Liberalism is one the big ideas of the modern age, but what is it? Liberals of the 19th century wanted small governments and personal freedoms, while today's liberals want large governments that solve problems. Are they the same? And what about conservatives? How are they different from liberals? Then, what are economic liberals and social liberals? In this course we will look not only at words but at the history, ideals, and the often disappointing reality associated with being liberal, and being conservative. We will discuss contemporary political, economic, and social issues, so students' own experiences and opinions will be both valued and challenged.
Liberals, Conservatives, and Harsh Reality
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 25 Jan 2024
Week 1: Introduction: what do we mean by liberal? Histories of liberalisms: class interests vs. rebellion vs. principles; false consciousness and noble lies
Week 2: The meanings of liberty: liberation, libertarianism, neoliberal, negative and positive freedom, equality
Week 3: Political Liberalism: Old and New; privacy, property, pluralism
Week 4: Economic Liberalism: Old and New
Week 5: Social Liberalism: Old (and New?)
Week 6: The critique of liberalism as utopian (bourgeois) ideology; liberalism in opposition and in power
Week 7: Liberalism and… human rights, technocracy, and humans at war
Week 8: Liberalism and… religion, political governance, the modern State, subsidiarity, and globalisation
Week 9: What does it mean to be conservative? Is it a critique, an expansion, or a variety of liberalism?
Week 10: The ultimate questions: Human nature, freedom and safety, authority and power, governing up-to-down and governing down-to-up
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- Imagined Communities / Andrerson, Benedict
- Intellectual History of Liberalism / Manant, Pierre
- Political Liberalism / Rawls, John
- Foundations of Modern Political Thought / Skinner, Quentin
Digital Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. 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.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £257.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £10.00 |
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:
Tutor
Mr Edward Hadas
Edward Hadas is a Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford. His Human Goods, Economic Evils: A Moral Look at the Dismal Science was published in 2007. He writes regularly on economics and finance from an ethical perspective for Reuters Breakingviews.
Course aims
This course aims to explore the reasons for and the implications of the various meanings of "liberal" and "conservative".
Course objectives:
- To explore the fundamental principles, if any, of all liberal ideas.
- To consider the desirability and possibility of various liberal objectives.
- To understand the leading criticisms of various types of liberalism.
Teaching methods
The classes will be a mixture of lecture and lively but respectful discussion. Students will be encouraged to bring up relevant texts and issues that interest them, possibly including presentations.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to discuss liberalism in a coherent and informed way;
- to decide whether and in what sense their own political, economic, and social views should be considered liberal;
- recognise the preconceptions which lie behind many contemporary political and cultural arguments.
Assessment methods
Students will be expected to write a 500 word preliminary essay and 1500 word final essay on a topic related to this course. The topic will be agreed in advance by the teacher.
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
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 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
Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
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 at the required standard.
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.
Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.