Society, Politics and Institutions: Stability and Change
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The course aims at
- introducing students to the fundamental tools for the analysis of politics and institutions;
- providing knowledge of the main issues discussed in contemporary philosophy of the social sciences, with particular emphasis on social ontology and rational choice theory.
- introducing students to the fundamental tools for the analysis of politics and institutions;
- providing knowledge of the main issues discussed in contemporary philosophy of the social sciences, with particular emphasis on social ontology and rational choice theory.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the students will have acquired
- some basic skills in the formation and use of scientific concepts and theories;
- some basic analytical and theoretical tools for understanding and studying politics and institutions in their social contexts as well as knowledge of some causal mechanisms typically recurring in such contexts;
- the ability of conducting "power analyses" of social and political situations;
- the ability to identify and interpret broad dynamics of political and institutional change in a historical and comparative perspective;
- substantive systematic knowledge of the "European model" (market economy, liberal democracy, the welfare state and European integration) and the challenges now facing it;
- the capacity to understand the theories that philosophers, psychologists, biologists and economists have put forward to explain the emergence of institutions;
- knowledge of the cognitive skills that allow human beings to engage in coordination and cooperation, on a scale of complexity that is unknown in the natural world;
- the ability to analyse and critically assess the main arguments brought in favour and against different views concerning the nature and functions of institutions, and the emergence of cooperation;
- the capacity to identify the ways in which these debates may be resolved, and how their solutions may contribute to scientific progress and understanding;
- the capacity to present the main arguments independently, satisfying the main requirements of scholarly writing.
- some basic skills in the formation and use of scientific concepts and theories;
- some basic analytical and theoretical tools for understanding and studying politics and institutions in their social contexts as well as knowledge of some causal mechanisms typically recurring in such contexts;
- the ability of conducting "power analyses" of social and political situations;
- the ability to identify and interpret broad dynamics of political and institutional change in a historical and comparative perspective;
- substantive systematic knowledge of the "European model" (market economy, liberal democracy, the welfare state and European integration) and the challenges now facing it;
- the capacity to understand the theories that philosophers, psychologists, biologists and economists have put forward to explain the emergence of institutions;
- knowledge of the cognitive skills that allow human beings to engage in coordination and cooperation, on a scale of complexity that is unknown in the natural world;
- the ability to analyse and critically assess the main arguments brought in favour and against different views concerning the nature and functions of institutions, and the emergence of cooperation;
- the capacity to identify the ways in which these debates may be resolved, and how their solutions may contribute to scientific progress and understanding;
- the capacity to present the main arguments independently, satisfying the main requirements of scholarly writing.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Prerequisites for admission
English language, level B2.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam will consist of a test with multiple choice and open questions.
Criteria of assessment:
- First Class (28-30 cum laude)
Work shows that the student has clearly achieved the objectives of the course. Topic addressed clearly, concisely and with precision. Knowledge of the relevant literature is broad and deep, covering both essential and additional material indicated in the syllabus. The answer goes well beyond the paraphrasing of other authors' ideas. Analysis of concepts, arguments and positions is rigorous and sufficiently thorough. Arguments are given where appropriate, are cogent and properly supported by evidence and reasons.
- Upper Second Class (25-27)
Work shows that the student has worked diligently, has consulted and understood the essential literature, has answered the question directly. The essay or answer is well organised, important concepts and positions presented clearly and analysed sufficiently. Arguments are cogent and properly supported by evidence and reasons. Some attempt at critical reflection, for example ability to compare different viewpoints.
- Lower Second Class (22-24)
Work shows that the student has clearly learnt during the course. Concepts and problems adequately formulated and understood, but not necessarily with great clarity or depth. The essential literature has been consulted and understood to a large degree. Important concepts and positions presented. Fails to meet the criteria for 25+ because of inadequate organisation, some errors of understanding, lack of analysis and critical reflection, or failure to support arguments with evidence and/or reasons.
- Third Class (18-21)
Shows that the student has learnt something about the subject. Some familiarity with the relevant literature but poor grasp of essential concepts. Few references to sources, some errors of fact and interpretation. The question is usually not directly answered, and the answer usually lacks structure and organisation. Claims not supported by evidence and/or arguments.
- Fail (0-17)
No evidence of having benefited from the course, and/or little knowledge of the subject. Very poor understanding or complete misunderstanding of the relevant issues, concepts, and positions. Very limited evidence of reading. Usually contains many serious errors of fact and interpretation and/or fails to address the question. The answer lacks structure, is often confused, and/or the terminology is used inappropriately and imprecisely.
