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Pre Requisite Comment

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Co Requisite Comment

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Aims

This module introduces students to the European tradition of political philosophy from classical antiquity to the modern age. Students will engage with the major works of central thinkers in European political thought and philosophy, examining, comparing and critiquing their theories of government and articulations of fundamental political concepts such as state, sovereignty, liberty, justice, rights, obligation, violence and human nature. By reading a range of canonical texts in Western political philosophy, students will gain an in depth understanding of the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of modern political ideas and practice; students will also be introduced to certain critical responses to the 鈥渃anon鈥�, enabling them to question its formation through engagement with alternative and / or marginal views.

Outline Of Syllabus

Key texts and thinkers covered may include, but are not limited to:

Machiavelli鈥檚 The Prince
Thomas Hobbes鈥� Leviathan and De Cive
Jean-Jacques Rousseau鈥檚 Social Contract and Second Discourse
Mary Wollstonecraft鈥檚 Vindication of the Rights of Women
Carole Pateman鈥檚 The Sexual Contract
Charles Mills鈥� The Racial Contract
Dominic Wellburn鈥檚 Canon Controversies in Political Thought

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completing this module students will:

-       Know the key texts and concepts which form the canon of Western Political Philosophy
-       Be able to recognise and critically evaluate different treatments of political ideas such as freedom, justice, sovereignty, obligation, revolution and social contract.
-       Recognise the continued relevance of these thinkers鈥� works to contemporary political issues and concerns.
-       Appreciate how a 鈥榗anon鈥� of thought is formed, and (where appropriate) be able to question that formation through engagement with alternative views.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completing this module students will:

-       Be able to practise a variety of analytical approaches to reading historical texts: conceptual, contextual, comparative and critical;
-       Be able to understand and evaluate different views and reach balanced judgments of their own;
-       Be able to to search and retrieve sources, and reflect on ethical aspects of research;
-       Be able to produce extended pieces of written assessment (c. 2000 words), based on independent research.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures will provide essential subject-specific knowledge on a range of seminal thinkers and ideas. Seminars permit discussion of the relative merits of these thinkers and ideas and guide independent analysis, interpretation, and critique.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students will be assessed by a 2000-word essay and will be able to choose from a range of essay questions. The essay tests the ability to think analytically, creatively, self-critically and independently as well as managing one鈥檚 own work to set time limits. This assessment method also gauges the students鈥� ability to move between generalisation and appropriately detailed discussion, to cite relevant texts and interpret them adequately, to discover examples in support of or to challenge a position, and to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant considerations.

Weekly questions are provided in advance for each seminar. These are designed to test students鈥� understanding of lecture content and set readings, and to deepen engagement with seminar discussions. This process provides ongoing formative feedback to students about their understanding and development throughout the module.

General Notes

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