The latvian academy of culture

The Name of the Course: Politics. An Introduction into Political Science

The Scope of the Course: 32 hours (26 hours, 6 seminars)

2 credit points. Type of Assessment – a written test.

I.The Author of the Course: Prof. Pēteris Laķis, Dr. Habil. Artis; Ass. Prof. Juris Goldmanis, MA; lecturer Anda Laķe, MA

The Objective of the Course: The course gives an insight into the key principles of politics. It helps students to acquire skills of using the knowledge to find bearings in the social reality in accordance with the objectives of the given study programme.
Preconditions for the Acquisition of the Course: an ability to read texts in English (or German, or Russian).
Thematic Planning:

THEMES	Week	Type of classes and hours
Human existential conditions and politics. The pragmatic and the vision aspect of politics, the main functions of politics.	1	L2
The subject of political science. Tendencies of the historical development in the theory of political science.	2	L2
Power as a form of the vertical order of the social reality. Power as a means of the political activity and an end in itself. Economic power and political power. The principle of the uneven distribution of power in society. The elite, its functioning regularities in the modern society.	3, 4	L2, L2
The state, its role in the implementation of power. The notion of the necessity of the state in the history of society. The original forms of the historical development of the state. Forms of state administration today, state systems. The role of the state in the modern society.	5, 6	L2
The principle of power division in the state. Constitutions. Legislative power, executive power and judicial power. The orientation of a liberal democratic state.	6	L2
The concept of a political system. The structure of a political system. Typology of political systems. Civic society. Political participation. Citizenship as an individual’s liability towards the state.	7	L2
Democracy as a principle of political organisation and society life. Direct and representative democracy. Levels of the development of democracy in the modern society.	8	L2
Authoritarianism and totalitarianism. The ideological monism. Repressions, physical and mental terror.	9	L2
Elections: the mechanism and the procedure. The main electoral systems. The concept of the electorate. The election campaign.	10	L2
Political ideologies. The history of conservatism, liberalism and social democracy and the development tendencies today.	11	L2
Political parties, their typology. Political movements and interest groups.	12	L2
The theory and practice of ethno-politics. Rights of the national and ethnic groups. The principle of cultural autonomy. The policy of languages.	13, 14	L2, S2
Integration processes in the contemporary world. The European Union.	15, 16	L2, S2

Preconditions for the Acquisition of the Credit Points:

1. 
   The attendance of the seminars and the acquisition of a positive assessment (or submission of a summary of the literature envisaged for the seminar).
   
2. 
   A written test.
   

II.

III.Literature:

1. 
   Ārente H.. Totalitārisma izcelsme. - Rīga: Elpa, 2000. – 609 lpp.
   
2. 
   Cipeliuss R.. Vispārējā mācība par valsti. Politikas zinātne. - Rīga: Izdevniecība AGB, 1998. – 355 lpp.
   
3. 
   Ievads politikā. Mācību līdzeklis. - Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 1998. – 392 lpp.
   
4. 
   Lexikon der Politik. Bd. 1. Politische Theorien. – Munchen, 1995.
   
5. 
   Mūsdienu politiskā filosofija. Hrestomātija. Sast. un ievada autors Jānošs Kiss. - Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 1998. – 462 lpp.
   
6. 
   Dž. Rotčailds Dž.. Etnopolitika: Konceptuālās aprises. - Rīga: Izdevniecība AGB, 1999. – 247 lpp.
   
7. 
   The Hyman Polity. An Introduction to Political Science. – Boston,1989.
   
8. 
   Vēbers M.. Politika kā profesija un aicinājums. - Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 1999. – 126 lpp.
   
9. 
   Бешлер Ж.. Демократия. – UNESCO, 1994.
   
10. 
    Лейпхарт А.. Демократия в многосоставных обществах. Сравнительное исследование. - Москва: Аспект Пресс, 1997.
    

The Name of the Course: Logic

The Scope of the Course: 32 hours (26 hours of lectures, 6 hours of seminars)

2 credit points. The type of assessment – an oral examination.

