV
October 3 Republic II-IV, continued.
October 5 Republic II-IV, continued.
C. The Eclipse of Private Life
October 10 Republic V
D. Philosophic Light and Political Caves
October 12 Republic VI-VII
E. Diversity vs. Justice?
October 17 Republic VIII
October 19 Republic IX-X
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20: FIRST SHORT PAPER DUE.
III. Diversity, Danger, and Political Authority
October 24 Hobbes, Leviathan, Chapters 1-12.
October 26 Leviathan, Chapter 13.
October 31 Leviathan, Chapters 14-26.
November 2 Leviathan, Chapters 29-31, (42-43 recommended), 46-7,

“Review and Conclusion.”
20
IV. Toleration: Diversity, Authority, and Civil Interests
November 7 Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration, all.
November 9 Letter Concerning Toleration, continued.
V. Vanity, Competition, and Unnatural Unhappiness
November 14 Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin and the Foundations of

Inequality Among Men (“Second Discourse”) in Discourses:
all (including Epistle Dedicatory, Preface, and Notes, but
not Letters starting on p. 223).
November 16 Second Discourse, continued.
November 21 Second Discourse, continued.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22: SECOND SHORT PAPER DUE.
Students leaving for Thanksgiving break may turn papers in early.
November 23 THANKSGIVING: no class.
VI. Division of labor, class antagonism, and alienation
November 28 Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, 19-40, 69-92,

99-140.
November 30 Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, continued.
VII. Individuality vs. Social Conformity
December 5 Mill, On Liberty, pp. 1-14, 53-91, 107-113

(Chapters 1, 3-4, a little at the end of 5).
December 7 On Liberty, continued.
VIII. Friends and Enemies: Unity through Political Command?
December 12 Schmitt, The Concept of the Political, all.
December 14 Concept of the Political, continued.
21
IX. Conclusion
December 19 Berlin, “Two Concepts of Liberty.”
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20: LAST SHORT PAPER DUE.
FINAL EXAMINATION: TIME AND PLACE TO BE ANNOUNCED.
22
Gov 2092: Economics and Political Theory – Graduate Seminar, Spring 2009
Professor Michael Rosen, mrosen@gov.harvard.edu, CGIS K419, office hours: Wednesday 2-3
Sean Ingham ingham@fas.harvard.edu, CGIS K453, office hours: by appt.
Joseph Mazor mazor@fas.harvard.edu Taubman 215, office hours: by appt.
Seminars: Wednesdays 4-6, CGIS K401, Ancillary Section: Fridays 3-4:30, CGIS S450
Political theory and economics are obviously closely related. Historically, if we look at
Smith, Marx or John Stuart Mill, the line of demarcation between the two hardly existed.
In recent times, however, economics has become far more technical and has backed away
from the normative issues that occupy political theorists. Nevertheless, the concerns of
economics and contemporary political theory intersect at many points. Our object in this
course is to articulate the connections between the two disciplines where they exist and to
point out where they are addressing similar problems even if they are doing so from
different angles and at a distance from one another.
The course is intended principally for graduate students in political theory, although, if
there is space, graduates from other departments and undergraduates may participate. No
prior study of economics will be assumed. The course will consist of a weekly seminar
and an ancillary section that is intended particularly for those without a background in
economics, in which the more technical issues associated with the topic will be
explained. The ancillary sections meet at Fridays at 3 in CGIS S450.
The course requirements are regular and active participation in class and the completion
of a seminar paper, due 1 p.m., Friday May 9
Readings
Week 1 (1/28): Introductory Discussion
No readings.
Ancillary section to week 2 (1/30)
Readings:
Austin-Smith, David and Jeffrey Banks. Positive Political Theory I: Collective
Preference, pp. 1-16 of chapter 1.
Sean Ingham’s notes.
Week 2 (2/04): Revealed Preference Theory and Endogenous Preferences
Readings for seminar discussion:

Broome, John. Ethics Out of Economics, chapter 2.
Becker, Gary. Accounting for Tastes, chapter 1.
Sen, Amartya. “Behavior and the Concept of Preference,” Economica, New
Series, Vol. 40, No. 159. (Aug., 1973), pp. 241-259.
Elster, Jon. “Sour Grapes” in Utilitarianism and Beyond, ed. Sen and Williams.
23
Ancillary section to week 3 (2/06):
Readings:
[selection from] Robbins, Lionel. An Essay on the Nature and Significance of
Economic Science.
Stiglitz, Joseph. Economics of the Public Sector 93-104
Week 3 (2/11): Interpersonal Comparisons

Introduction to Interpersonal Comparisons of Well-Being, ed. Elster and Roemer.
Scanlon, Thomas. “The Moral Basis of Interpersonal Comparisons” in
Interpersonal Comparisons of Well-Being, ed. Elster and Roemer.
Readings:
Stiglitz, Joseph. Economics of the Public Sector Chapter 3
Week 4 (2/18): Efficiency and Markets

Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice, Ch. 5 (omitting sections 44 and 45)
Sen, Amartya. “The Moral Standing of the Market” in Ethics & Economics, ed.
Ellen Frankel Paul et al.
Gibbard, Allan. “What’s Morally Special About Free Exchange?” in Ethics &
Economics.
Sen, Amartya. Section titled “Pareto Optimality and Welfare Economics” in
Ethics in Economics (not to be confused with Ethics & Economics).
A. O. Hirschman, “Rival Views of Market Society” in Rival Views of Market
Society and other Recent Essays
Readings:
Stiglitz, Joseph. Economics of the Public Sector Chapter 4
Week 5 (2/25): Market Failures

Anderson, Elizabeth. Value in Ethics and Economics, chapter 7.
Raz, Joseph. Morality of Freedom, section 2 of chapter 8.

Readings:
24
Osborne, Martin. An Introduction to Game Theory, sections 2.1-2.6 (available

online at Osborne’s personal website:
http://www.economics.utoronto.ca/osborne/igt/index.html .)
Week 6 (3/04): Game Theory and Collective Action Problems (possibly to be switched
with week 5)

Olson, Mancur. The Logic of Collective Action, introduction and chapter 1.
Tuck, Richard. Free Riding, chapter 2.
Readings:
Boardman et al. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Concepts and Practice Chapter 2
Week 7 (3/11): Cost-Benefit Analysis

Sen, Amartya. 2000. “The Discipline of Cost-Benefit Analysis.” The Journal of
Legal Studies, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 931.
Anderson, Elizabeth. Value in Ethics and Economics, chapter 9
Richardson, Henry. “The Stupidity of Cost-Benefit Analysis” in Democratic
Autonomy.

Readings:
Austin-Smith, D. and J. Banks. Positive Political Theory I: Collective Preference,
section 2.1 of chapter 2, pp. 25-38.
Sean Ingham’s notes.
Week 8 (3/18): Social Choice Theory and Welfare Economics

Sen, Amartya. 1999. “The Possibility of Social Choice.” American Economic
Review, vol. 89, no. 3, pp.
Sen, Amartya. “The Impossibility of a Paretian Liberal.” The Journal of Political
Economy, Vol. 78, No. 1. (Jan. - Feb., 1970), pp. 152-157.
Nozick, Robert. “Sen’s Argument” in Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
Arrow, Kenneth. Social Choice and Individual Values, chapter 1
Readings: no additional readings
Week 9 (4/1): Social Choice Theory and Collective Decision-making
25

Selections from Riker and Mackie in The Democracy Sourcebook, ed. Dahl et al.
Van den Doel & Ben van Velt. Democracy and Welfare Economics, chapter 4.
Cohen, Joshua. 1987. “An Epistemic Conception of Democracy.” Ethics
97(1):26–38.
Miller, David. 1992. “Deliberative Democracy and Social Choice.” Political
Studies XL(special issue).
Dryzek, John & Christian List. 2003. “Social Choice Theory and Deliberative
Democracy: A Reconciliation.” British Journal of Political Science, 33,
pp.1–28.
Readings:
Stiglitz, Joseph. Economics of the Public Sector pp. 104-117, 258-268
Week 10 (4/8): Equality and Distribution

Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Ch. 2
Sen, Amartya. 1979. “Equality of What?” available online through Google
scholar.
Cohen, G.A. 1989. “On the Currency of Egalitarian Justice.” Ethics, vol. 99,
no. 4.
Readings:
Blaug, Mark. Economic Theory in Retrospect, 2nd ed., pp. 431-446
Week 11 (4/15): Exploitation
Elster, Jon. Making Sense of Marx, chapter 4.
Readings:
Mankiw, N. Gregory Principles of Economics (4th Edition) Chapter 25
Week 12 (4/22): Growth

Fred Hirsch, Social Limits of Growth.
26

MazorTeaching Portfolio

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originalbeschreibung:

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

MazorTeaching Portfolio

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Mazor

Included in this teaching portfolio are:

I. Statement of Teaching (pp. 1-2)

II. Description of Courses Taught (p. 3)

III. Teaching Evaluation Summary Statistics (pp. 4-6)

IV. Student Comments from Introduction to Political Thought (p.7)

V. Draft Syllabus for Planned Course on Distributive Justice (pp. 8-13)

VI. Syllabus of Justice Course (pp. 14-17)

VII. Syllabus of Introduction to Political Thought Course (pp. 18-22)

VIII. Syllabus of Economics and Political Theory Course (pp. 23-26)

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

In teaching political theory, I aim to navigate these challenges while working

I am also a strong believer in relating arguments to contemporary political

My third goal as a teacher of political theory is to enable students to reason about

• Principles of Economics: I taught this introductory economics course (known as

• Introduction to Political Thought: This course was taught by Professor Andrew

• Economics and Political Theory: This course, which is currently ongoing, is

Course Evaluation Summary Statistics

Student Comments: Introduction to Political Thought

Course Catalog Name Professor Joseph Mazor

Course Grading and Requirements

Cohen, G. A. Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality. Cambridge University Press, 1995

Goodin, Robert, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy. Cambridge University Press,

Kymlicka, Will, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction (Second Edition).

Nozick, Robert, Anarchy, State and Utopia. Basic Books, 1977

Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Revised Edition. Belknap Press, 1999

Walzer, Michael. Spheres of Justice. Basic Books, 1984

Session 3: Utalitarianism as a Public Philosophy

Robert Goodin, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy, Ch. 1-2 (pp. 1-44)

Session 4: Ensuring Social Security Part I

Robert Goodin, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy Ch. 11-12 (pp. 160-206)

On Point: An Alternative Fix for Social Security

Session 5: Ensuring Social Security Part II

Robert Goodin, Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy Ch. 13-15 (pp. 207-261)

Session 7: Rawls’s Theory of Justice Part I

John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (revised edition), pp. 47-93

On Point: Jobless in America

Session 8: Rawls’s Theory of Justice Part II

John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (revised edition), pp. 102-168

Session 9: Dworkin against Equality of Welfare

Session 10: Dworkin for Equality of Resources

The Beauty Tax Proposal

Session 11: Overview of Libertarianism

Session 12: Libertarianism and Natural Resources

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Ch. 5 (pp. 18-30)

The Conflict Over Natural Resources

Session 13: Self-Ownership

Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 149-174, 183-231

Liberty and Taxation

Session 14: Overview of Contemporary Marxism

Session 15: Cohen on Marxism

G. A. Cohen, Self-Ownership, Freedom, and Equality, Ch. 5-6, pp. 116-164

Session 16: Exploitation

John Roemer, "Should Marxists be Interested in Exploitation?” Philosophy and Public

Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice, Ch. 1-2, pp. 3-63

Session 18: Walzer’s Distributive Justice Part II

Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice, Ch. 3-4, pp. 64-128

Session 19: Walzer’s Distributive Justice Part III

Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice, Ch. 6,7,13 pp. 165-196, 312-321

Gender and Distributive Justice

Session 20: Justice, Gender, and the Family

Session 21: Okin’s Critique of Nozick and Rawls

Session 22: Okin’s Critique of Walzer