BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics with Placement Experience

Title:

Introductory Microeconomics

Code:

EC113

Convenor:

DR Carolyn Molesworth-St Aubyn

Summary:

To introduce students to the basic principles of microeconomics.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Class test 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Introductory Macroeconomics

Code:

EC114

Convenor:

DR Mark Guzman

Summary:

Introductory Macroeconomics is a first course in understanding what economists consider to be a nation’s economy.  It is designed to provide you with a general introduction to the basic concepts and models used by economists to comprehend the actual world in which you live and the general discussions found in the media and in political discourse.  

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Set exercise 20%, Class test 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Introduction to Political Ideas

Code:

PO1IPI

Convenor:

DR Rob Jubb

Summary:

An introduction to political theory, covering central topics like the state and its authority, democracy, rights and liberty, equality and social justice, and war and intervention, as well as some of the basic methods for understanding them all. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Reason and Argument

Code:

PP1RA

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

This module enhances students’ ability to understand and construct complex arguments through the study of logic and the psychology of human reasoning. Reading: A module guide will be available. Recommended: Jamie Carlin Watson and Robert Arp, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to Reasoning Well, 2nd edition, Bloomsbury, 2015.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Introductory Quantitative Methods in Economics and Business 1

Code:

EC115

Convenor:

DR Anwesha Mukherjee

Summary:

This module provides an introduction to quantitative techniques useful in economics.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Introductory Mathematics for Economics 1

Code:

EC116

Convenor:

DR Andy Chung

Summary:

This module introduces the mathematical concepts which are of key importance in economics and to which reference is made in compulsory taught modules for single and joint degree programmes in the Department of Economics.

Assessment Method:

Exam 70%, Class test 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

British Society

Code:

PO1BRI

Convenor:

DR Dawn Clarke

Summary:

The module draws on theories and approaches from Politics, Sociology, Psychology, History and Philosophy to consider some of the main contours of contemporary British Society. The module will explore a number of images of Britain including: Britain as a Welfare State, Multicultural Britain and Britain as a Class Society. It will also explore crime and deviance in Britain, the role of the mass media and the increasing power of the food industry. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Freedom

Code:

PO1FRE

Convenor:

DR Andrew Reid

Summary:

This module provides an inter-disciplinary approach to the subject of freedom, with contributions from four different departments of the University: Classics, Law, Philosophy, and Politics. Students will explore a range of different perspectives on the idea of freedom, and will examine the different ways in which freedom is valued and regulated in a variety of settings. Students will work both individually and within groups to prepare their assignments, and there are a variety of written and oral assessments.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 30%, Oral 40%, Report 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Introduction to Contemporary Democracy

Code:

PO1ICD

Convenor:

DR David Marshall

Summary:

The module is intended to open students’ eyes to how democracy works or does not work around the world today. The first section on the Origins of Democracy looks globally at where democratic and non-democratic systems exist and what factors determine this distribution. We then look at the Arab Spring, varieties of political systems and electoral systems, political parties and voting in the following sections. Finally, we cover interest organisations and referendums. The examples and evidence are based on the UK, but also include comparisons beyond the UK where appropriate.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Inequality

Code:

PO1INE

Convenor:

DR Jonathan Golub

Summary:

Inequality is everywhere around us: different individuals earn different salaries, people of different genders and backgrounds have access to different economic opportunities, and those at the top of the income distribution have radically distinct life chances than those at the bottom. What explains rising inequality, is it fair and what are the consequences? Should anything be done to reduce inequality, and if so, what? This course aims to answer these questions by providing students with the analytical tools and knowledge to understand and explain the evolution of earnings, racial and gender inequality over time and its variation across developed countries. It also considers the economic, normative and political implications of different forms of inequality, in particular gender and racial inequality. Is inequality at the top of the income distribution (i.e. the 1% v. the rest of us) the inevitable outcome of a well-functioning market system or does it suggest problems in the way democracy works? Does inequality undermine democracy for instance by affecting political participation or increasing the appeal of non-liberal populist parties? Take the course and you will find out more about these fascinating questions and more!

