CS201-5-FY-CO:
The World in Question: The Social, Cultural, Political & Environmental Legacies of the Enlightenment

The details
2025/26
Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 26 June 2026
30
08 April 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA LQV0 Liberal Arts (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q900 Liberal Arts (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA QV00 Liberal Arts (Including Year Abroad),
BA V900 Liberal Arts,
BA V901 Liberal Arts (Including Placement Year),
BA LL36 Social Anthropology,
BA LL3P Social Anthropology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LL6P Social Anthropology (Including Placement Year),
BA L903 Global Studies,
BA L904 Global Studies (including year abroad),
BA L905 Global Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA L908 Global Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LL37 Social Anthropology with Human Rights,
BA LL38 Social Anthropology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA LL39 Social Anthropology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA LR04 Global Studies and Modern Languages (Including Year Abroad),
BA L910 Global Studies with Politics,
BA L911 Global Studies with Politics (Including year abroad),
BA L912 Global Studies with Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA L913 Global Studies with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L914 Global Studies with Human Rights,
BA L916 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L917 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L918 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA L400 Social Change,
BA L400PT Social Change,
BA L401 Social Change (Including Foundation Year),
BA L402 Social Change (including Placement Year),
BA L403 Social Change (including Year Abroad),
BA L933 Global Studies with Business Management,
BA L934 Global Studies with Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA L935 Global Studies with Business Management (Including Placement Year),
BA L936 Global Studies with Business Management (Including Year Abroad),
BA R104 Global Studies and Language Studies,
BA R105 Global Studies and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L994 Global Studies with Latin American Studies,
BA L995 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L996 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (including Placement Year),
BA L997 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (including Year Abroad),
BA L990 Global Studies and Latin American Studies,
BA L991 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L992 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (including Placement Year),
BA L993 Global Studies and Latin American Studies (including Year Abroad),
BA C900 Global Studies with Sustainability,
BA C901 Global Studies with Sustainability (Including Foundation Year),
BA C902 Global Studies with Sustainability (including Placement Year),
BA C903 Global Studies with Sustainability (including Year Abroad)

Module description

CS201 provides an interdisciplinary examination of historical and contemporary issues arising from the Enlightenment and the consolidation of capitalism and industrialism since the C19th. It explores social, cultural, political and environmental issues that took new forms in the 20th and 21st centuries. The module covers three broad themes: Empire, The Self, and Nature.  We start by examining Empire and look at the connections between Enlightenment thought and European expansion, colonialism and domination and their contemporary legacies. In Part 2, The Self, we then move on to look at how new conceptions of the self emerged in the late C19th shaped by broad social, cultural and economic processes.  Finally, in Part 3, we look at the ecological legacies of the Enlightenment, capitalism and industrialism and consider ways we can address the climate and ecological crisis.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To introduce students to the social, cultural, and economic legacies of the Enlightenment.

  • To foster understanding about the continuities and discontinuities between historical and contemporary processes.

  • To provide students with varied insights into the politics of empire, changing conceptions of the self, and the ecological impacts of industrialism and capitalism.

  • To encourage students to engage in interdisciplinary thinking, drawing on approaches from different academic fields.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Gain a broad understanding of the social, cultural and environmental legacies of the Enlightenment industrialism and capitalism.

  2. Develop the capacity to summarise and critically engage with set texts.

  3. Be able to discuss and debate the module topics.

  4. Be able to construct arguments drawing on approaches and evidence presented in lectures readings and classes.

Module information

The module starts by examining Empire and look at the connections between Enlightenment thought and European expansion, colonialism and cultural domination.


In The Self, we move on to look at how new conceptions of 'the self' have been shaped by social, cultural and economic processes.


Finally, we consider the changing conceptions of Nature that have arisen from the imposition of capitalist and industrial ways of life on most of the planet. The emphasis is on both on the forces that have caused so much ecological destruction and attempts to maintain and reclaim connections with nature.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

  • One lecture per week.
  • One seminar per week.

Dr Jane Hindley will give about half of the lectures, and these will be complemented by guest lectures by academics from Art History, ISC, LiFTs, Philosophy, and Psychoanalytic and Psychosocial Studies. 

There is also a screening of the film Rabbit Proof Fence, which students are required to attend.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Assignment 1: 2500 word essay     50% 
Coursework   Assignment 2: 2500 word essay    50% 
Exam  Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during Summer (Main Period) 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during September (Reassessment Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Jane Hindley, email: janeh@essex.ac.uk.
A range of staff from across the university will contribute to the module.
PHAIS General Office - 6.130; isugadmin@essex.ac.uk.

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 2 hours, 2 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)

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