Hegel's Political Philosophy



Overview

Apologist for the Prussian state? Proto-totalitarian? Or liberal? This course will cut through the misconceptions and present Hegel's political philosophy in its full complexity and subtlety, by means of a close reading of his Philosophy of Right (1821).

This is Hegel's major work in moral and political philosophy and contains a philosophical defence of modern social institutions, specifically the family, civil society (including the market), and the state. In the process, we will be able to decide whether and to what extent we agree with Hegel's famous claim that 'what is rational is actual; what is actual is rational'.

Programme details

Courses starts: 22 Jan 2025

Week 1:  What is the point of political philosophy? (Philosophy of Right, Preface).

Week 2:  The will as the foundation of practical philosophy (Philosophy of Right, §§1-33).

Week 3:  Abstract Right: property (Philosophy of Right, §§34-71).

Week 4:  Abstract Right: punishment (Philosophy of Right, §§72-104).

Week 5:  Morality: doing the right thing? (Philosophy of Right, §§105-141).

Week 6:  Ethical Life: The concept of Sittlichkeit; the family (Philosophy of Right, §§142-181).

Week 7:  Ethical Life: civil society (Philosophy of Right, §§182-256).

Week 8:  Ethical Life: the concept of the state (Philosophy of Right, §§275-270).

Week 9:  Ethical Life: the organization of the state and international relations (Philosophy of Right, §§271-360).

Week 10:  Hegel's political philosophy in retrospect.

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Meade McCloughan

Meade McCloughan has been studying philosophy for nearly 40 years and has taught at University College London and Birkbeck College London.  He is on the organising group of the Marx and Philosophy Society.

Course aims

To provide an introduction to Hegel's political philosophy.

Course objectives

  1. To explain the philosophical foundations of Hegel's practical philosophy.
  2. To expound the details of Hegel's political philosophy.
  3. To evaluate the continuing relevance of Hegel's Philosophy of Right.

Teaching methods

Students will be encouraged to read the relevant parts of Hegel's Philosophy of Right each week. The pre-recorded lecture will provide an overview of the material which will then be the basis for the "live" discussion. Questions and issues can also be raised in the "discussions" section of the course website. Students will be able to benefit from formative feedback on written work during the course.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected:

1. to understand Hegel's project in the Philosophy of Right;

2. to assess the contemporary relevance of Hegel's political philosophy.

Assessment methods

Participants will be given four short exercises during the course to complete (up to 500 words each). The tutor will assess and provide written comments on completed exercises. Students will be able to do all four short exercises.

Students can choose to be assessed for the course:

EITHER

on the basis of THREE completed short exercises;

OR

by submitting an essay of 1,500 words on a chosen topic from the course (suggested questions will be provided during the course). 

Those choosing to write an essay can submit a 500 word draft for feedback in advance of submitting the final version or can use one of the short exercises for the same purpose.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

We will close for enrolments 14 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (14 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

Some familiarity with Hegel's philosophy would be an advantage.

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support