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 10%, Project 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Politics: International Relations and Strategic Studies

Code:

PO1IRS

Convenor:

DR Amanda Hall

Summary:

The module introduces some of the key concepts in world politics: states, anarchy, power, and interest. This broad conceptual framework is linked to a discussion of the three main theories of international relations: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. The module also evaluates arguments about the centrality and utility of the use of force in dealing with security and strategic problems by asking: Why do states go to war? What is strategy and how does it link to warfare? Is it useful to differentiate between rebels and terrorists? Are nuclear weapons still relevant in a world facing the threats of climate change and pandemics?

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Elementary Logic

Code:

PP1EL

Convenor:

DR Sev.J. Schroeder

Summary:

Arguments are the foundation of most philosophy. This module will teach you to explore in rigorous, mathematical terms why some arguments provide absolute support for their conclusions, and others do not. This module will thus provide essential formal ‘heavy machinery’ for reading and writing original philosophical papers in later parts of the degree course.Reading: Required readings will be posted online. Recommended:The open-source, online textbook ‘forall x’:http://www.fecundity.com/logic/Wilfrid Hodges, ‘Logic’, Penguin 2001

Assessment Method:

Set exercise 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Global Justice

Code:

PP1GJ

Convenor:

DR Michela Bariselli

Summary:

Global traditions of philosophy  from the Buddha and Confucius to Simone Weil, Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther King Jr., and African and Native American thinkers advocate ideas of justice and freedom that extend far beyond contemporary conceptions. This course shows how these thinkers question our  ideas of justice, and  transform how we approach injustice and freedom in the  context of race and colonialism, nature and  indigenous communities, identity  and sexuality, family and polity, through radically different conceptions of freedom and violence,  love, equality and harmony.

Some of the claims we will examine include: Justice is freedom from suffering!  Revolutionary violence is cathartic and emancipatory! Political justice  requires mental training! Nature is alive and has rights! Gender and sexual freedom are gained by  dissolving bodily boundaries!  Truth lies in pleasure! Justice is  love! Social justice comes with harmonising differences! 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Meaning of Life

Code:

PP1ML

Convenor:

MR Steven Wu

Summary:

What is the meaning of life? This is perhaps the most important philosophical question we can ask. What is the answer? Indeed, what is the question really asking? In this module, we seek the answers. Along the way, we will consider a series of fascinating questions which promise to enlighten our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. What makes life worth living? Is there any reason to fear death? Could life in artificial reality be better or more fulfilling than life in the real world?

Reading:

A list of required readings will be posted online. All or nearly all core readings are available electronically.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Mental Machines

Code:

PP1MM

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

This module investigates the possibility, the promise, and the perils of thinking machines. How close are we to creating artificial intelligence (AI), and what fundamental obstacles does the project of AI still face? How far does the mind extend into the world? For example, could a neural implant or even a smartphone form part of your mind? Are we ourselves thinking machines, in the form of intelligent, naturally occurring computer programs? We will investigate these questions by reading the works of contemporary philosophers such as David Chalmers, Andy Clark, Hubert Dreyfus and John Searle, as well as scientists such as Susan Greenfield.

Reading:

Required readings will be posted online.

Recommended:

Tim Crane, The Mechanical Mind, Routledge 2003.
Hubert Dreyfus, What Computers Still Can't Do, MIT Press 1992.
John Searle, 'Minds, brains, and programs’. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3: 417-457, 1980.
David J. Chalmers, 'The Singularity: A Philosophical Analysis', Journal of Consciousness Studies 17:7-65, 2010.
Andy Clark and David Chalmers, 'The Extended Mind’, Analysis 58(1): 7-19, 1998.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Right and the Good

Code:

PP1RG

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

In this module we will go through the arguments and positions of W. D. Ross’s The Right and the Good. This will involve a close reading of Ross’s seminal book to get clear on what Ross’s view was, and how defensible it is. This will cover areas such as first order normative theory, moral epistemology, and moral realism. We will assess his methodology, the historical context of the book, and its philosophical reception. 

Reading:

The Right and the Good. By W. D. Ross.

