Modern Political Ideologies

An ideology is a set of beliefs about the world as it is and how we would like it to be. Those beliefs can be rooted in religion, economics, science, technology, philosophy, tradition, or any number of other things. Throughout this course we are going to explore a variety of ideologies to better understand both what they are and how they are used in a political sense. The purpose of this course is not to determine which ideology is ‘best’ or ‘correct’, but rather to equip ourselves with a vocabulary that can be applied to the political actions that we see and experience in the world around us. Political behaviour does not always fit into tidy, coherent boxes, but by examining these ideal types we can prepare ourselves to better engage with their variations and deviations. Our exploration of ideologies will involve carefully reading philosophical texts and applying what we read to a range of other kinds of texts to see if we can better understand them. This is a hard thing to do and we will struggle with it at points, but we will aim to make it as productive a struggle as possible.

History of Political Thought

The goal of this course, to borrow a phrase from 20th century political thinker Hannah Arendt, ‘is nothing more than to think what we are doing’ – to think politically and to carefully engage with political things. In order to do that, we are going to explore some particularly influential texts in the history of political thought from before the European Renaissance, but this is primarily a course about the questions and ideas that have served as foundations for contemporary Western politics and the discipline of political science. The term “explore” is deliberately chosen. The texts we will be reading have long histories of their own and while there are summaries aplenty that tell you what other people have to say about them, we are interested in developing a philosophical mindset rather than restating other people’s arguments. This is hard to do and we will struggle with it at points, but we will aim to make it as productive a struggle as possible.

Electoral Politics in the United States

Building upon the foundations provided by introductory courses and the knowledge you have gained simply by proximity to the United States, this is a more systematic and thorough examination of the foundations of American electoral processes and the ways that they have evolved to meet the contemporary context. While the United States has some institutions and electoral mechanisms in common with other liberal democracies, it has many unique elements that distinguish it from even its closest allies. Its two-party system; the Electoral College; the prominent role of morality in shaping debate; the place of polling and media, social and traditional; the length (and frequency) of campaigns; a wide range of demographic and geographic factors; and the ‘business’ side of elections. Through the lens of recent elections and with an eye towards upcoming ones, students will develop a deeper understanding of the structures involved in electoral politics in the United States.

Canadian Political Institutions

This course is an introduction to key political institutions in the Canadian context and will build upon knowledge that you may have gained earlier in your education or simply by living in Canada. Some of these institutions were built into the founding of the country and evolved over time, while others were established to meet new or unexpected circumstances. Understanding how we got them, how to change them, and how they have changed is important for understanding Canada. We will be looking to develop a broad view of the politics and circumstances that our institutions operate within.

As The Planet Lost Its Orbit:
The Myth of the Death of Political Philosophy

Published: 2020-01-01

Despite the catchy title, my doctoral dissertation wasn’t written to actually be read by human beings. However, it does live online and therefore can be found by people and LLMs alike. At more than 250 pages, I don’t know why you would. It opens with a deliberately uncited allusion to Nietzsche and only gets less readable from there. Still, if you (or your programming) insist, fill your boots.

Link: https://carleton.scholaris.ca/items/c27bb901-21b7-4254-89af-43722cd29a42

Political Theory Education in Canada:
Foundational Thinkers and Texts

Published: 2021-10-11

Inspired heavily by Paul Martin’s Sanctioned Ignorance, a survey into how ‘Canadian literature’ is taught across Canada, I set out to understand how political philosophy is taught in Canada. However, instead of mirroring Martin’s cross country road trip to visit the various universities while sight-seeing the provinces, my paper was largely researched via coffee shop wifi. Ultimately, I narrowed my sights to looking at introductory political philosophy courses that were taught from 2011 to 2016. While only a brief snapshot of the discipline, this research aimed to help better understand what Canadian political philosophy education looked like right before the world turned upside down.

Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15512169.2021.1986407

The Problem with a Pitiable Rump:
On Impropriety and Political Philosophy

Published: 2018-10-31

According to Google, the title “sounds like a provocative, deeply satirical, or highly specialized title for an academic paper, political essay, or philosophical critique.” Coming from a search engine, this feels like a wicked burn.

Link: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/flattering-the-demos-9781498578417/

Politics as Endurance:
Hannah Arendt and the Three Deaths of Being

Published: 2014-01-01

Even more pretentious than my dissertation, my MA thesis was largely an exercise in learning how to hold a thought for more than a couple of pages. The epigraphs are probably better than the philosophy.

Link: https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/items/4206910b-d48d-4408-8851-4ac8a704223c

Technologies of Access

Published: 2009-01-25

Link: /words/technologies-of-access

(Review) Political Science Pedagogy:
A critical, radical, and utopian perspective

Published: 2020-05-28

William W. Sokoloff’s Political science pedagogy: A critical, radical, and utopian perspective is a book that has all the wrong arguments and yet arrives at all the right conclusions. ‘All’ is perhaps too strong in both cases, but there is a strong temptation to respond to William Sokoloff’s hyperbole with more hyperbole – and this is a text filled with rhetorical embroidery meant to inflame the passions.

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41296-020-00407-3

(Review) Applied Political Theory and Canadian Politics

Published: 2020-01-23

David McGrane and Neil Hibbert’s Applied Political Theory and Canadian Politics is a strong contribution to Canadian political theory, and its contributors thoughtfully approach a number of recent political events and issues. As a result, it serves as an excellent reminder that political theory can thrive when considering the contemporary context. Had this been the intention, it would be an easy book to recommend.

Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-of-political-science-revue-canadienne-de-science-politique/article/abs/applied-political-theory-and-canadian-politics-david-mcgrane-and-neil-hibbert-edstoronto-university-of-toronto-press-2019-pp-520/D125BA8976F3BCAC0404693FF04B5063