POLS 290 - The History of Political Thought I - Course Syllabus (Fall 2015)

Sep 4, 2026

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Syllabus for POLS 290, The History of Political Thought I, taught by Aviral Pathak in Fall 2015. The course examines ancient foundations of politics, focusing on how classical thinkers connect personal and communal life with democracy, freedom, justice, and equality, and on conditions enabling—and undermining—democracy. Learning activities center on textual reading, in-class lectures and discussion, note-taking, and participation, with open-book exams and a detailed semester timeline. Attendance is required and grades reflect participation plus three exams.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Course Overview

Course Description

Student Requirements

Attendance and Excusal Policy

Grading Policy

Required Readings

Semester Timeline

1 POLS 290 – The History of Political Thought I, CRN: 32064 Meeting Times: Fall 2015, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30pm-1:45pm Location: BSB-1171 Instructor: Aviral Pathak Ofﬁce: BSB-1170A Ofﬁce Hours: 2pm-3pm Tuesday and Thursday, and by appointment. [Email: ](Email: apatha5@uic.edu)[apatha5@uic.edu](Email: apatha5@uic.edu) Course Description: What are the ancient foundations of our politics? What sort of life do the ancients prescribe, both for individuals and for the community? What does this life mean in terms of democracy, freedom, justice, and equality; terms so familiar to us moderns? How did ancient politics mediate the space between the individual and the larger community that the individual is a part of? What do the ancients tell us about the conditions that not only make democracy possible but also lead to its demise? These and similar questions will guide our encounter with the ancients this semester. Consequently, we will engage with some of the most vital features in ancient political thought, such as, virtue, duty, power, government, privacy, the public. These questions and features have occupied modern minds as well. And so, our historical and textual investigation of the ancients will allow us to better grasp ancient life and politics, and their connections to our modern life and politics. Student Requirements: This course will be largely structured around textual reading, in-class lectures and discussions. Students are expected to have completed all the assigned readings before class meets, in order to be prepared for the lectures and the discussions for the week. Taking notes during class time is encouraged. Using electronic devices in class for purposes other than note-taking is strongly discouraged. Students are also expected to participate during class time. Participation not only facilitates a lively discussion, but will also allow students to work on clearly presenting their questions and thoughts to others, and on respectfully engaging with others. All students are expected to conduct themselves within the guidelines issued by the university (which can be found here: [http://catalog.uic.edu/ucat/](http://catalog.uic.edu/ucat/)). Attendance is required. The readings for this class can, on occasion, be challenging. Regular attendance is one of the most effective ways in which students can more fully come to terms with the materials and themes in the readings. This pays 2 dividends when time comes to prepare for the exams. So, it should be noted that a student’s grade will be lowered after two unexcused absences. However, exceptions can be made. Students must provide relevant documentation (such as a doctor’s note) to excuse themselves from class. Students must also notify the instructor within the ﬁrst two weeks of the semester about any speciﬁc days of religious observance for which they will be absent from class. Students with disabilities, requiring accommodations for access and participation in this course, must be registered with the Ofﬁce of Disability Services ([http://drc.uic.edu](http://drc.uic.edu)). Please call (312) 413-2183 (voice) or (312) 413-0123 (TTY) for more information. Grading Policy: Grades will be distributed accordingly: participation: 10% three in-class exams: 30%, each Note: All exams will be open-book. The ﬁrst two exams will be held in-class, during class time. The third exam will be held Friday, December 11 (8-9am) at a location TBD, during ﬁnals week. The third exam will not be cumulative. Required Readings: The materials for this class will include the following required texts. - Aeschylus, Oresteia (Oxford University Press, Translated by Christopher Collard) - Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War (Hackett Publishing, Translated by Steven Lattimore) - Aristophanes, Lysistrata (Signet Classics, Translated by Douglas Parker) - Plato, The Republic (Penguin Books, Translated by Desmond Lee) - Aristotle, Politics (Dover Publications, Tran

FAQs

What topics and questions does POLS 290 focus on?

The course investigates ancient political thought and how it shapes ideas about democracy, freedom, justice, equality, and the relationship between individuals and the larger community.

How is the course structured and what are student expectations?

The course emphasizes assigned readings completed before class, plus in-class lectures and discussions. Students are encouraged to take notes and to participate respectfully during class.

What is the grading policy and how do exams work?

Grades are based on participation (10%) and three in-class exams totaling 30% each. All exams are open-book; the first two occur in class, and the third is held during finals week and is not cumulative.

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Patrick