Criteria of assessment:
- First Class (28-30 cum laude)
Work shows that the student has clearly achieved the objectives of the course. Topic addressed clearly, concisely and with precision. Knowledge of the relevant literature is broad and deep, covering both essential and additional material indicated in the syllabus. The answer goes well beyond the paraphrasing of other authors' ideas. Analysis of concepts, arguments and positions is rigorous and sufficiently thorough. Arguments are given where appropriate, are cogent and properly supported by evidence and reasons.
- Upper Second Class (25-27)
Work shows that the student has worked diligently, has consulted and understood the essential literature, has answered the question directly. The essay or answer is well organised, important concepts and positions presented clearly and analysed sufficiently. Arguments are cogent and properly supported by evidence and reasons. Some attempt at critical reflection, for example ability to compare different viewpoints.
- Lower Second Class (22-24)
Work shows that the student has clearly learnt during the course. Concepts and problems adequately formulated and understood, but not necessarily with great clarity or depth. The essential literature has been consulted and understood to a large degree. Important concepts and positions presented. Fails to meet the criteria for 25+ because of inadequate organisation, some errors of understanding, lack of analysis and critical reflection, or failure to support arguments with evidence and/or reasons.
- Third Class (18-21)
Shows that the student has learnt something about the subject. Some familiarity with the relevant literature but poor grasp of essential concepts. Few references to sources, some errors of fact and interpretation. The question is usually not directly answered, and the answer usually lacks structure and organisation. Claims not supported by evidence and/or arguments.
- Fail (0-17)
No evidence of having benefited from the course, and/or little knowledge of the subject. Very poor understanding or complete misunderstanding of the relevant issues, concepts, and positions. Very limited evidence of reading. Usually contains many serious errors of fact and interpretation and/or fails to address the question. The answer lacks structure, is often confused, and/or the terminology is used inappropriately and imprecisely.
Unit 1
Course syllabus
1. What is politics?
2. What is conflict?
3. What are institutions?
4. What is political order?
5. Institutions and conflict
6. Governments and Governance
7. State as institution
8. State development
9. State capacity
10. Nation making
11. State rupture I: occupations (external threat)
12. Case studies
13. State rupture 2 : civil war ( interna threat)
14. Case studies
15. State rupture 3: Revolutions
16. Case studies
17. Transnational Governance
18. EU and other experiments
19. Global Political Order?
20. Failure of Global Governance?
2. What is conflict?
3. What are institutions?
4. What is political order?
5. Institutions and conflict
6. Governments and Governance
7. State as institution
8. State development
9. State capacity
10. Nation making
11. State rupture I: occupations (external threat)
12. Case studies
13. State rupture 2 : civil war ( interna threat)
14. Case studies
15. State rupture 3: Revolutions
16. Case studies
17. Transnational Governance
18. EU and other experiments
19. Global Political Order?
20. Failure of Global Governance?
Teaching methods
Evaluation will be based on the final test scores.
For PPPA students, the grade of unit1 must be averaged with the grade of unit2. The averaged grade will appear on your formal records through these steps:
1. passing successfully the tests of both unit 1 and unit 2 (>18);
2. registering the averaged grade during the first formal exam session ("appello d'esame") available for unit 2.
Non-PPPA attending students taking only unit 1 can register the grade at the first available exam session ("appello d'esame") of unit 2.
For PPPA students, the grade of unit1 must be averaged with the grade of unit2. The averaged grade will appear on your formal records through these steps:
1. passing successfully the tests of both unit 1 and unit 2 (>18);
2. registering the averaged grade during the first formal exam session ("appello d'esame") available for unit 2.
Non-PPPA attending students taking only unit 1 can register the grade at the first available exam session ("appello d'esame") of unit 2.
Teaching Resources
The complete and final list of study material can be found on Ariel (https://myariel.unimi.it/course/view.php?id=847).
Sartori, Giovanni. "What is «politics»." Italian Political Science Review/Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica 2, no. 1 (1972): 219-223.
North, Douglass Cecil, John Joseph Wallis, and Barry R. Weingast. Violence and social orders: A conceptual framework for interpreting recorded human history. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Rothstein, B., 1996. Political institutions: an overview. A new handbook of political science, pp.133-166.
Robert H. Bates "Probing the sources of political order"In Kalyvas, Stathis N., Ian Shapiro, and Tarek E. Masoud. Order, conflict, and violence. Cambridge University Press, 2008
Olson, Mancur. "Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development." American Political Science Review 87, no. 03 (1993): 567-576.