Required readings will be posted online.

Recommended:
Thomas Hurka, British Ethical Theorists From Sidgwick to Ewing

Robert Audi, Moral Knowledge and Ethical Character.
Robert Audi, The Good in the Right
Brad Hoooker, “Ross-Style Pluralism Versus Rule-Consequentialism”. Mind, Vol. 105, No. 420 (Oct., 1996), pp. 531-552

Philip Stratton-Lake, ‘Introduction’ to Ethical Intuitionism: Re-Evaluations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Radical Philosophy

Code:

PP1RP

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

From Plato and Marx to contemporaries like Judith Butler, Slavoj Zizek, and Catharine MacKinnon, there is a long tradition of radicalism in philosophy. This course is about how radical philosophy can usefully question our deepest assumptions and challenge our deepest beliefs. Poets should be outlawed from our society! We can secure knowledge by doubting everything! Capitalism will be destroyed by the very forces it creates! Gender is a social performance! Pornography silences women! Torture is permissible in extreme circumstances, e.g. post 9/11! These are some of the claims this course investigates philosophically.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Writing the Philosophical Essay

Code:

PP1WRI

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

This module will provide students with the skills necessary to craft clear, well-structured, and persuasive academic writing that effectively communicates complex ideas. Reading:Required readings will be posted online. Recommended: Harry Frankfurt, “On Bullshit” (available online)

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Intermediate Microeconomics

Code:

EC201

Convenor:

DR Minyan Zhu

Summary:

This module builds on material covered in introductory microeconomic courses and introduces students to some of the more advanced topics in microeconomic theory, including intertemporal choice, decision-making under risk, game theory, and general equilibrium theory.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Intermediate Macroeconomics

Code:

EC202

Convenor:

DR Carl Singleton

Summary:

Intermediate Macroeconomics builds on concepts introduced in Principles of Macroeconomics.  It is designed to provide a more in-depth understanding of the fundamental principles and analytic concepts related to economic growth, inflation, unemployment and interest rates.  

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Set exercise 20%, Class test 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Business Economics

Code:

EC208

Convenor:

DR Nigel Wadeson

Summary:

This module introduces a number of areas of business economics not covered in the industrial organisation module, with a concentration on theory. It requires reading from a variety of sources and so is suitable for students particularly interested in business economics.

Assessment Method:

Exam 80%, Assignment 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

History of Economic Thought

Code:

EC209

Convenor:

PROF Marina Della Giusta

Summary:

The module aims to acquaint students with the main schools of thought in economics. The module presents scholars and their ideas in historical perspective, and illustrates their relevance in the context of contemporary debates.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Games and Economic Behaviour

Code:

EC224

Convenor:

DR Steven Bosworth

Summary:

This module uses an online platform to cover a range of topics in the economic curriculum interactively. Each week students will be active participants in one or more models of an economic phenomenon. These will be implemented as online games. By participating in the game-based versions of each model students will gain greater insight into the assumptions and mechanisms underlying models of economic behaviour. Lectures will also use the opportunity to highlight precisely where these models might break down. 

Assessment Method:

Report 50%, Class test 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Economics of Social Policy

Code:

EC238

Convenor:

DR Samantha Benvinda Rawlings

Summary:

The module concentrates on how economic analysis can be applied to the real-world problems faced by policy makers. Economic analysis is employed in a wide range of social policies, whether in Government, the third sector but also in private sector organisations. This module concentrates on social economic problems and the role of Government policy. Analysis requires techniques taken from both micro and macroeconomics. Social economics covers a wide range of issues and the topics chosen will vary from year to year, depending on the current focus of policy interest. But, in general, the module could cover poverty and inequality, housing, crime, health, education, labour markets and urban economics for example. Not all these topics will be covered each year.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

American Government and Politics

Code:

PO2AMG

Convenor:

DR Graham O'Dwyer

Summary:

This module examines the historical, ideological and constitutional frameworks of American Government and Politics. It analyses the relationship between ideas and values (such as liberty and individualism) and the ways in which these condition the expression of the American political system; it looks at intermediate institutions that connect the public to the federal government (such as elections, the media, and interest groups); it explores the central institutions in Washington (such as the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court), and assesses important policy areas (such as gun control).