The Author of the Course: Prof. Pēteris Laķis, Dr.habil. artis

Preconditions for the Acquisition of the Course: Skills to work with texts in English and Russian.

The Contents of the Course: The course provides the acquisition of the part of the theory of logic that is necessary as preliminary knowledge for the acquisition of other subjects, such as, philosophy, social anthropology and psychology. The objective of the course is to provide knowledge in the classical arts education and promote the improvement of the culture of reasoning.

The Thematic Planning:

LXXXI.Theme	LXXXII.Week	Type of classes and hours
The subject of Formal Logic. Reasoning, its logical form. Reasoning and language. The history of ideas of logic. The logic of dual and multi- meanings.	1	L2
Notion. Notion and term. The contents and scope of a notion. The types of notion. Logical relations among notions. Logical operations with notions, the generalisation and limitation of notion. The definition of notion, its rules. The composition of a notion.	2, 3, 4	L2;L2;S2
Proposition. The structure of a simple attributive proposition. Propositions of relation. The logical characteristics of question. The classification of an attributive proposition according to quality and quantity. The expansion of terms. The logical square. The modality of propositions. Complex propositions and their types – conjunction, disjunction, implication and equivalence.	5, 6, 7, 8	L2;L2;L2;S2
The laws of logic. The basic rules of reasoning.	9	L2
Conclusion. Deductive conclusions. Direct deductive conclusions. Simple categorical syllogism, its structure, rules, figures, their rules and modes. Enthymeme, polysyllogism, sorites, epicheirema. Deductive conclusions with complex premises – conditional conclusion, conditional categorical conclusion, divisible categorical conclusion, conditional divisible conclusion. Inductive conclusions and probability. Incomplete induction and its types. Mill’s induction of functional connections. Analogy.	10, 11, 12, 13	L2;L2;L2;S2
Demonstration. The structure, rules and types of demonstration. Defeasibility. Sophism, paralogism and paradox.	14, 15	L2;L2
Hypothesis and theory. Problem, hypothesis and theory. The justification of hypothesis. The logical structure and functions of theory.	16	L2

Requirements for the Acquisition of Credit Points:
1. To receive a positive assessment at seminars.

2. To pass an oral examination.

Literature:

1. Vedins J. Formālā loģika. - Rīga - 1979

2. Минто В. Дедуктивная и индуктивная логика. Формальная логика. - Ленинград – 1977

The Name of the Course: Introduction to Theatre Semiotics.
The Scope of the Course: 32 academic hours (18 hours of lectures, 14 hours of

seminars)

2 credit points. The type of assessment: a written examination.

The Author of the Course: Prof. Valda Čakare, Dr. Philol.
Preconditions for the Acquisition of the Course: Passed tests in the history of theatre and the theory of drama.

The Contents of the Course: The objective of the course is to form an understanding about the functionality of sign system in the theatre.

Thematic Planning:

LXXXIII.Theme	Week	Type of Classes and Hours
Introduction. Comprehension of the notion. Semiotics as a system of knowledge about signs and creation of meanings.	1.	L2
Signs in the theatre. The structuralism of Prague and the sign of the theatre. The typology of signs.	2.,3.	L2;S2
The systems of theatre communication. Primary (sound, linguistic, visual) and secondary (smell, touch) systems.	4.,5.	L2;S2
The sign systems of “a framework”. A place. Architecture. Interior. The foyer. The place for the performance. Intellectual, historical and social “framework” systems.	6.,7.	L2;S2
Public sign systems. Factors influencing perception. The ticket price. Social relations. The significance of a performance. The public as a sign system. The theatre as a social event.	8.,9.	L2;S2
The sign systems of performers. Personal relations. Charisma. The spoken word and its quality. Mimics. A gesture. A movement and its elements. Make-up. Hairdo.	10.,11.	L2;S2
Visual sign systems. Space. Relations in space. Stage design. Costumes. Properties. Lights and their quality. Colour code.	12.,13.	L2;S2
Sound sign systems. Sound semiotics. Sound effects. Music. Smell and touch sign systems.	14.,15.	L2;S2
Simultaneity of the functioning of sign systems and the role of the director in its provision.	16.	L2