An Introduction to Political Theory (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge required.

Content of Course

1. Introduction: What is Political Theory? - This introductory class will aim to define political theory and explain its meaning and role within the broader domain of political science.

2. Liberty - What does it mean to be free? Is the absence of external coercion sufficient for considering an individual free? This class will examine the idea of liberty looking at both classical and contemporary texts.

3. Democracy - Democracy means ‘rule of the people’ but who are the ‘people’ and what does ‘rule’ mean? This class will explore these fascinating issues by looking at the main theories of democracy and their relevance for the contemporary world.

4. Distributive Justice This class will analyse the normative principles guiding the distribution of economic resources across societies. We will especially focus on the theories developed by John Rawls (1971) and Robert Nozick (1974) and on the critiques raised against them by other thinkers.

5. Equality In this class we will examine the concept of social and political equality and look at the distinction between formal equality, equality of opportunity and equality of outcome.

6. Political ObligationWhy should people obey the laws of their political community? This class will explore the problem of political obligation by looking at the main answers given to this question by modern and contemporary political thinkers.

7. Community - Communitarians argue that individuals are deeply rooted in their communities (e.g. national, religious, linguistic etc.) and shaped by their values. This class will explore these issues and analyse the main arguments raised by communitarian thinkers against liberalism.

8. Difference. In this class we will assess whether equality requires that the state should provide identical treatment for all individuals and groups or whether it should treat each of them differently. We will especially focus on issues concerning women and minority cultures.

9. Environmental Ethics and Political Theory Environmental ethics is concerned with the study of the relationship between human beings and the environment. This class will examine how environmental ethics has affected contemporary debates in political theory.

10. International Justice and Global Politics Political theorists are becoming increasingly concerned with global issues. In this class we will especially focus on the tension between nationalism and cosmopolitanism and on the issue of global distributive justice.

Teaching method(s)

Each two-hour class will combine lecture and tutor-led discussion.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the main concepts and debates in classical and contemporary political theory;

• Critically read and analyse classical and contemporary texts on political theory;

• Illustrate and evaluate the development of concepts and theories throughout the history of Western political thought;

• Explain the relationship between political theory and other disciplines (e.g. political science);

• Apply philosophical concepts in order to understand and critically assess real-world political phenomena.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Goodin, R. E., Pettit, P. and Pogge, T., 2007. A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy. Malden, Mass.; Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

• Rosen, M. and Wolff, J., eds., 1999. Political Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Recommended:

• Goodin, R. E. and Pettit, P., eds. 2006. Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology. Malden, Mass.; Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

• Kymlicka, W., 2002. Contemporary Political Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Web Sources

These academic journals contain key articles on democratic theory and are available online through the University of Edinburgh library website:

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/et/current

Ethics (journal)

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0048-3915&site=1

Philosophy and Public Affairs (journal)

Class Handouts

Handouts will be provided.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.