Important information

We are planning to make changes to our History and Politics (BA) for 2025 entry. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer. Sign up to receive updates.

Important information

We are planning to make changes to our History and Politics (BA) for 2025 entry. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer. Sign up to receive updates.

Political Theory from Hobbes: Seeking Freedom and Equality

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.

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 2024/25 year of study).

Foundations of Political TheoryLink opens in a new window: 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.

Topics in Political TheoryLink opens in a new window: 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: key thinkers in contemporary normative political theory, including John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and Susan Moller Okin; and key topics in contemporary normative political theory, including issues such as immigration, education, representation, microaggressions, and climate change.