PHI3001 : Social and Political Philosophy
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Gus Hewlett
- Owning School: School X
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| PHI2003 | Ethics and the Modern World |
| PHI2018 | Kant and Post-Kantian Philosophy |
Pre Requisite Comment
One of the above required
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
To introduce students to particular themes and issues in contemporary moral and political philosophy and their relation to culture and society.
There is no shortage of people and institutions telling you what to do: your parents, friends, the University, the government; so why do we do what they say, if we do? How do we know who to obey and who to disobey? This module will investigate the concepts of authority, legitimacy and domination, in order to understand the structure of both reason and contemporary culture. The module will cover various accounts of political justification and the schools of political thought (liberalism, libertarianism and socialism) as well as their philosophical foundations in writers as diverse as Karl Marx and John Rawls.
Outline Of Syllabus
Topics typically investigated may include:
1. The concept of authority
2. The good reason thesis
3. Rawls and the theory of justice
4. Libertarianism
5. Ideological critique
The subjects of the lectures will be augmented by discussions in tutorials of specific issues using examples drawn from art, religion, science and ethics.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Essay preparation and completion |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Specific research or reading activities developed and directed by academic staff |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | Tutorials |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 52:00 | 52:00 | Review lecture material, prepare for small group teaching and assessment |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures provide students with a systematic account of the concepts and ideas of the treated thinkers and their relation to key aspects of life e.g. politics, art, science. Students are given a structured reading list, a set of lecture notes with tutorial summaries, supported by controlled questions and references to specific works in order to develop the interpretative, logical and analytical skills required for good argument.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | A | 100 | 2000 word essay |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | M | Weekly seminar based exercises |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The students have the choice between picking an essay title out of six standard topics or designing their own with their tutor’s help and approval. This makes it possible to assess knowledge possession and advanced theoretical understanding as well as the critical and creative verbal skills of the student. The essays test the ability to think analytically, creatively, self-critically and independently as well as managing one’s own work to set time limits. This assessment method also gauges the students’ ability to move between generalisation and appropriately detailed discussion, to cite relevant texts and interpret them adequately, to discover examples in support of or to challenge a position, and to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant considerations.
Weekly questions are provided in advance for each seminar. These are designed to test students’ understanding of lecture content and set readings, and to deepen engagement with seminar discussions. This process provides ongoing formative feedback to students about their understanding and development throughout the module.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- PHI3001's Timetable