Fukuyama, Francis. "Governance: What do we know, and how do we know it?." Annual Review of Political Science 19 (2016): 89-105.
Poggi, Gianfranco. The state: Its nature, development, and prospects. Stanford University Press, 1990.
Levi, Margaret. "The predatory theory of rule." Politics & Society 10, no. 4 (1981): 431-465.
Mann, Michael. "The autonomous power of the state: its origins, mechanisms and results." European journal of sociology 25, no. 02 (1984): 185-213.
Linz, J.J., 1993. State building and nation building. European Review, 1(4), pp.355-369.
State rupture I: occupations (external threat)
Edelstein, D.M., 2004. Occupational hazards: Why military occupations succeed or fail. International Security, pp.49-91.
Lake, David A. 2016, The Statebuilder's Dilemma: On the Limits of Foreign Intervention. Cornell University Press,
State rupture 2 : civil war ( interna threat)
Bates, Robert H. "State failure." Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. 11 (2008): 1-12.
Cederman, Lars-Erik, and Manuel Vogt. "Dynamics and logics of civil war." Journal of Conflict Resolution 61, no. 9 (2017): 1992-2016.
Goldstone, J.A., Grinin, L. and Korotayev, A., 2022. The phenomenon and theories of revolutions. In Handbook of revolutions in the 21st century: The new waves of revolutions, and the causes and effects of disruptive political change (pp. 37-68). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Beissinger, M.R., 2022. The revolutionary city: Urbanization and the global transformation of rebellion. Princeton University Press.
Abbott, K.W. and Snidal, D., 2010. International regulation without international government: Improving IO performance through orchestration. The Review of International Organizations, 5, pp.315-344.
Pollack, Mark A. "Theorizing the European Union: international organization, domestic polity, or experiment in new governance?." Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. 8 (2005): 357-398.
March, James G., and Johan P. Olsen. "The institutional dynamics of international political orders." International organization 52, no. 4 (1998): 943-969.
Ikenberry, G.J., 2018. The end of liberal international order?. International Affairs, 94(1), pp.7-23.
Sartori, Giovanni. "What is «politics»." Italian Political Science Review/Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica 2, no. 1 (1972): 219-223.
North, Douglass Cecil, John Joseph Wallis, and Barry R. Weingast. Violence and social orders: A conceptual framework for interpreting recorded human history. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Rothstein, B., 1996. Political institutions: an overview. A new handbook of political science, pp.133-166.
Robert H. Bates "Probing the sources of political order"In Kalyvas, Stathis N., Ian Shapiro, and Tarek E. Masoud. Order, conflict, and violence. Cambridge University Press, 2008
Olson, Mancur. "Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development." American Political Science Review 87, no. 03 (1993): 567-576.
Fukuyama, Francis. "Governance: What do we know, and how do we know it?." Annual Review of Political Science 19 (2016): 89-105.
Poggi, Gianfranco. The state: Its nature, development, and prospects. Stanford University Press, 1990.
Levi, Margaret. "The predatory theory of rule." Politics & Society 10, no. 4 (1981): 431-465.
Mann, Michael. "The autonomous power of the state: its origins, mechanisms and results." European journal of sociology 25, no. 02 (1984): 185-213.
Linz, J.J., 1993. State building and nation building. European Review, 1(4), pp.355-369.
State rupture I: occupations (external threat)
Edelstein, D.M., 2004. Occupational hazards: Why military occupations succeed or fail. International Security, pp.49-91.
Lake, David A. 2016, The Statebuilder's Dilemma: On the Limits of Foreign Intervention. Cornell University Press,
State rupture 2 : civil war ( interna threat)
Bates, Robert H. "State failure." Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. 11 (2008): 1-12.
Cederman, Lars-Erik, and Manuel Vogt. "Dynamics and logics of civil war." Journal of Conflict Resolution 61, no. 9 (2017): 1992-2016.
Goldstone, J.A., Grinin, L. and Korotayev, A., 2022. The phenomenon and theories of revolutions. In Handbook of revolutions in the 21st century: The new waves of revolutions, and the causes and effects of disruptive political change (pp. 37-68). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Beissinger, M.R., 2022. The revolutionary city: Urbanization and the global transformation of rebellion. Princeton University Press.
Abbott, K.W. and Snidal, D., 2010. International regulation without international government: Improving IO performance through orchestration. The Review of International Organizations, 5, pp.315-344.
