Political Science 102B
Capitalism
and Democracy
Monday and Wednesday 3-4,
UC30 - UWO Winter Term 2005
Dr. Doug Mann – SSC 4140
& 5320
In this course we will examine
the relationship between capitalism and modern democracy. Our basic question in
the course will be a very simple one: are capitalism and democracy compatible?
Were they ever? In answering this question, we’ll look not only at the history
of capitalism and industrialism, but also at some of the theoretical ideas
connecting capitalism to democracy and some contemporary debates about cultural
and economic life. We’ll examine these and other important issues in class, and
watch a few videos that should promote some lively debates in the following
discussions.
Text
Capitalism and Democracy Reader, ed. Doug Mann.
Workload
Test 1
(50 minutes): 25%, February 9
Test 2
(50 minutes): 25%, March 9
Final
Exam: 50%, in regular exam period
Note on the tests: these will take
place in the regular class hour. They will consist of a number of multiple
choice questions, along with either a single essay question or some short
answer questions. The only legitimate reasons for missing a test are illness
(bring me a doctor’s note as proof) or a family tragedy. Travel plans, social
events, and work in other courses don’t count. If you miss a test for a
legitimate reason, you’ll be asked to write a makeup essay of 5-7 pages on a
topic I’ll give you based on course materials, including lectures. This essay
will be graded AS an essay, with writing skills, grammar, and clarity being
taken into account.
Schedule
Each
number represents about a week of lecture, though there will be considerable
overlap between weeks. Since this is the first time the course has been taught
in this version, it’s something of an experiment, so I reserve the right to
drop some of the later material if we get too far behind, or to add a video or
two if something interesting comes to my attention.
1. Introduction. A Penny Saved is
a Penny Earned – The Spirit of Early Capitalism
Reading:
Max Weber, “Asceticism and the
Spirit of Capitalism,” Chapter 5 of The
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Trans. Talcott Parsons,
Second Roxbury Edition (Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing, 1998), pp. 155-183.
2. The Dark Satanic Mills – The
Industrial Revolution (may
leak over into week 3)
Reading:
J. Bronowski and Bruce Mazlish, “The Industrial Revolution”,
in their The Western Intellectual Tradition (New York: Harper, 1960), pp. 307-322.
Video: James Burke, “Credit Where
it’s Due,” The Day the Universe Changed (BBC,
1985).
3. The Fruits of our Labour –
Locke on Property and Democracy
Reading:
“John Locke and the Fruits of our Labor,” Philosophy:
A New Introduction, eds. Douglas Mann and G. Elijah Dann (Belmont CA:
Wadsworth Publishing, 2005), pp. 487-494.
4. The Tyranny of the Majority and
Manufacturing Consent
Edward
S. Herman & Noam Chomsky, “A Propaganda Model,” The Manufacture of Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (New
York: Pantheon Books, 1988), pp. 1-35.
5-6. All That’s Sacred Fades into
Air – Marx’s Critique of Capitalism
Video:
John Kenneth Galbraith, “Karl Marx, The Massive Dissent,” Episode 3 of The Age of Uncertainty (BBC, 1977).
7. A Sick Patient – The Corporation
Video:
Mark Achbar, Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott. The Corporation, Part I (2003).
8. Pirates off the Port Bow! -
Popular Culture, Capitalism, and Freedom
9. The Triumph of the Group’s Will
– Corporatism and the Decline of Dissent
10. No Logo! Branding,
Globalization and Democracy
George
Ritzer, “Globalization,” The
Globalization of Nothing (
Video:
No Logo: Brands, Globalization,
Resistance (Media Education Foundation, 2003).
11. The Lesser of Two Evils –
Democracy and Terrorism
Jean
Baudrillard, “The Spirit of Terrorism,” The
Spirit of Terrorism, New Ed., Trans. Chris Turner (
12. A Vampire
Sucking the Blood of Participation - The Society of the Spectacle
Kalle Lasn, Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America (New York: William Morrow, 1999), pp.
xi-xvi, 99-109, 128-136.
13. Cyberdemocracy or Data Trash?
Readings:
David Shenk, “10. A Nation of Lonely
Molecules,” “11. Superdemocracy,” Data
Smog: Surviving the Information Glut (San Francisco: Harper Edge, 1997),
pp. 123-137.
Arthur
Kroker and Michael A. Weinstein,, “The Theory of the Virtual Class,” Data Trash: The Theory of the Virtual Class (New
York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994), pp. 4-18.
Policies
Designated Questioner Bonus
Each
week on Wednesdays I will circle about six random names on the class list and
announce them at the start of class as potential “designated questioners.” If
you’re in class and your name is announced (and you want a shot at the bonus),
reflect on that week’s lectures, think of a question for the class, type it out
(make sure you include your name), and bring it to the following Monday class
and pose it to your fellow students. The best 5 questions (based on student
response, originality and thoughtfulness) will get a bonus of 3% added to their
final grade, the next best 5 questions will get a bonus of 2%. It’s up to you
to be around when I announce the names: they won’t be posted or emailed to you,
so don’t ask! I reserve the right to
cancel this program if after several weeks it’s not working.
Class
Attendance and Behaviour
All announcements having to do with
test and exam content and any changes in the course materials will be given
during class. You’ll be tested in part on the lecture materials and class
discussions. It’s up to you to make sure you keep up to date on such things by attending
class - there won’t be any notes posted on the web or extensive
end-of-class review to help out systematic truants. Please don’t ask me for
copies of class notes for missed classes - find a friend to partner up with to
cover these classes. If not having access to web-posted notes or attending
class regularly is a problem for you, please drop this course. Also, please keep the background chatter down
during lectures and presentations out of respect for both me and for those of
your classmates who wish to listen to the lecture or participate in
class discussions.
E-Mails
I would like to conduct as much of
class business as possible in person to avoid misunderstandings and to reduce
the ever-worsening problem of e-mail congestion. Please don’t email me complex
questions about the content of the course, including details of missed lectures
– it’s far more effective and pleasant if you come to speak to me in person
about this sort of thing (you can e-mail me to make an appointment of course!).
Also, I reserve the right to not reply to e-mail questions or complaints
concerning grades or requests for extensions on assignments - once again,
present these in person! The same standards of civility apply to electronic
communication as apply to personal conversations or letters. If I receive a
rude or impolite e-mail I will ignore it blacklist your e-mail address. In
short, please don’t rely on e-mail for any communication you think is important
- e-mails are often a poor replacement for direct verbal communication and can
lead to serious miscommunication and bad feelings.