Political Thought of Modernity
| Module title | Political Thought of Modernity |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL2059 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Robert Lamb (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 150 |
|---|
Module description
This module will introduce you to some of the most influential, fascinating, and controversial texts and traditions in Western political thought – from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century – and, in so doing, will encourage you to interrogate how the very idea of modernity is conceptualised and contested. In reading these texts, you will come to understand, and engage in critique of, the modern political concepts – rights, freedom, equality, democracy, civil society, property, revolution, the state, and modernity itself – that continue to animate our civic discussions as well as the intellectual traditions (liberalism, Idealism, Marxism) of the modern period.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims:
- To introduce you to the some of the most important texts and traditions (in Western political thought) through the study of selected texts.
- To enable your understanding of how political arguments fit together to form complex philosophical theories and, by extension, of how ostensibly discrete political viewpoints are actually embedded in a whole network of beliefs.
- To develop your ability to critically assess both theoretical texts and subsequent interpretations of them.
- To encourage you to think critically about individual political ideas as well as about the notion of modernity after the French Revolution.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate knowledge of major Western political theories of the modern period;
- 2. understand, summarise and interpret complex and abstract arguments in politics and summarise and critique a political theory;
- 3. appreciate the part played by these theories in the emergence of modern understandings of a range of political concepts.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. identify and discuss the major concepts deployed in a theory and their argumentative articulation;
- 5. engage in both sympathetic interpretation and criticism of such theories, and to evaluate different interpretations in the light of appropriate evidence.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. evaluate ideas, arguments and texts;
- 7. prepare essays and presentations;
- 8. learn from others by undertaking peer evaluation and take a critical attitude towards your work.
Syllabus plan
Given the scale of the historical period covered by the module, the texts read will be selected and may vary from year to year. Some of the authors/texts will likely include:
- Immanuel Kant, What is Enlightenment? (1784)
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man (1791)
- G.W.F. Hegel, The Philosophy of Right (1821)
- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1836)
- Karl Marx, Capital (1867)
- John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859)
- Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality (1887)
- Hannah Arendt, Between Past and Future (1961)
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 27.5 | 122.5 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and teaching activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and teaching activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour tutorials |
| Scheduled Learning and teaching activity | 1 | Review session |
| Guided Independent Learning | 122.5 | Independent study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussions in tutorials and via ELE | Throughout tutorials | 1-8 | Oral and written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | 100 | 1.5 hours | 1-8 | Written (and oral on request) |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | Exam (1.5 hours) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Indicative Primary Reading List
- Immanuel Kant, What is Enlightenment? (1784)
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man (1791)
- G.W.F. Hegel, The Philosophy of Right (1821)
- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1836)
- Karl Marx, Capital (1867)
- John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859)
- Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality (1887)
- Hannah Arendt, Between Past and Future (1961)
Secondary reading:
David Boucher and Paul Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the Present (Oxford University Press, 2017)
Gary Browning, A History of Modern Political Thought: The Question of Interpretation (Oxford University Press, 2016)
Iain Hampsher-Monk, A History of Modern Political Thought: Major Political Thinkers from Hobbes to Marx (Blackwell, 1992)
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2010 |
| Last revision date | 01/02/2022 |