Pollack, Mark A. "Theorizing the European Union: international organization, domestic polity, or experiment in new governance?." Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. 8 (2005): 357-398.
March, James G., and Johan P. Olsen. "The institutional dynamics of international political orders." International organization 52, no. 4 (1998): 943-969.
Ikenberry, G.J., 2018. The end of liberal international order?. International Affairs, 94(1), pp.7-23.
Unit 2
Course syllabus
- Individualism and rational choice theory
- Conventions and coordination problems
- The problem of cooperation
- The evolution of cooperation
- Social norms
- Collective intentionality
- Constitutive rules theory
- Conventions and coordination problems
- The problem of cooperation
- The evolution of cooperation
- Social norms
- Collective intentionality
- Constitutive rules theory
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions.
Teaching Resources
The complete and final list of material can be found on the Ariel website of the course (https://myariel.unimi.it/course/view.php?id=847). Among the main texts:
* Weber, M. (1921) "The Interpretive Understanding of Social Action", in Readings in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, edited by M. Brodbeck. Macmillan, pp. 19-33.
* Guala, F. (2016) Understanding Institutions, Princeton University Press, Ch. 2 ("Games")
* Lewis, D. (1969) Convention. Blackwell, selected paragraphs from Chs. 1 and 2.
* Peterson, M. (ed. 2015) The Prisoner's Dilemma. Cambridge University Press (Introduction).
* Handout on Repeated Games
* Camerer, C. F., & Fehr, E. (2004) "Measuring social norms and preferences using experimental games: A guide for social scientists", in J. Henrich et al (eds.) Foundations of Human Sociality, Oxford University Press.
* Frank, R. H. (1988) Passions within Reason, Norton (Ch.3: "A Theory of Moral Sentiments")
* Alexander, J. M. (2019) "Evolutionary Game Theory", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2019/entries/game-evolutionary/ [online], especially sections 1,2,3,5.
* Okasha, S., (2013) "Biological Altruism", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philoso-phy https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2013/entries/altruism-biological/
* Bicchieri, C. (2006) The Grammar of Society, Cambridge University Press, Ch. 1 ("The rules we live by"). [S&G, ariel]
* Gilbert, M. (1990) "Walking Together: A Paradigmatic Social Phenomenon", Midwest Studies in Philosophy 15: pp. 1-14.
* Searle, J. (2005) "What Is an Institution?", Journal of Institutional Economics 1: 1-22
* Guala, F. and Hindriks, F. (2015) "A Unified Social Ontology", Philosophical Quarterly 165 (2015): 177-201.
* Weber, M. (1921) "The Interpretive Understanding of Social Action", in Readings in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, edited by M. Brodbeck. Macmillan, pp. 19-33.
* Guala, F. (2016) Understanding Institutions, Princeton University Press, Ch. 2 ("Games")
* Lewis, D. (1969) Convention. Blackwell, selected paragraphs from Chs. 1 and 2.
* Peterson, M. (ed. 2015) The Prisoner's Dilemma. Cambridge University Press (Introduction).
* Handout on Repeated Games
* Camerer, C. F., & Fehr, E. (2004) "Measuring social norms and preferences using experimental games: A guide for social scientists", in J. Henrich et al (eds.) Foundations of Human Sociality, Oxford University Press.
* Frank, R. H. (1988) Passions within Reason, Norton (Ch.3: "A Theory of Moral Sentiments")
* Alexander, J. M. (2019) "Evolutionary Game Theory", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2019/entries/game-evolutionary/ [online], especially sections 1,2,3,5.
* Okasha, S., (2013) "Biological Altruism", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philoso-phy https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2013/entries/altruism-biological/
* Bicchieri, C. (2006) The Grammar of Society, Cambridge University Press, Ch. 1 ("The rules we live by"). [S&G, ariel]
* Gilbert, M. (1990) "Walking Together: A Paradigmatic Social Phenomenon", Midwest Studies in Philosophy 15: pp. 1-14.
* Searle, J. (2005) "What Is an Institution?", Journal of Institutional Economics 1: 1-22
* Guala, F. and Hindriks, F. (2015) "A Unified Social Ontology", Philosophical Quarterly 165 (2015): 177-201.
Unit 1
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Ruggeri Andrea
Unit 2
SECS-P/01 - ECONOMICS - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Guala Francesco
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
Tuesday 9.30-12.30, by appointment
Department of Philosophy, via Festa del Perdono 7, Cortile Ghiacciaia, top floor