ილიას სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი

სასწავლო კურსის დასახელება:

შესავალი თანამედროვე აზროვნებაში I (ENG) ფაკულტეტი:
ბიზნესის, ტექნოლოგიისა და განათლების ფაკულტეტი კოდი:
P432
საფეხური:
ბაკალავრი
კრედიტი:
6.00

ხანგრძლივობა:
1 Semester
საათების განაწილება:

Contact Hours - 33 hrs;

Lectures - 11hrs
Seminars - 11hrs
Midterm Exams I, II- 4hrs
Final Exam-3hrs
Independent Work-121 hrs.
ლექტორი:
Malkhaz Saldadze, Associate Professor E-mail: malkhaz.saldadze@iliauni.edu.ge

Tamar Tolordava, Assistant Professor E-mail: tamar.tolordava@iliauni.edu.ge

Note: Office hours will be agreed at the beginning of the semester and students will be informed by
“Argus”. დაშვების წინაპირობები:
Without Prerequisites
სწავლების მეთოდი:

Interactive lecture- the lecture is conducted by the professor explaining course-related topic(s). 13
lectures are earmarked to be delivered during the whole course period.

Seminar-at the seminars the respective topics are discussed by students the process being facilitated
by the course assistant; 13 seminars are earmarked to be arranged during the whole course period.

Home Assignments-every two weeks students are given assignments about relevant course material (6
assignments in all). Students should upload the assignments on the Moodle site in the format of Word
Document considering the given deadline and other requirements. The assignments are marked and
assessed due to pre-defined criteria by course assistants (see; Evaluation Components and Criteria).

Midterm and Final Exams: during the course 2 midterms and 1 final exam will be held through tests.
The tests will be comprised of questions of various level of difficulty based on the relevant course
material (see; Evaluation Components and Criteria).

Verbal Method Written Method Discussions/Debates Brainstorming

მიზანი:
The aim of the course is to get students know the ideas trends and movements that turned out to have
crucial role in the formation of contemporary world as well as Georgian culture.

ძირითადი თემები:

Within the course students get to know the works by the following 9 authors:

1. Plato - The Republic

2. Niccolo Machiavelli – The Prince
3. Thomas Hobbes – Leviathan
4. John Locke – Two Treatises of Government
5. Mary Wollstonecraft—A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
6. Adam Smith—The Wealth of Nations
7. Immanuel Kant- Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?
8. Karl Marx-The Communist Manifesto
9. John Stuart Mill- On Liberty

შედეგი და კომპეტენციები:

Professional Competencies:

The student has a wide knowledge of those ideas and concepts that had significant influence on the
formation of contemporary thinking;
The student knows respective works of all the authors discussed within the course framework;

General Competencies:

The student can do critical analysis of ideas, concepts and views.

The student can formulate logical and relevant conclusions and hold discussions about fundamental
concepts, ideas and views.
The student can make oral as well as written presentation of his/her own analysis due to the
requirements of academic communication;
The student can effectively work independently as well as in the team.
While making presentations students can make effective use of modern information technologies;
The student can evaluate his/her own study process and define relevant needs.

შეფასების პროცედურა:

In case of plagiarism the course work/assignment will be given 0 point. The same rule applies to the
cases of using and copying each other’s works/assignments; the sanctions against plagiarism will be
applied to both of the authors.

The uploaded assignments on the Moodle site are verified and checked for plagiarism using special
programme of Turnitin.

Assessment is based on a 100-point scale. Points in the assessment system are distributed in the
following way:

(A) 91-100 Excellent

(B) 81-90 Very good
(C) 71-80 Good
(D) 61-70 Satisfactory
(E) 51-60 Sufficient
(FX) 41 – 50 Unsatisfactory, a student needs more efforts to pass an examination and is given an extra
chance to pass an additional examination through independent work (F) 0 – 40 Failure, student’s
effort is not sufficient and s/he has to retake a course.

Assessment:

Form Components Thresholds

Midterm Home Assignments – 30 15 Points
Points
(Individual)
Midterm test I – 20 Points 5 Points 25 Points
(Individual)
Midterm test II – 20 Points 5 Points
(Individual)
Final Final Exam – 30 Points 9 Points
(Individual)
Total 100 Points

Assessment Methods:

The main assessment methods used are: Home Assignments, Tests (factual and evaluative questions).

