This module involves guided study of one or more major works of modern political philosophy. Texts and themes vary from year to year, but possible topics include: power, class, the state, sovereignty, government, organisation, institution, constitution, representation, democracy, ideology, property, mode of production, capitalism, colonialism, slavery, violence, subjection, nature, citizenship, law, rights, difference, justice, legitimacy, insurrection, insurgency, revolution, resistance, and so on. Approaches to the material will be filtered through contemporary debates in European philosophy and critical theory, with reference to figures like Agamben, Foucault, Negri or Rancière; primary texts may include canonical works by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Feuerbach, Marx, as well as material associated with major political sequences like the revolutions in France, the Americas, Russia, Cuba, and so on, or with more recent sequences like the anti-colonial struggles, May 68, or social mobilisations around questions of race, sex, class, debt, etc.
The aims of this module are to:
Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
The curriculum content will vary year on year, and will be outlined in the annual Course Guide. It will normally involve a mix of canonical works of modern European political philosophy (e.g. by Rousseau, Kant, Fichte, Hegel, and so on) and works by contemporary figures like Agamben, Foucault, Negri, Rancière.
This module will be taught by means of a mix of lectures and seminars, supplemented by individual tutorials and private study. Emphasis is placed on seminar-based discussion.
Main types of activity:
Grand total : 300 hours.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | ||
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
The assessment strategy is designed to test a student's ability to meet the module's learning outcomes. Summative assessment normally involves a single final essay of 5000 to 6000 words, worth 100% of the mark.
The skills required to prepare this assessed element will be developed in a variety of formative activities throughout the module, notably through class discussion, feedback on in-class presentations, and individual tutorials. Preparation of the final essay normally includes a scheduled tutorial with the module tutor. The relatively long length of the final essay is designed, furthermore, to help provide a transition from the shorter essays typically prepared for TB1 modules and the 15,000-word MA dissertation.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the distinctive features, issues and problems of the work of at least one major political philosopher. | Assessed formatively through class discussion, presentations and tutorials, and summatively through the two pieces of individual written work. |
| Demonstrate an understanding of some of the general characteristic features of modern political philosophy, which serve to distinguish it from other fields and periods of European philosophy. | Assessed formatively through class discussion, presentations and tutorials, and summatively through the two pieces of individual written work. |
| Undertake the work of close textual analysis of demanding critical and philosophical texts. | Assessed formatively through class discussion, presentations and tutorials, and summatively through the two pieces of individual written work. |
| Comprehend, reconstruct and discuss philosophical arguments, and situate these arguments in the context of contemporary debates. | Assessed formatively through class discussion, presentations and tutorials, and summatively through the two pieces of individual written work. |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 5000 to 6000 word essay | 100 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module