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Justice, Freedom and Equality (PHIL30051)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject investigates central topics in political philosophy. These can be divided into two areas of focus - political legitimacy and distributive justice. The study of legitimacy aims to establish the moral authority of the coercive state. This involves finding ways to answer the anarchist contention that no state can be justified, by developing a moral foundation for the state's authority. The study of distributive justice aims to answer questions about how the state should actually use its coercive powers to regulate the way in which its citizens interact. The focus here is on interpreting various (often competing) political values, such as equality, individual freedom and community.
This subject will make extensive use of historical and contemporary writings. Authors who feature predominantly in this subject include Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, and John Rawls. This will be followed by time spent on contemporary authors.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject will:
- gain a familiarity with a range of core texts in the history of political thought, and be able to both interpret and evaluate their main arguments;
- be able to understand the relevance of a range of key concepts to political argument, including (but not limited to) the concepts of coercion, consent, freedom, oppression, ownership, and equality;
- become more able to defend, and not just coherently state, one's own position with regard to controversial questions in political philosophy;
- gain an understanding of ways in which topics in political philosophy overlap with the subject matter of other academic disciplines, such as law and the social sciences;
- work individually, and in groups, to clarify problems, apply reasoning techniques to different issues, and to critically evaluate the results.
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Assessment
Additional details
- An essay of 2,000 words, due mid-semester (50%)
- An essay of 2,000 words, due at the end of semester (50%)
Hurdle requirement:
- Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject.
- All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.
Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Daniel Halliday Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 35 hours - 2 x 1-hour lectures each week and 1x 1-hour tutorial in weeks 2-12 Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 24 July 2017 to 22 October 2017 Last self-enrol date 4 August 2017 Census date 31 August 2017 Last date to withdraw without fail 22 September 2017 Assessment period ends 17 November 2017 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Additional delivery details
it is recommended that students enrolling in this subject should have completed at least one prior philosophy subject.
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Students will advised of the details of the precribed textbook at the start of semester.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Major Philosophy Informal specialisation Graduate Diploma in Arts - Philosophy Major Philosophy Major Informal specialisation Graduate Certificate in Arts - Philosophy - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 19 March 2024