Topics in Political Philosophy (PHIL40004)

HonoursPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025

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Overview

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This subject will involve an advanced study of problems and issues in contemporary value theory, normally concentrating on issues in ethics, metaethics, and political philosophy. In some years, the course may instead focus on issues in contemporary aesthetics. On completion of the subject, students should be able to bring philosophical reflection to bear more widely on their lives.

 

Intended learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to: 

  • Examine some central themes and preoccupations of recent philosophical thought about practical philosophy
  • Integrate critically about the assumptions and commitments inherent in the themes discussed
  • Reflect better about the ethical, political (or aesthetic) aspects of human life.
  • Analyse and evaluate various philosophical arguments and positions on contemporary political issues
  • Apply philosophical concepts and principles to real-world political problems and develop well-reasoned solutions.

Generic skills

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:

  • Think critically
  • Analyse and evaluate concepts, theories, and arguments
  • Develop and present arguments for or against a position
  • Consider multiple viewpoints and arguments for those viewpoints
  • Articulate ideas, concepts, and interpretations with clarity and coherence
  • Engage in critical reflection, synthesis, and evaluation of research-based and scholarly literature.

 

Last updated: 4 March 2025