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Miami University

Department of Philosophy

PHL/POL 410-510: Politics and Philosophies of Time in a Totalitarian Regime

Spring 2006

Tuesday 6.30-10 pm

Philosophy Department

Classroom: Seminar Room (203 Hall Auditorium)

 

Syllabus

 

Dr. Costica Bradatan

Office: 221 Hall Auditorium,

Office Hours: Tuesday 5.00-6.30pm & Wednesday 1.30-3.00 pm (and by appointment)

Office Phone:  (513) 529-4739

Email: bradatc@muohio.edu

Webpage: http://www.users.muohio.edu/bradatc/ 
 

 

Course Description:

This course has a twofold objective. First, it deals with the way in which (especially) within a utopian/communist system time becomes a political construct. More specifically, the seminar explores, in an interdisciplinary manner, how in such a system people’s sense of time is being systematically disrupted and manipulated through stirring and maintaining pseudo-Messianic expectations, systematic alterations/updating of the past, and staging fake outbursts of public frenzy and enthusiasm. Then, as a counterpoint movement, the seminar follows how various philosophers and moralists living in communist regimes, responded – through their philosophizing – to such a carefully engineered politics of time. These are some of the questions to be asked at this stage of the course: To what extent, in their philosophizing, philosophers and writers realized how this politics of time worked and what were its main components and forms of manifestation? How can a philosophical response to this practice (of controlling people’s sense of time) take shape? And, more broadly, how can a philosophy or an aesthetic program become a political gesture? By what means a philosophy/aesthetic program can provide an “ethos/ethic of resistance”? How can a philosophy inspire/nurture a dissident movement? Are there (philosophical) ideas to die for? There will be a number of case studies dedicated to Czechoslovakian, Polish, Russian, and Yugoslavian thinkers: Jan Patocka, Czeslaw Milosz, Mihail Bakhtin and Milorad Pavic.  

 

Course Rationale:

For someone interested in philosophy (and especially in metaphilosophy and sociology of philosophy), this seminar is important for at least two reasons. First, it casts a meaningful light on the relationship between politics and philosophy. More precisely, it shows how, in the first instance, a philosophy (Marx’s and Engels’) is used for founding a political system (communism), and then how that political system sets the agenda for new (dissident) philosophies; it shows how certain developments in the sphere of politics come to have something important to say about the shaping, topics, thematic repertoire, and the priorities of a philosophy or other. When a given philosophy comes to oppose a certain politics, it cannot do so by ignoring the latter’s programs, aims and methods: in order to be efficient, the philosophy in question must get well acquainted not only with its principles and ideological core, but also with the culture, way of life, and “rules of the game” generated by that politics. Secondly, what such an interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationship between philosophy and dissidence/civic resistance reveals is an unexpected recurrence, in the modern world, of the ancient topic of “philosophy as a way of life.” For, ultimately, what some of these dissident philosophers did was nothing other than translating their philosophical speculations into meaningful deeds, into civic gestures and exemplary facts of life. Thanks to having past the test of social reality, their philosophies became systems of lived ideas.

 

Course Goals:

·         The course will make students realize the dialectical relationship between philosophy and politics: philosophy can inspire certain political regimes, which political regimes, in their turn, generate (official) philosophies of their own, but also cause the emergence of opposing (dissident) philosophies. 

·         By way of consequence, it will point to the fact that philosophy is not at all isolated, but deeply interconnected with other disciplinary fields, as well as with the public sphere. 

·         The course will make students realize the broadness, plurality and diversity, of the philosophical exercise. Philosophical discourse can take the shape not only of academic texts, but also of political manifestoes, samizdat letters and articles; philosophical practice means not only university teaching or institutionalized research, but also running underground seminars, involvement in civic movements, speeches to dissident meetings, etc.

·         The course will make students aware of the many ways in which social time is being produced, of how people’s sense of time can be interfered with and politically manipulated and also of how a proper sense of time can be recovered through reflection, art, and social involvement.

·         Situated as it is at the crossroad of philosophy, religious studies, literature, political theory, film studies and intellectual history, the course will introduce students to the complexity and charm of interdisciplinary research in philosophy.

