Handouts

Syllabus
First Written Assignment
Some Key Events in the History of Toleration
Second Written Assignment
First Paper Topics
Guidelines for Writing a Philosophy Paper
Handout on Common Grammar Mistakes
Handout on the Liberal-Communitarian Debate
Handout on Will Kymlicka's terminology
Overhead projector notes on internal restrictions vs. external protections
Handout on Will Kymlicka, Chapter Five, "Freedom and Culture"
Midterm Review Sheet
The Rule-and-Exemption Approach
Notes from Brian Barry, Chapter Three
The Religious Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Consitution (overhead projector notes)
Third Written Assignment
Second Paper Topics
Second Exam Review Sheet

Links for Assigned On-line Readings

Craig Duncan, "The Bible Problem"

Craig Duncan, "Death of a Heretic"

Craig Duncan, "European Holy War"

James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments

Reynolds v. U.S. (1878) -- Read the first five lines (i.e. until the line that ends "by imprisonment for a term of not more than five years").  Then skip way down and read sections 5 and 6, until the line "Judgment affirmed."

James Dougherty, "Polygamy's Odyssey"

Brian Barnard, "Polygamy is a Protected Right"

Claude Belánger, "The Language Laws of Québec"

CBC News, "Language Laws in Québec"

Roger Scruton, "Communitarian Dreams"

Craig Duncan, "'Here's Why':  The Moral Foundations of the Non-Scriptural State"

Iris Marion Young, "Polity and Group Difference:  A Critique of Universal Citizenship."  If you are at a computer at the library
or at a campus computer center, try clicking here to download this article.  Otherwise you will need to access the JSTOR electronic database via the library's webpage.  Click here and then click on the JSTOR link.  You may have to enter your email user name and password after that to login.  Once at JSTOR, type in "Polity and Group Difference" in the top box (i.e. the one labeled "All of these words").  DON'T hit the "search" button yet.  Before doing that, go down to beneath the "Narrow Your Search To:" heading and click the "title" box.  NOW click the "search" button.  You will see the link to the article come up.  I recommend clicking on the "download" link to receive the article as a pdf file.  If you have trouble with any of this, please email me and let me know.

Employment Division, Oregon Dept. of Human Resources v. Smith (1990)  -- You can skip the footnotes.  Much of the argument consists of citing previous precedents you will not be familiar with.  But try your best; I believe you can get the overall gist of the arguments despite these citations.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)  -- As before you may skip the footnotes if you wish.

Mai Na M. Lee, "Book Review:  The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down"

California's Animal Cruelty Statute

Miscellaneous Links

(9/20/05)  Apropos of our discussion of polygamy:  click here for an NPR story on Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka FLDS)--a Mormon splinter group that practices polygamy in Colorado City, AZ.  Warren Jeffs is now a fugitive.  Here is the FBI's "Most Wanted" poster of him.

(9/21/05) We read the op-ed piece by civil rights lawyer Brian Barnard about his lawsuit arguing that the polygamy is unconstitutional. Here is an update.  He lost his suit at the District Court level.  He is now appealing to the Circuit Courts--the courts right below the Supreme Court.  If he loses there he will appeal to the Supreme Court.  In case you are interested, here is the District Court judge's verdict and justification.

(9/22/05) Click here for a website supporting the legalization of polygamy.  Click here for a website opposing it.

(9/27/05)  If any of you are writing your first paper on Locke's refusal to tolerate atheists, you might find this article interesting.  Using statistical data, it argues against the commonplace belief that religious belief among citizens makes for a more virtuous society.

(10/20/05)  Apropos of our class discussion yesterday on hip hop culture and the NBA's new dress code, click here for an SI.com article on the topic.

(11/2/05)  Click here for a recent article on the "Britishness Exam" that immigrants seeking British citizenship must take.  It's relevant to our discussions on integration/assimilation of immigrants.

(11/10/05)  For an interesting list of recent news items related to the Amish, click here.  For a recent NPR piece on an Amish request to exempt children from child labor laws, click here.  Click here for the website of the National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom, a group that works on behalf of the Old Order Amish.  For a book length account of the life of an ex-Amish woman, click here. 

(12/05/05)  Hmong-related links.  Click here for an official The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down website, which contains updates and a couple of photos.  For another update, try here too. Click here for another website with links related to the book.  Click here for the hmongnet.org, which is a clearinghouse for Hmong related news stories, information, books and articles, etc.  Click here for a PBS information site on the video The Split Horn; this contains some information on Hmong culture, as well as pictures of Hmong embroidery, musical instruments, etc.  Click here for photos of a Hmong village in Laos.  Click here for the Lonely Planet (a publisher of travel guides) online site for Laos.  Click here for the CIA World Factbook entry for Laos.