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Key facts
| Type | Online and Distance Learning |
|---|---|
| Location | Online |
| Dates | Wed 11 Sep to Fri 22 Nov 2013 |
| Subject area(s) | Philosophy |
| CATS points | 10 |
| Fees | From £220.00 |
| Application status | Applications being accepted |
| Course code | O13P398PHV |
| Course contact | If you have any questions about this course, please email onlinecourses@conted.ox.ac.uk. |
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Overview
Political philosophy contains some of the greatest writings in the western intellectual tradition, as well as highly stimulating contemporary contributions. This online course introduces the student to classic and contemporary texts in the context of approaching some central questions in political philosophy concerning, the state, democracy, liberty and justice.Description
Political philosophy contains some of the greatest writings in the western intellectual tradition, as well as highly stimulating contemporary contributions. This online course introduces students to classic and contemporary texts in the context of approaching some central questions in political philosophy. It will provide an introduction to political philosophy by examining the justification of the state, problems democracy, liberty, justice, and feminist theory.Students will be guided through the thought of various classical and contemporary thinkers in both primary and secondary readings, and are encouraged to think for themselves about the problems addressed. They will engage in various optional activities to stimulate personal reflection, and will contribute to group discussion designed to create a supportive online community with the common task of acquiring an understanding. By the end of the course students should feel confident of their own position on some of the debates studied.
Programme details
The areas you will cover in this course are:• What is political philosophy? The descriptive and the normative. Improving the status quo.
• The State of Nature: Hobbes on the State of Nature, Anarchism
• Justifying the State: The Social Contract, The Principle of Fairness, Utilitarianism
• Who Should Rule?: Plato Against Democracy, Participatory Democracy, The ‘Jury Theorem’ Argument, Representative Democracy
• The Place of Liberty: The Harm Principle, Mill and Indecency
• The Distribution of Property: Locke and ‘Labour-Mixing’, Libertarianism and Property, Rawls’ Theory of Justice, The Free Market
• Individualism, Justice, Feminism: Liberal Feminism, Justice and Care
We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.
Course aims
This course aims to introduce students to political philosophy especially in the western liberal tradition by:- guiding them through a number of classical and contemporary readings;
- helping them to think for themselves about these important but difficult issues.
Course Objectives
This course will:
- introduce students to philosophical thinking;
- guide students` reading through a number of classical and contemporary readings;
- help students understand the main problems in political philosophy including the authority of the state, the justification of democracy, the place of liberty, the distribution of property, and feminist theory;
- familiarise students with the key arguments for and against the main positions in the main debates in political philosophy;
- enable students to think for themselves about the issues involved in political philosophy
Certification
This course is accredited and you are expected to take the course for credit. To be awarded credit you must complete written contributions satisfactorily. Successful students will receive credit, awarded by the Board of Studies of Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. The award will take the form of 10 units of transferable credit at FHEQ level 4 of the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). A transcript detailing the credit will be issued to successful students.Assessment methods
In this course assessment is through one short written summary (about 500 words), and a longer written report, essay or summary of no more than 1000 words.Level and demands
FHEQ level 4, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.Recommended reading
To participate in the course you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following texts:• Wolff, J., An Introduction to Political Philosophy (OUP, Oxford, 2006)
• Rosen, M., and Wolff, J. (eds), Political Thought (OUP, Oxford, 1999)
Students will be encouraged to use the Stanford Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Students will also be directed to websites, where appropriate, relevant to each session (as optional additional reading).
Teaching methods
- Guided reading of texts- Group discussions of particular issues
- Questions to be answered in personal folders
- Debating from positions given rather than from personal belief (to hone skills of debate)
Teaching outcomes
By the end of this course students will be expected to understand:• some main problems of political philosophy, including including the authority of the state, the justification of democracy, the place of liberty, the distribution of property, and feminist theory.
• the main arguments for and against the various positions in these debates
• their own position on some of these problems
By the end of this course students will be expected to have gained the following skills:
• the ability to think philosophically
• the ability to describe the main arguments for and against the main positions in the some main debates in political philosophy
• the ability constructively to criticise the arguments of philosophers
• the ability to explicate their own views in political philosophy
Apply for this course
If you are unsure whether you are eligible to pay `Home/EU` or `Non-EU/overseas` fees, please read the UKCISA guidance notes to help establish your fee status.
You can apply for this course in the following ways:
- Apply online
to secure your place on this course now- Apply by post, email or fax
- Download a PDF application form
.