 

Required Texts: 

·         Bakhtin, Mihail (1981), The dialogic imagination. Four essays, Edited by Michael Holquist; Translated by Caryl Emerson and Michael Holquist (Austin: University of Texas Press).*

·         Eliade, Mircea (1971), The Myth of the Eternal Return or, Cosmos and History, Princeton University Press. [selections]**

·         Fitzpatrick, Sheila (2000), Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s (Oxford: Oxford University Press)*

  • Hanson, Stephen H. (1997), Time and Revolution. Marxism and the Design of Soviet Institutions (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina).*
  • Johnson,  Paul (1990), Intellectuals (Harper Perennial)*
  • Lenin, Vladimir I. (1987), Essential Works by Lenin. “What is to be done? And other writings (Dover Publications)*
  • Marx, Karl and Engels, Friedrich (1998), The German Ideology (Prometheus Books)*
  • Milosz, Czeslaw (1990), The Captive Mind (Vintage)*
  • Nowotny, Helga (1994), Time. The Modern and Postmodern Experience, Translated by Neville Plaice, Cambridge: Polity Press.*
  • Orwell, George (1987), Nineteen Eighty-Four (London: Penguin Books)*
  • Pavic, Milorad (1989), Dictionary of the Khazars (Vintage International)*
  • Tucker, Aviezer (2000), The Philosophy and Politics of the Czech Dissidence from Patočka to Havel, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. [selections]**

 

It is recommended that those books marked with an asterisk (*) be purchased as they will be used more extensively. You should be able to find them at the MU Bookstores. Fragments from books marked with ** are on electronic reserve (Password: phl410).

 

Course Requirements:

  1. One research paper, developed in three stages
  2. Oral presentation (at least one)
  3. Regular attendance and participation in class
  4. Individual conferences

 

1. Research paper:

The bulk of the final grade (see below “Grading policy”) will be determined by the quality of the research paper. This piece is the culmination of students’ work during the whole semester. It must be on a course-related topic, designed by the student in consultation with the instructor. The research paper must be conceived of, structured, developed and written in such a way as to meet the standards of academic excellence in the humanities, and following the guidelines for submission of written work listed below. The three stages for the production of this research paper are: a) Submission of proposed topic, brief description and basic bibliography (1/2 pages). b) Submission of the first draft (7/8 pages), and c) Submission of the final draft (12/15 pages), at the end of the semester. (For deadlines, please see “General Schedule of Events” below.)

 

2. Oral presentation:

Each student is expected to present the reading(s) for at least one session and then briefly conduct the subsequent discussion. A list of topics (readings) for which students can volunteer will be circulated at the beginning of the semester. Each oral presentation will be graded and will count toward the final grade. A good presentation means: a careful reading of the texts in question, placing these texts within the context of the author’s work, rendering the material into a coherent, well-structured, and agreeable form, and presenting it in a clear manner to the other students attending the class. For a good – to excellent – oral presentation grade, you are encouraged to read as much as you can by, and about, the author whose texts you decide to present. If you make a second presentation during the semester (in addition to the first), that will be graded separately, and its grade will count toward the final grade, too. You are encouraged (although not required) to design your research paper in such a way as to be able to use in it those texts you have read for preparing your oral presentation.   

 

3. Attendance and participation in class:

It is imperative that you attend every class. Please do not be late! Any unexcused absence will have an impact on your class participation/attendance grade (5% for each absence). After four (4) unexcused absences the instructor may, at his discretion, recommend the University Registrar to drop the student from the course. An absence is excused when you provide serious documented evidence about it (signed note from the physician, signed letter from the Dean, death notice, etc.) Fore more about class attendance please consult the 2005-2006 Student Handbook: http://www.miami.muohio.edu/documents_and_policies/handbook/ (“Class Attendance”). Active participation in classroom discussions includes (but is not limited to): posing relevant questions; making informed comments and formulating original points of view, establishing a fruitful dialogue with the other students during the class, etc. When formulating your points of view, remarks or comments, please do so in a respectful manner, in such a way as not to harm the feelings of the other members of the class.