Evaluation Criteria:

Home Assigment (6 Assignments, 5 Points per each)

Only those assignments will be checked that are done in Word Document format and uploaded on the
Moodle site within the given deadline otherwise the assignments will not be considered. The minimum
of 600 and maximum of 1000 words should be used in each assignment; otherwise it will not be
checked or assessed.

5 points:

The discussion of the major issue of the task is correct, comprehensive and exhaustive.

The structure is clear and definite; the discourse is relevant, logically sequenced, straightforward and
reasoned; the material used is relevant; the academic style, defined by Ilia State University, is
completely observed. (citation rules are fully kept).

4 points:

The discussion of the major issue of the task is mostly correct, comprehensive and exhaustive; the
structure is mostly clear and definite; the discourse is mostly relevant, logically sequenced and
reasoned; the material used is completely relevant; the academic style, defined by Ilia State
University, is mostly observed. (citation rules are mostly kept).
3 points:

While discussing the major issue of the task several important mistakes are made; sometimes the
topic discussion is not exhaustive; the structure is sometimes vague and the discourse is mostly
relevant though in some cases it lacks arguments and logical sequence; the material used is mostly
relevant; the academic style, defined by Ilia State University, is mostly observed. (citation rules are
mostly kept).

0-2 points:

While discussing the major issue of the task important mistakes are frequent; the topic discussion is
often not exhaustive or comprehensive; the structure is mostly vague and the discourse is mostly not
relevant or logically sequenced; the material used is mostly not relevant; the academic style, defined
by Ilia State University, is mostly not observed. (citation rules are not kept).

Midterm Test 1, 2.

Each midterm test is comprised of 2 factual questions (10 points per each)

Factual Reading Assessment Criteria:

10 points – the answer is correct, exhaustive, reasoned, sequenced and clear;

8-9 points – the answer is correct and mostly full; the analysis is relevant; the discourse is mostly
reasoned; conclusion are relevant;

6-7 points - the answer is correct but not quite accurate; it is well reasoned but lacks sequence. The
answer is mostly clear.

4-5 points – there are several insignificant mistakes made; the answer is short, not well reasoned;
the answer is sometimes not properly sequenced or clear.

2-3 points – there are several significant mistakes made; the answer is short, not properly reasoned;
the answer is mostly not sequenced and vague.

0-1 point-- the answer is not correct and significant mistakes are frequent; the answer is very short,
not reasoned or sequenced; the answer is extremely vague.

Final Exam is comprised of 3 factual questions (10 points per each).

Factual Reading Assessment Criteria:

10 points – the answer is correct, exhaustive, reasoned, sequenced and clear;

8-9 points – the answer is correct and mostly full; the analysis is relevant; the discourse is mostly
reasoned; conclusion are relevant;
6-7 points - the answer is correct but not quite accurate; it is well reasoned but lacks sequence. The
answer is mostly clear.

4-5 points – there are several insignificant mistakes made; the answer is short, not well reasoned;
the answer is sometimes not properly sequenced or clear.

2-3 points – there are several significant mistakes made; the answer is short, not properly reasoned;
the answer is mostly not sequenced and vague.

0-2 point-- the answer is not correct and significant mistakes are frequent; the answer is very short,
not reasoned or sequenced; the answer is extremely vague.

ძირითადი ლიტერატურა:

1. http://www.idph.net/conteudos/ebooks/republic.pdf
2. http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince.pdf
3. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/748/leviathan.pdf 4.
http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1689a.pdf
5. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/785/vindication.pdf 6.
http://www.ibiblio.org/ml/libri/s/SmithA_WealthNations_p.pdf
7. http://www.allmendeberlin.de/What-is-Enlightenment.pdf
8. https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf
9. http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/mill/liberty.pdf

დამატებითი ლიტერატურა და სხვა რესურსები: თემები კვირეების მიხედვით:

Week I
Introduction Lecture
Course aims, requirements; getting to know system of Moodle and its instruments;

Week II

Plato

At the lecture students get to know to the essence of Plato’s Theory of Forms ; its logical and
psychological basis ; its importance for thinking as well as the role of ideas in Plato’s theory of
education that aims to establish harmonious ideal relationship between the state and its citizen.