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Report 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

British Government and Politics

Code:

PO2BGP

Convenor:

DR Kiwi Ting

Summary:

This module focuses on contemporary British politics (from circa 1997). In the module we focus on topics of real-world importance. For instance, we will seek to understand recent election outcomes, analyse the causes of the Brexit vote, discuss the relationship between the devolved nations and have debates on the power of the U.K. Supreme Court. Students will also gain a thorough understanding of the workings of parliament and government. Throughout the module students will develop and refine their writing and debating skills, as well as their ability to interpret visual data.  As part of the module students conduct a 2-week placement.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 35%, Oral 15%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Comparative Government and Politics

Code:

PO2CGP

Convenor:

DR Victor Araujo Silva

Summary:

This module introduces students to the discipline of Comparative Politics. It examines the origins of political systems, regime formation and processes of a range of states from all regions of the world from a comparative perspective. Studying this module will give students a good understanding of comparative methods and research design; the ability to comparatively analyse the development of state formation and democratization processes around the world; and the tools to nuance, unpack and conceptualize some of the contemporary challenges that democratic nation- states face. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 30%, Oral 10%, Class test 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Contemporary Strategy

Code:

PO2COS

Convenor:

DR Kenton White

Summary:

This module is an introduction to the concept of strategy and its relationship with war and politics. It addresses the demands and challenges of strategic and security analysis in the modern period from a theoretical and practical standpoint. After exploring the theoretical foundation of strategy, we will look at some examples. This module will introduce you to a series of contemporary problems and how they stand in the field of modern strategy.  Aside from asking the question “What can military force do for you?”, the module asks, “Why is strategy so difficult?”

The module includes voluntary attendance at the British Army Combat Power Demonstration in the Autumn Term of 2022. This may change subject to restrictions.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Global Politics and History

Code:

PO2GPH

Convenor:

DR Kerry Goettlich

Summary:

From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Brexit, and from the rise of China to the ‘Clash of Civilizations’, contemporary debates in world politics, and often the practice of world politics itself, depend on particular understandings of history. Indeed, it is impossible to study politics without relying on knowledge about the past. But how accurate or convincing are the historical narratives and assumptions that underlie contemporary debates? Is it ‘natural’ for politics to be organised into nation-states? Is empire a thing of the past? Where did democracy come from? When did globalisation start? Was decolonization a success or failure? Students will come away from this module with both the historical knowledge and the analytical skills to be able to answer such questions.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 60%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Modern International Relations

Code:

PO2MIR

Convenor:

DR Joseph O' Mahoney

Summary:

This module provides an advanced analysis of some theoretical approaches to international politics, including models of interstate bargaining, international order, and collective action.  Students will also learn about some of the most important  global issues, including the causes of war, globalisation, US hegemony, international cooperation to combat climate chaos, nuclear weapons, cyberwar, and terrorism. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 45%, Set exercise 5%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Model United Nations

Code:

PO2MUN

Convenor:

DR Scott Edwards

Summary:

The Model United Nations module explores the structure and function of the United Nations in a changing global context. The module includes a series of lectures about the UN, its primary organs, and its main activities, along with an in-depth simulation of various countries and their positions, aims, and roles within the UN, focusing on a contemporary scenario. Students learn about foreign policy analysis, multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, international organisations, and contemporary global issues. This module will provide students with an opportunity to participate in a Model UN conference in the UK. The location will be confirmed at a later date once specific conferences confirm when and where they will take place. The University will endeavour to inform students of which conference has been selected as soon as practicable.  Attendance at the conference is a compulsory element of the module, and students will be asked to contribute £250 towards the cost of the trip.  

