23 July 2024

Removed

"Political Theory from Hobbes: Seeking Freedom and Equality" from the "Modules" section, under Year 2

Added to the "Modules" section, under Year 2:

Foundations of Political Theory
The aim of this module is to introduce students to some of the foundational arguments and debates in modern (mainly) European political theory, as well as some of the discipline’s most important primary texts. To this end, students will critically examine claims about freedom, equality, democracy, revolution and crisis made by some of the most important political thinkers since about 1640. Key texts will include Hobbes’s Leviathan, Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto, Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk, Clara Zetkin’s Fighting Fascism, and Franz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth.
The module will also consider how these theories speak to contemporary debates in political theory, such as debates about gender and sexual difference, economic crisis, reparations for colonialism and the resurgence of the far right. The module builds on ideas explored in Introduction to Politics during your first year, and it leads towards the term two module Topics in Political Theory, which deals with present-day arguments about social justice.
Read more about the Foundations of Political Theory module, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

and
Topics in Political Theory
Politics considers how the political world operates, and how it ought to operate. In this module, we consider the “oughts” of politics. Building on Foundations of Political Theory, the module examines key thinkers and topics in contemporary normative political theory. The module is divided into two parts:
(A) Key thinkers in contemporary normative political theory. This includes the study of Rawls, and of other key political theorists, such as Nozick and Okin.
(B) Key topics in contemporary normative political theory. This includes issues such as immigration, education, representation, microaggressions, and climate change.
Read more about the Topics of Political Theory module, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

5th September 2023

We have made changes to this course's modules, in the 'Modules' tab:

Year 2

Previous content:

Political Theory from Hobbes: Seeking Freedom and Equality

How should human beings be governed? The thinkers you'll study – from Hobbes to Marx – had very different answers to this question. Building on your understanding of political philosophy, you'll read significant primary and secondary texts to develop your understanding of how political convictions are shaped by the context and history of individual thought and social interaction. You'll confront and assess complex ideas in political theory, and present and defend your point of view, both orally and in writing.

Read more about the Political Theory from Hobbes: Seeking Freedom and Equality moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study).

Revised content:

Political Theory

The Politics and International Studies department is making some exciting changes to their curricula for 2024 entry. Modules will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As modules are approved, we will update the information on this webpage.

For an example of current political theory content, read more about the Political Theory from Hobbes: Seeking Freedom and EqualityLink opens in a new window module, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Year 3

We have removed the Issues in Political Theory module.