2008 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

Saturday, April 5-10:00 am
Paper
Disc.
Eros is Political: Alcibiades and Aristophanes' Roles in the
Symposium
This paper examines Alcibiades' and Aristophanes' roles in linking
the erotic with the political. Both aim to harmonize political
ambition with erotic striving but end up demonstrating the
tyrannical aspects of eros, though in different ways.
Eric Hoyer, University of Pennsylvania
ehoyer@sas.upenn.edu
Shalini Satkunanandan, University of Chicago
shalinis@uchicago.edu
31-12 THE PRINCIPLES OF POLITICS
Room Salon 7 on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 10:00 am
Chair Ross J. Corbett, Northern Illinois University
rcorbett@niu.edu
Paper Sociological and Moral Reasoning in the Political Thought of
Montesquieu
Divergent prescriptions that may follow from the normative aspect
of Montesquieu’s sociological analysis concerned with social
preservation, and intrinsic ethical reasoning concerned with moral
goodness, can be reconciled by the principle of moderation.
Peter M. Levine, National-Louis University
plevine@nl.edu
Paper American Values and the Constitution: Assessing the Impact of
the Declaration of Independence on the Formation of American
Political Institutions
This paper assesses the impact of the values articulated in
the Declaration of Independence on the interpretation of the
Constitution, as discussed by various influential American thinkers.
Brent Stewart Lerseth, Augustana College
blerseth@hotmail.com
Paper Can Moral Sense Alone Identify Moral Truth
Through the works of Francis Hutcheson, David Hume, and Adam
Smith, this paper will examine whether moral sense or sentiment
alone can be the source of moral truth.
Noriaki Iwasa, Georgetown University
niwasa@gmail.com
Disc. Peter McNamara, Utah State University
peter.mcnamara@usu.edu
32-11 TOCQUEVILLE ON FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY
Room Crystal on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 10:00 am
Chair Will Geisler, University of Dallas
andros47@gmail.com
Paper Sour Grapes and Complete Equality: A Sartrean Interpretation
of Tocqueville's Americans
In this essay, I will defend Tocqueville against the charge that his
psychology is inconsistent and incoherent through Jean-Paul Sartre's
little known theory of the emotions.
Michael Locke McLendon, California State University, Los
Angeles
mmclend2@calstatela.edu
Paper Tocqueville on Politics and Freedom in Democratic Society
Following Tocqueville, I argue that democratic political freedom
is devalued relative to the expansive freedom of “democratic
openness.” Today’s triumph of democratic principles and absence of
democratic political practice is thus no coincidence.
Steven Bilakovics, University of Texas, Austin
stevebilak@hotmail.com
Paper Lincoln and Tocqueville on Democratic Ambition
Compares Lincoln's Lyceum speech and Tocqueville's Democracy
in America on political ambition in liberal democracy. Contrasts
Lincoln's concern about anti-democratic super-ambition with
Tocqueville's fear of a politically apathetic citizenry.
Aaron Louis Herold, University of Texas, Austin
alherold@mail.utexas.edu
Paper
Disc.
Liberty's Limits: Dewey's Common Faith and Tocqueville's
Democracy in America
This paper explores the nature of the bounds to freedom that
Tocqueville presents as necessary limits in the transition to the
democratic age. I explore to what degree these are compatible with
Dewey's value and norm habituation mechanisms.
Conor Paulus Williams, Georgetown University
cpw6@georgetown.edu
Jeffrey David Hilmer, Merrimack College
hilmerj@merrimack.edu
William F. Byrne, St. John's University
byrnew@stjohns.edu
32-15 FUNCTIONS OF POLITICS: RATIONALITY,
EMOTION, AND CONFLICT
Room Salon 8 on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 10:00 am
Chair Peter Stone, Stanford University
peter.stone@stanford.edu
Paper Democracy as a Condition of Individual Rationality and
Political Obligation
Democracy provides the optimal conditions for individuals to form
warranted views about the norms of public life. The paper explores
how the connection between individual and collective rationality
might establish an obligation to support democracy.
Alexander Moon, Ithaca College
amoon@ithaca.edu
Paper Forgiveness, Promise and Antagonistic Democracy
This paper aims at explicating the indispensability of forgiveness
and promise in the antagonistic version of democracy in which
public debates and struggles inevitably generate tensions and
hostilities.
Man Kwon Kim, New School for Social Research
KimM712@newschool.edu
Paper Taming Compassion: Reason or Ritual
Although liberal democrats preclude pity and compassion in
activating democracy due to the pathologies of pity," democracy
can be better enhanced when pity and compassion is balanced with
ritual, not by rationally transforming it.
Sungmoon Kim, University of Maryland, College Park
smkim@gvpt.umd.edu
Paper The Functions of Politics
I argue that politics has two chief functions. First, to make the
general arrangements of a group's affairs responsive to the wants
and fears of its current members. Second, to allow groups to make a
significant mark on the world and society.
T. J. Donahue, Johns Hopkins University
tdonahu3@jhu.edu
Disc. Peter Stone, Stanford University
peter.stone@stanford.edu
Jason Damian Hill, De Paul University
jhill6@depaul.edu
33-10 CONSERVATISM TODAY
Room Wabash on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 10:00 am
Chair Steven Gerencser, Indiana University, South Bend
sgerencs@iusb.edu
Paper Catholic Conservative and American Patriot: The Anti-
Individualist Vision of Garry Wills
This paper analyzes the political thought of Garry Wills. It examines
his moral concepts, assumptiopns about guilt and memory, and
incremental understanding of historical change. It then discussess
his defense of protest and critique of capitalism.
Cyrus Zirakzadeh, University of Connecticut
Cyrus.Zirakzadeh@uconn.edu
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