Freedom and Obligation
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL2009 | Philosophy | 2 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- PHIL2009
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
Are you obliged to obey the law even when you disagree with it? What features must a state have in order to be legitimate? In this module we will approach these classic questions of political philosophy by examining the work of a number of important past political philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (this list is suggestive, and the line up each year may vary). The emphasis of the module is partly exegetical and partly evaluative. That is, we will seek both to understand why the thinkers' works have been open to different interpretations, and to evaluate their arguments under these different interpretations.
Target Students
Second year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students and exchange students. Also available to second year Liberal Arts students who have either done PHIL1012 or PHIL1013; or are doing PHIL1012 OR PHIL1013 (co-requisite). Also available to second year single honours History students. Also available to single honours Philosophy and joint honours Music and Philosophy students in their final year taking 20 credits of Level 2 modules.
Co-requisites
Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 11 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Total contact time: 37 hours
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: One 2000 word essay
- 5% Reading Summaries: 9 x reading summaries (100-250 words each)
- 45% Exam (3-hour): 1 x 3 hour online exam
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to provide students with an introduction to the views of some important figures in the history of political philosophy. By the end of the module students should be able to:1. Critically evaluate some rival interpretations of the works studied on the module.2. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments attributed to the thinkers covered on the module by these rival interpretations.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
- Students should have a critical appreciation of selected themes in the political philosophy of the thinkers studied on the module.
Skills
- Students should be able to reason, philosophically, to a well thought-out position on various topics in political philosophy.
- Students should be able to develop their own views, systematically, drawing upon the sources on which the module focuses.
- Students should be able to express themselves clearly and precisely, both in writing and in seminar discussions.
Understanding
- Students should have a critical understanding of the treatment of these themes in the works of the contemporary philosophers studied on the module.
Conveners
- Dr Joseph Kisolo-Ssonko
- Dr Konstancja Duff