http://www.idph.net/conteudos/ebooks/republic.pdf

Assignment: Student Expectations of the Course

Week III

Niccolo Machiavelli

During the week the discourse will be about the most significant work by Machiavelli- “The Prince”.
The discussion will be about the influence of the author on creating the political language in Europe
that was the powerful stimulus for the formation of nation states and that provided practical means for
carrying out European politics. Special focus will be given to the most significant endowment of
Machiavelli – Pragmatism and Secularism, that were interpreted not only by his linguistic choice in
his fundamental political texts (replacing sacral Latin language with the Secular one of Italian) but
also by the widespread concept through Europe - Raison d’Etat (Reason of State/ National Interest),
that made nation state the unique value differing from the theological interpretations of the Middle
Ages.

http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince.pdf

Assignment I

Week IV

Thomas Hobbes

While discussing major ideas of Thomas Hobbes the focus will be given to those ones that were
defining in the history of western political thought of that new time: freedom and equality as
epiphanic attributes of a human; the state of nature as a model of society in the absence of state;
natural and inalienable rights of a man as fundamental principles of political system; social contract as
justifying principle for establishing state authority; Sovereign or Leviathan as possessing unlimited
power and restricting destructive passions of man; the focus will be given to the difference between
Hobbesian and traditional political thinking and the analysis of why his political thinking is major
foundation for modern liberal thinking.

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/748/leviathan.pdf

Assignment II

Week V

John Locke

While discussing the ideas of John Locke, his role as the founder of principal ideas of liberal
democracy, becomes evident. His major ideas will be contrasted to the key principle of traditional
political doctrine-Divine Right of Kings on the one hand and to the absolutist thinking of Hobbes on
the other; mainly the focus will be given to the fact that John Locke envisages society as the civil one,
that delegates only some of his rights to the authority and at the same time can break down tyrant
authority in case the latter confronts the natural rights of humans. Also the link between the ideas of
Locke and the revolutions of France and America becomes clear.

http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1689a.pdf

Week VI Midterm Exam 1

Week VII

Feedback on Midterm Exam 1

Week VIII

Mary Wollstonecraft
Having read the work by Mary Wollstonecraft, students get to know one of the influential formulation
of gender equality problem in western thought. Her major ideas will be depicted in the context of
enlightenment ideas like: human equality or rationality, education as a precondition for individual and
societal progress, etc. The focus will be given to: the author’s criticism of Jean-Jacques Rousseau on
the education of a woman and her role in society; her arguments against explaining social difference
between men and women by natural differences between them, etc. Also the role of the author in the
history of struggle for gender equality will be evaluated.

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/785/vindication.pdf

Assignment III

Week IX

Adam Smith

Students get to know the work by English political economist and philosopher –The Wealth of
Nations. The discussion will be about the basic concepts of the author like the invisible hand, the
value of labor, the benefits of economic freedom, etc.

http://www.ibiblio.org/ml/libri/s/SmithA_WealthNations_p.pdf

Assignment IV

Week X Immanuel Kant

Students get to know the thoughts of 18th century great philosopher. For him the answer to the
question what is enlightenment is straightforward; it is when a human comes out of age and becomes
mature and brave enough to make a bold move to try to use his own mind and ability of judgment and
also respect and trust it. This is actually a very brave act as conclusions made this way may turn out to
be controversial not only to actual traditions or political trends but also to the very existence of God.
Every human has a right to choose his own way without coming down, disrespecting or mistreating
other people’s rights and values. The human, as it is, represents the most precious, irreplaceable and
unique value.

http://www.allmendeberlin.de/What-is-Enlightenment.pdf

Assignment V

Week XI

Karl Marx

During the week the discussion topic is the concept of Marx that bears
history of European thought. By introducing the concept of ideology Marx actually offers the
instrument for analyzing the dependence of thinking on socio-economic factors that on its turn turned
out to be the defining factor for the study of XX century social theories.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf

Week XII Midterm Exam 2

Week XIII

Feedback on Midterm Exam 2

Week XIV

John Stuart Mill

During the week students get to know the work by English economist and philosopher John Stuart
Mill-- On Liberty. Discussion will be hold about the essence of Utilitarianism; the difference between
the liberty of society, thought and discussion.

http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/mill/liberty.pdf

Assignment VI

Week XV
Evaluation Lecture