PY413-6-AU-CO:
Contemporary Political Philosophy
2018/19
Philosophy
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 04 October 2018
Friday 14 December 2018
15
-
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA MVC5 Philosophy and Law,
BA MVC8 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year),
BA VM51 Philosophy and Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA VM58 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LV25 Philosophy and Politics,
BA LV2H Philosophy and Politics (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LV2M Philosophy and Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV8M Philosophy and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5M8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5M9 Philosophy with Human Rights,
BA V5MX Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA VLM8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
LLB MV16 Law with Philosophy,
LLB MV18 Law with Philosophy (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MV19 Law with Philosophy (Including Placement Year)
Module Outline (updated September 2018)
The course takes, as its central problem, the question of the nature of democracy. We will focus, in particular, on two fundamental issues in contemporary politics: the problem of marginalized identities and the question of populism. While these issues are often presented as antithetic, the course aims at presenting them as inflections of the same fundamental problematic: what does it mean to have a political voice in a democracy? The course is conceived as an extended study of this question. The module is organized in two parts. In the first four weeks, the course offers an introduction to contemporary democratic theory, exploring the main answers to its central normative question: what is the ultimate justification of our political decisions? In the second half of the course, we will shift from the normative question “what justifies our political decision?” to the question of democratic voice: “who is in the position of giving and asking for political justification?” We will consider, in particular, two ways of interpreting this question: “who count as the individuals whose rights must be protected?” and “who counts as the people who can express a popular will?”. The former question highlights the problem of marginalized identities: the problem is one of accounting for the position of those whose complaint is precisely that they are not recognized as political subjects, and hence are not in the position of demanding for rights. The latter question opens up the issue of populism, interpreted as the demand, on the part of “the people”, to have a voice.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the module students should be able in their written work:
1. to summarise in their own words and critically assess the principal theories and philosophical perspectives examined in this course;
2. To relate different philosophical theories and arguments to contemporary discussions in environmental philosophyto offer detailed philosophical analysis and critique of journal articles published in the field;
3.
By the end of the module, students should also have acquired a set of transferable skills, and in particular be able to:
1. define the task in which they are engaged and exclude what is irrelevant;
2. seek and organise the most relevant discussions and sources of information;
3. process a large volume of diverse and sometimes conflicting arguments;
4. compare and evaluate different arguments and assess the strengths and limitations of their own and others’ positions or procedures;
5. write and present verbally a succinct and precise account of positions, arguments, and their presuppositions and implications;
6. be sensitive to the positions of others and communicate their own views in ways that are accessible to them;
7. think 'laterally' and creatively - see interesting connections and possibilities and present these clearly rather than as vague hunches;
8. maintain intellectual flexibility and revise their own position in collaboration with others;
9. think critically and constructively.
No information available.
No information available.
Incoming Study Abroad students must have already taken two Philosophy modules at their home institution.
1 x two-hour lecture/discussion session each week followed by a one-hour seminar at which issues covered in the lecture will be discussed. Week 21 is Reading Week. In week 25, the lecture and seminars will be replaced by a workshop on contemporary topics in environmental philosophy.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Group Presentation |
|
25% |
| Coursework |
Take-Home Exam (2000 Words) |
|
15% |
| Coursework |
3000 Word Essay |
|
60% |
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Matteo Falomi, email: mfalomi@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Matteo Falomi
spahinfo@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Thomas Joseph Stern
University College London
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 38 hours, 37 (97.4%) hours available to students:
1 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Philosophy
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