ATS2961 · Political ideas

Overview

The unit surveys a broad spectrum of political thinkers and explores their ideas and the historical contexts in which these ideas emerge. It aims to give you an understanding of key concepts and arguments in political philosophy concerning order and disorder, power and authority, tradition and change. The thinkers studied, Socrates, Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Burke, and Marx, are discussed with reference to both the contexts in which they lived and the significance of their ideas both within and beyond those contexts. Learning activities will include lectures, large and small group discussions, short (500 word) and longer (2000 word) written exercises.

Areas of study: Politics

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Describe and compare ideas from different strands of political thought.
2. Recognise and evaluate the role of cultural and social contexts in the formulation of political ideas.
3. Critically discuss political theories concerning nature and reason, power and morality, tradition and revolution.
4. Effectively research the signification and significance of terms, ideas and arguments in political theory.
5. Communicate perceptively the key ideas, arguments and contexts of political theories.
6. Explain explicit or implicit ethical values and assumption/s in various political theories.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.