SOCIOLOGY 243 AND RELIGION 380



SOCIAL JUSTICE:
THE ANCIENT AND MODERN TRADITIONS


 

PROFESSORS G. MCCARTHY & R. RHODES

KENYON COLLEGE
TRELEAVEN HOUSE

FALL 2010


DESCRIPTION OF COURSE

This mid-level course will examine the development of theories of ethics and social justice from the ancient Hebrew tradition of Torah and the prophets, New Testament writers Luke and Matthew, and the political theory of Aristotle to modern discussions about social, political, and economic justice. We will explore how modern social theorists have employed the natural law principles of the ancient Hebrews (covenant, Sabbatical Year, Jubilee, economic redistribution, and critique of idolatry) and Greeks (reciprocity, grace, familial love, friendship, virtue, happiness, and political wisdom) as the basis for their ideas on social ethics and economic democracy. Questions of justice, freedom, economic development, individualism, natural rights, and alienation will be major themes in this study of liberalism, Christianity, and Marxism. Special emphasis will be on contemporary debates about the ethics of democratic capitalism and democratic socialism, including conservative theology and philosophy and radical liberation theology. Readings will be from the Torah, New Testament, Aristotle, Pope John Paul II, M. Friedman, E. Fromm, R. Pirsig, E. F. Schumacher, and P. Farmer. Prerequisite: introductory sociology or religious studies courses or permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as both Socy 243 and Rlst 380.


REQUIRED READINGS

Aristotle, The Politics
American Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice for All
New Oxford Annotated Bible: Torah, Luke, and Matthew
M. Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom
John Paul II, On Human Work (Laborem Exercens)
J. Galbraith, The Predator State
E. Fromm, Marx's Concept of Man (contains Marx's Early Economic and Philosophical Writings of 1844)
P. Farmer, Pathologies of Power
E. F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful
R. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance


Recommended Readings

A. McGovern, Marxism: An American Christian Perspective
G. McCarthy and R. Rhodes, Eclipse of Justice: Ethics, Economics, and the Lost Traditions of American Catholicism


COURSE REQUIREMENTS

There will be a mid-term and final examination. Questions will be given out prior to the test from which two or three questions will be chosen the day of the exam. Classroom attendance is naturally required, as is participation in the weekly discussion groups organized and led by students themselves. The goal of the course is to encourage students to become actively involved in their own education and enlightenment by discussing the required readings every Friday afternoon. The final grade for the course will be based on 1/3 mid-term, 1/3 final examination, and 1/3 class participation.


OVERVIEW OF SCHEDULE AND REQUIRED READINGS

WEEKS

1. American Catholic
Bishops Conference		 Economic Justice for All
2. Torah The New Oxford Annotated Bible
(Selections: Leviticus 25-26, Deuteronomy 15,
Isaiah 26-26; 40:12-23; 44:1-20, and Amos
3. Aristotle The Politics, Books I, III, and VI ii
(Recommended: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 5 and George E. McCarthy,
"Aristotle on Social Justice and Classical Democracy," in Dreams in Exile:
Rediscovering Science and Ethics in Nineteenth-Century Social Theory
4. Milton Friedman Capitalism and Freedom (Introduction and Chapters 1, 2, 7, 10-13), pp. 1-36, 108-118, 161-202
5. Pope John Paul II On Human Labor
(G. McCarthy and R. Rhodes, Eclipse of Justice, Chapter 5)
6. James K. Galbraith The Predator State
(Recommended: McCarthy and Rhodes, Eclipse of Justice,, Chapters 1-4 and
The Distribution of Wealth in America in the following:
http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/so11/stratification/income&wealth.htm
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html and
Emmanuel Saez, "Striking it Richer" in http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~saez/saez-UStopincomes-2006prel.pdf)
7. James K. Galbraith The Predator State
(Recommended: McCarthy and Rhodes, Eclipse of Justice, Chapter 4;
Edward Wolff, "Recent Trends in Household Wealth in the United States," in
http://www.levy.org/pubs/wp_502.pdf; and
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow/441050/print)
8. Luke in the New Testament
(McCarthy and Rhodes, Eclipse of Justice, Chapters 6-7)
9. Luke in the New Testament
(Jim Wallis, God's Politics, part IV, "Spiritual Values and Economic Justice," pp. 209-293)
10. Erich Fromm Marx's Concept of Man,
Fromm, "Introduction," Marx's Concept of Man, pp. 1-83 and Marx's essay, "Alienated Labor," pp.93-109
11. E. F. Schumacher Small is Beautiful
12. Paul Farmer Pathologies of Power
13. Robert Pirsig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
14. Robert Pirsig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance