Last modified: 05 Oct 2023 08:46
What (if any) forms of government are legitimate? What, if anything, grants legitimacy to the state to limit the freedoms of its citizens through its laws? What makes tyranny worse than democracy? Is our current system of government indeed the best possible one, or are there better alternatives?
This course addresses questions in political philosophy and explores central concepts such as freedom, equality and democracy by providing students with a (non-exhaustive) overview of key theories and principles in political philosophy. The course will encourage students to apply these theories to contemporary concrete political issues and problems. Topics to be examined may include: ancient Greek democracy, tyranny, social contract theory, liberalism, Marxism, libertarianism, feminist political philosophy, non-Western political philosophy, anarchism, and resistance.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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What (if any) forms of government are legitimate? What, if anything, grants legitimacy to the state to limit the freedoms of its citizens through its laws? What makes tyranny worse than democracy? Is our current system of government indeed the best possible one, or are there better alternatives?
This course addresses questions in political philosophy and explores central concepts such as freedom, equality and democracy by providing students with a (non-exhaustive) overview of key theories and principles in political philosophy. The course will encourage students to apply these theories to contemporary concrete political issues and problems. Topics to be examined may include: ancient Greek democracy, tyranny, social contract theory, liberalism, Marxism, libertarianism, feminist political philosophy, non-Western political philosophy, anarchism, and resistance.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 45 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback on essays provided through MyAberdeen |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire an understanding of the philosophical literature relevant to the topics |
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas |
| Procedural | Create | Learn to frame arguments and to communicate arguments to a group of peers |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Reflection | Create | Develop proficiency in written and oral communication skills |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18 | Feedback Weeks | 10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18 | |
| Feedback |
10 posts at a maximum of 250 words each (no minimum) Feedback provided through MyAberdeen |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas |
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire an understanding of the philosophical literature relevant to the topics |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 45 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback on essays provided through MyAberdeen |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas |
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire an understanding of the philosophical literature relevant to the topics |
| Procedural | Create | Learn to frame arguments and to communicate arguments to a group of peers |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Reflection | Create | Develop proficiency in written and oral communication skills |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Feedback provided via Panopto videos |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Reflection | Create | Develop proficiency in written and oral communication skills |
| Procedural | Create | Learn to frame arguments and to communicate arguments to a group of peers |
| Conceptual | Understand | Acquire an understanding of the philosophical literature relevant to the topics |
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