S0945 POLITICS AND SOCIAL THEORY I
Convenor: Steve Fuller
Monday, 1-3 PM, R1.15 (starting week 2: October 11th)
Part One will be concerned with historical, scientific and theological resources for informing the future of social theory – in particular, the future of ‘humanity’ as a concept. The term starts by looking at two relatively pessimistic accounts of the human condition, both of which focus on the ‘de-humanising’ sides of both science and religion (specifically, Christianity) in the Western tradition.
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Noble, David. The Religion of Technology
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Neiman, Susan. Evil in Modern thought.
This is followed by a broader background look at the exact relationship of science and religion, the former seeing continuity (for worse) and the latter separation (for better):
The next two books, though published only four years apart, offer radically different post-Cold War futures, informed by global intellectual and political history. Huntington’s view is notorious for arguing that Islam cannot be assimilated to the liberal democratic trajectory outlined by Fukuyama.
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Fukuyama, Francis. The End of History and the Last Man.
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Huntington, Samuel, The Clash of Civilizations
Finally, we look at two contrasting theological works (Christian and Muslim) that come to terms in some detail with the history of secularisation yet in the end reasserting the importance of religion for defining the human.
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Milbank, John. Theology and Social Theory
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Ramadan, Tariq. Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation
The readings are simply meant to canvass a broad range of informed thinking on the general topic. Students are free – and encouraged – to make what they will of the material.
The module will meet once a week for two hours and all students will be expected to participate in and sometimes lead seminar discussions.
For those students taking this module for credit there is a 5000 word essay required. Doctoral students are welcome to participate.