 

4. Individual conferences:

Students are strongly encouraged to discuss with the instructor about any aspects of their work for this class, and in particular about their research paper. All students taking this course are encouraged to make appointments with the instructor in order to discuss issues related to the course. The instructor may ask you to come in at other times for discussing particular issues. Please feel free to email the instructor whenever you need to discuss with him aspects of your work.

 

As the semester progresses each of you must think of a topic for your research paper. The topic for this final essay is designed by you, but must be course-related, and discussed with the instructor (on the occasion of a conferences or just make an appointment!).

 

Guidelines for Submission of Written Work:

·         MLA Citation Style

·         Word-process all written work; handwritten papers will not be accepted;

·         Use standard font, in 12 point; double-spaced.

·         Number your pages;

·         Staple your pages together;

·         At the top of the first page include your name, date, and essay title;

·         Proofread and spell-check before bringing any papers to class.

 

Grading Policy:

·         10%           Regular attendance of seminar meetings.

·         10%           Active participation in classroom discussions

·         20%           Oral presentation.

·         20%           First draft of the research paper

·         40%           Final draft of the research paper

 

The grades for class attendance and participation will be determined only after all class meetings take place, at the end of semester. The grade for the first draft of the research paper will be communicated along with the instructor’s feedback. The final grade will be determined after you submit the final draft of the research paper.

 

University Policies and Regulations:

The instructor of this course respects and upholds University policies and regulations pertaining to the observation of religious holidays; assistance available to the physically handicapped, visually and/or hearing impaired student; plagiarism; sexual harassment; and racial or ethnic discrimination. All students are advised to become familiar with the respective University regulations and are encouraged to bring any questions or concerns to the attention of the instructor.

 

Students with Disabilities:

In compliance with the Miami University policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for students with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester, except in unusual circumstances, so that arrangements can be made. If you want to know more about these issues, please contact Miami University’s Office of Disability Resources: http://affserver1.aff.muohio.edu/ODR/

 

Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism, or academic theft, is passing off someone else’s work as your own. Please note: plagiarism simply means using someone else’s ideas without acknowledging it (no matter if you use that person’s actual words or not). Regardless of your background, you are responsible for not plagiarizing. Plagiarism will be prosecuted; it can affect your permanent record. Being a plagiarizer is incomparably worse than being unoriginal! For more about plagiarism (and academic dishonesty in general), please consult 2005-2006 Student Handbook: http://www.miami.muohio.edu/documents_and_policies/handbook/ (“Academic misconduct”)

 

 

General Schedule of Events

 

I. Introductory issues

 

Week 1: 

·         Tuesday (1/10)

o        Topic: Introduction.

o        Film: “Modern Times”

o        Discussion: “Modern Times”

 

Week 2:

·         Tuesday (1/17)

o        Topic: Social time (Pre-modern, modern, and post-modern time. Global time. Time and nature/time and culture. Time and religious rites. Time and technology. Time and art. Time and social change. Time and politics.)

o        Discussion: What precisely shapes the configuration of a given social time (religious practices, available technology, scientific discoveries, cultural background, politics, ideologies, geographical situation, etc)?

o        Film: “Before the Rain”

o        Readings: Eliade: Chapters 1 & 4 (electronic reserve) & Novotny: 6-44

 

Week 3:

·         Tuesday (1/24)

o        Topic: “Intoxication with time.” (The speed up of the social rhythms in the xx-th century. Cultural reactions to this phenomenon. New philosophies of time: Bergson, Heidegger, phenomenology. New arts and disciplines of time: cinema, psychoanalysis, etc.)

o        Film: “Run, Lola, Run”

o        Readings: Novotny: 45-131; Hanson 1-21

 

Week 4:

·         Tuesday (1/31)

o        Topic: Time and revolution. (The end of the world/the birth of a new world. The anatomy of the revolutionary time. The new time and the old time. The possibility of novelty. Catastrophe, Revolution, Apocalypse. Theology of revolution.)

o        Discussion: The time of the rich – the time of the poor.

o        Film: “The Battleship Potemkin”

o        Readings: Marx & Engels: 29-102 & Hanson 37-68

 

II. The political production of time  

 

