Democracy: 12 Classic TextsLike this list

12 items

• The Landmark Herodotus

  the Histories

  Herodotus,

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  For the January 16 meeting, please plan to read the following passages: Book 1.1 (p. 3), 29-34 (pp.17-22), 59-64 (pp. 33-7); Book 3.61-87 (pp. 234-9); Book 5.55-98 (pp. 390-413); Book 6.48-125 (pp. 447-81); Book 7.138-147 (pp. 552-8); Book 8.40-144…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Landmark Thucydides

  a Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War

  Thucydides,

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  For the February 20 meeting, please plan to read the following passages: Book One, 1.1 (p. 3), 1.21-22 (pp. 15-6), 1.66-88 (pp. 37-49), 1.125-146 (pp. 69-85); Book Two, 2.34-65 (pp. 110-128); Book Three, 3.25-3.50 (pp. 171-184), 3.70-85 (pp.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Republic

  Plato,

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  The only truly indispensable discussion of democracy and the democratic citizen comes in book 8; so, if you are pressed for time, you could read only that book and still get a lot out of our discussion scheduled for the March 19 meeting. But to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Politics

  a New Translation

  Aristotle,

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  Because Reeve's entire translation comes to just under 200 pp., we could defensibly aim to read all of the Politics by April 16. But Aristotle can be pretty tough going, so a more focused approach will allow us to adhere to our topic of concern.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Leviathan

  Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679,

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  Read part 2, "On Commonwealth" for the discussion on 5/21.

• Second Treatise of Government and a Letter Concerning Toleration

  Locke, John, 1632-1704,

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  We are reading the entire second treatise, since its scope is within the limits which we've set for each session.

• The Social Contract

  Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712-1778,

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• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

  Wollstonecraft, Mary, 1759-1797,

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  Please plan to read at least the following parts: The letter to Talleyrand-Périgord; The advertisement; The Introduction; Chs. 1-6; Ch. 9.

• Democracy in America

  and Two Essays on America

  Tocqueville, Alexis de, 1805-1859,

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  Our focus here will be on Volume 1, and I ask that you read the "Introduction," in order to get a synoptic view of the whole work, and then Part 2, chs. 1-10. We will be somewhat at a disadvantage by having skipped Part 1 of Volume 1, but we have to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black Reconstruction in America

  An Essay Toward a History of the Part Which Black Folk Played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860-1880

  Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963,

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  The chapters which I'd like to make the core of our discussion are as follows: Ch. IV: The General Strike Ch. V: The Coming of the Lord Ch. VI: Looking Backward Ch. VII: Looking Forward

• The Human Condition

  Arendt, Hannah, 1906-1975,

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  Our plan will be to read the Prologue and Parts I, II, and V.

• The End of History and the Last Man

  Fukuyama, Francis,

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  The selections from this book are as follows: By Way of an Introduction; Part III: The Struggle for Recognition; Part IV: Leaping over Rhodes; Part V: The Last Man.