Module:                                 PTH202 Modern Political Thought

Programme:                         B.A. Political Science and Sociology

Credit Value:                        12

Module tutor:                        

1. General Objective

This module will extend the nature and scope of political thought from Western to Eastern contemporary thinkers.  It aims to develop an understanding of the evolution, development and the passage of political thought in search of solutions to the crises faced by State and society.

2. Learning outcomes

On completion of the module, learners will be able to:

• Critically maintain the link with the ideas and concepts developed by Plato through Rousseau to the Frankfurt school.

• Explain the development of political thought from the Ancient Greeks through the Ancient Regimes of Europe to liberal democracy in the contemporary period.

• Connect the historical thoughts with one's contemporary context.

• Describe the nature of modern state as informed by contemporary thinkers and their milieu.

• Identify the conceptual basis of modern regimes.

• Evaluate liberal hegemony in the western political thought

• Analyze the use of political thought in political processes

3. Learning and teaching approach

4. Assessment

There will be both formative and summative assessments as follows:

A. Written assignment: Portion of final mark: 25%

Following criteria will be used to assess the written assignments:

1. Content - 10 marks
2. Organization – 5 marks
3. Referencing - 5 marks
4. Language - 5 marks

B. Mid-term Exam: Portion of the final mark: 20%

The exam will be conducted when 50% of the module content is covered. Students will attempt short and long-answer questions with total marks of 50.

C. Assignment presentation: Portion of final mark: 15%

Each student will present their written assignment in the class for 20 minutes. He/she will provide a precise summary of the assignment by highlighting key issues and explaining the underlying themes. Following criteria will be used to assess the written assignments:

1. Content and organization – 10 marks
2. Delivery/Preparedness – 5 marks
3. Audience engagement/Use of visual aids – 5 marks

D. Semester End Examination: Portion of the final mark: 40%

Overview of the assessment approaches and weighting

Pre-requisite: PTH101 Classical Political Thought

5. Subject matter

5.1.           Unit I: Modern Political Philosophies:

5.1.1.       Kant: Idealism, and Philosophy,

5.1.2.       Hegel: Logic, and Dialectic,

5.1.3.       Schopenhauer: Will, and Idea,

5.1.4.       Nietzsche: criticisms of the romantics or aristocratic anarchism, criticism of religions and philosophies, ethic, and the superman,

5.1.5.       Bentham: principle of utility: a principle to reform the  legal system to suit the bourgeois interests,

5.1.6.       J.  S.  Mill:  utilitarian  principle, individualism, liberty, and radicalism,

5.1.7.       T.H. Green: Uncommon common good, philosophy of state, as a liberal,

5.1.8.       Karl Marx: philosophy of life: dialectical materialism, view of history: historical materialism, economic theory, theory of surplus value,

5.1.9.     Lenin: theory of the revolutionary party and of capitalist imperialism.

5.2.           Unit II: Modern Political Thought: East

5.2.1.       Mahatma Gandhi: Truth and Non-violence, Satyagraha, and state committed to Sarvodaya, Ambedkar's critique of Gandhi, Social and Political Ideas of Ambedkar.

5.2.2.       M.N. Roy: Marxism, and Radical Humanism,

5.2.3.     Jawaharlal Nehru: pragmatism, state, economic planning, democracy, and internationalism, influence on Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck: an agent of development and modern Bhutanese state

5.3.           Unit III: Introduction of concept:

5.3.1.       Selected ideas on the concept of Power: Frankfurt School: Marcuse, Adorno, and Horkheimer;

5.3.2.       Michel Foucault and Robert Nozick. Structuralism: Foucault. Neo-Marxist versus Structuralism.

5.4.           Unit IV: Contemporary Political Philosophy: East

5.4.1.       Communism with Chinese Characteristics, Islamic radicalism versus Sufism,

5.4.2.       Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck: Philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

6. Reading List:

6.1.           Essential reading

Adams, I. & Dyson, D.R. (2007). Fifty Major Political Thinkers (2nd  Eds.). Oxon: Routledge.

Ahmad,  O.  (2013).  The Kingdom  at  the  Centre  of  the World:  Journeys  into Bhutan. Aleph Book Company.

Allen, W. W. (2004).Karl Marx (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

Chakrabarty, B. & Pandey, R. K. (2009). Modern Indian Political Thought. New Delhi: Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd.

Cohen, M. (2001). Political Philosophy from Plato to Mao. London: Pluto Press. G.H. Sabine, (1973). A History of Political Thought. Delhi: OUP

Hampsher-Monk, I. (2015) A History of Political Thought: Major Political Thinkers from Hobbes to Marx. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Meredith, R. (2008). The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and what it means for all of us. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.

6.2.           Additional Reading

Kinga,  S.  (2009). Polity,  Kingship  and  Democracy.Thimphu:  Bhutan  Times Limited.

McClelland,  J.  S.  (2005).  A  History  of  Western  Political  Thought.  London: Routledge.

Mukherjee, S. & Ramaswamy, S. (2005). A History of Thought: Plato to Marx. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India.

Nehru, J. (2012). Discovery of India. New Delhi: Penguin Books India.

Parekh, B. (1991) Gandhi’s Political Philosophy. New Delhi: Palgrave Macmillan

Parmanand.  (1992).  The  Politics  of  Bhutan:  Retrospect  and  Prospect.Delhi: Pragati Publications.

Russell, B. (1972). The History of Western Philosophy. New York: NY: Simon and Schuster.

Sayyid  Hassan  Islami,  S.  H.  &  Khomeini,  I.  (2002).  Ethics  and  Politics.The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's works.

Schram,  S.  (1989).The  Thought  of  Mao  Tse-Tung.Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press.

Sinha,  A.C.  (2001).  Himalayan  Kingdom  Bhutan:  Tradition,  Transition,  and Transformation. New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company.

Date December 2015