Week 5:

·         Tuesday (2/7)

o        Topic: The future (“In the name of the future.” Waiting for Messiah. Marx’s Messianic time. The future in the works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. The future as a legitimating factor of revolution. The end of history. Post-historical happiness) 

o        Discussion: The significance/importance of social dreams and utopias. The dangers behind them.

o        Film: “Good bye, Lenin”

o        Readings: Lenin: 271-364 & Hanson: 69-106

 

Week 6:

·         Tuesday (2/14)

o        Topic: The past I (“Getting rid of all the muck of ages.” Updating the past. Using and abusing the past. “Who controls the past controls the future.” Memory and community. Erasing the past as a means of the regime to eternalize itself.)

o        Discussion: “The future is foreseeable. What is really unforeseeable is the past.”

o        Film: “Burnt by the Sun”

o        Readings: Orwell

Deadline!

 

Submission of topic, brief description and basic bibliography for the research paper.

 

Week 7:

·         Tuesday (2/22) No classes (Monday/Tuesday Class Exchange Day: Monday classes meet this day)

 

Week 8:

·         Tuesday (2/28)

o        Topic: The past II. (The paradoxical conservatism of communist societies. Their refuge into the past. Constant discouragement of novelties in art, science, social organization, etc. The past and the failure of the revolution.)

o        Film: “Pretty villages, pretty flames”

o        Readings: Fitzpatrick, 1-114.

 

Week 9:

·         Tuesday (3/7)

o        Topic: The present I (“Permanent revolution,” “Planned heroism,” “Socialist emulation,” Stakhanovism. Defying and compressing time: the Five-Year Plan fulfilled in four years. Faking enthusiasm.)

o        Discussion: “Socialist emulation”! capitalist market

o        Film: “The Man of Marble”

o        Readings: Fitzpatrick, 115-227

 

Spring Break

·         Tuesday (3/14)

o        No classes.  

Week 10:

·         Tuesday (3/21)

o        Topic: The present II (The frozen time of the everyday life. The 30’ in Soviet Union. The 50’s in Eastern Europe. The disappearance of the public sphere. Private utopias. Nightmare time. The present and the failure of the revolution.)

o        Film: “Guantanamera”

o        Discussion: Time in today’s Cuba

o        Readings: Hanson, 123-179.

Deadline!

 

Submission of first draft of the research paper.

 

III. The time of the philosophers and artists

 

Week 11:

·         Tuesday (3/28)

o        Topic: The relationship philosophy/politics (Knowledge and power. Philosophers’ love for politics from Plato to Heidegger. The Heidegger case. Philosophy and the founding of totalitarian regimes. Philosophy and the undermining of totalitarian regimes. Philosophy as social criticism.)

o        Film: “Life of David Gale”

o        Discussion: “Life of David Gale”

o        Readings: Johnson

 

Week 12:

·         Tuesday (4/4)

o        Topic: Patocka (Philosophers and dissidents in Eastern Europe and Russia. Philosophy as martyrdom from Socrates to Patocka. The death of a philosopher.)

o        Film: “The Experiment”

o        Discussion: Are there (philosophical) ideas to die for? 

o        Readings: Tucker, 59-134 (e-reserve)

 

Week 13:

·         Tuesday (4/11)

o        Topic: Milosz (Politics and poetry. Fidelity and Betrayal. Forms of resistance. The politics of truth. The anatomy of the captive mind.)

o        Film: “Blind chance”

o        Readings: Milosz

 

Week 14:

·         Tuesday (4/18)

o        Topic: Bakhtin (Chronotope. Time and space in the novel. Time and polyphony. Time and the distinction dialogism/monologism. Life vs. Art.)

o        Film: “Repentance”

o        Discussion: Evading life through fiction. 

o        Readings: Bakhtin 84-258.

Week 15:

·         Tuesday (4/25)

o        Topic: Milorad Pavic (Imagination and sanity. Resistance through magical realism. The politics of fiction. Fictionalizing history. The anarchy of meaning. The alternative pasts.)

o        Film: “Underground”

o        Readings: Pavic

 

Deadline!

 

Submission of research paper (final version).

 

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