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Oral 10%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Political Classics

Code:

PO2PHC

Convenor:

PROF Alan Cromartie

Summary:

A survey course in the history of political thought.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Politics of the Welfare State

Code:

PO2PWS

Convenor:

DR Christoph Arndt

Summary:

The course is an introduction to the politics of welfare states in the developed economies of OECD countries with a particular focus on Western Europe. It focuses on the interaction between political and economic factors in explaining the emergence and evolution of welfare states and their various forms across countries. Students learn the major theoretical approaches in the study of the welfare state and apply them to contemporary debates about the welfare state as well as the politics of welfare state reform.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Russia in the World

Code:

PO2RTW

Convenor:

DR Vladimir Rauta

Summary:

What is Russia’s role and place in the world? How does it understand and seek this? What sort of challenge does Russia present to the international order? To answer these questions, the module brings together a range of intellectual perspectives and approaches, combining insights from international relations, international political economy, and security/strategic studies. First,  the module introduces students to the foundations of Russia’s view of the world and of its place in the international system as were shared by its transition to market economy and democratisation. Second, it engages in an evaluation of Russia’s current position in the international system by discussing issues such as, but not limited to, its invasion of Ukraine, its attempts at subverting the international liberal order though grey zone measures, or its interventions in the Middle East., 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Study of Politics

Code:

PO2SOP

Convenor:

DR Adam Humphreys

Summary:

This module examines a range of different methods to understand, explain and analyse politics and international relations. It focuses on giving students the ability to identify different methods and approaches in Politics and International Relations, and the different questions which they may be appropriately used to answer. The module covers qualitative methods (such as case studies and interviews), quantitative methods (data analysis and basic statistics), and methods of Political Theory (including normative/evaluative approaches). In doing so, it prepares students for more advanced study in Politics and International Relations, including but not limited to an undergraduate dissertation in Politics and International Relations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Class test 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Political Thinking

Code:

PO2THI

Convenor:

DR Maxime Lepoutre

Summary:

Module in applied political theory. The course investigates the ethical issues that lie behind some important contemporary policy debates. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Media and Politics

Code:

PO2TMP

Convenor:

DR Dawn Clarke

Summary:

The module introduces students to the practice of discussing politics through the media, to theories and concepts concerning the power of media ownership, the role of news gathering, the influence of social media and how theories of media effects show how audiences are affected by different kinds of media.   It combines lectures and seminars with participation in a radio show.  In the event the module is oversubscribed those studying politics as part of their programmes will normally be given priority.   Contact the module convenor for further details.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 35%, Oral 20%, Project 45%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

War and Peace Since 1800

Code:

PO2WAP

Convenor:

DR Geoff Sloan

Summary:

This module aims to enable students to appreciate both the roles played by war in modern history and the ways in which warfare has evolved over a two-hundred year period. The strongly empirical, historical thrust of the module will be used to introduce students to the ideas key to understanding (a) why, how, and with what consequences wars occur, and (b) how peace can be "caused" and sometimes maintained.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live

Code:

PP2EA1

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

This module introduces students to longstanding methods, issues and arguments in moral philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Ethical Argument 2: Philosophy and How to Live

Code:

PP2EA2

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

This module introduces students to longstanding methods, issues and arguments in moral philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Global Philosophy 1

Code:

PP2GP1

Convenor:

MISS Michela Bariselli

Summary:

This module introduces some key thinkers and issues in global philosophy, the philosophy of gender and race, the ethics of resistance and the epistemology of terrorism. Some of the claims we will examine include: Gender is an illusion, male and female ‘sex’ attributes are social constructions!  Race categories are racist, they should be abolished! Persons are ‘processes’; self and identity are conceptual fictions!  Self-immolation is an ethical form of political protest! Gandhi and Islamist suicide bombing share an ethics of sacrificial dying! Debt is founded on violence! We should undertake dying with full awareness, by meditative fasting!

We will engage in philosophical conversations with (i) contemporary feminist and race theorists such as Judith Butler, Sally Haslanger and Naomi Zack on performativist,  constructionist and essentialist approaches to gender and race; (ii) Buddhist philosophers on the metaphysics of self and identity; (iii) Buddhist, Gandhian and Islamic ethics of sacrificial dying and political resistance; (iv) interdisciplinary perspectives on the nature and origins of debt and money; (v) Jaina conceptions of meditative dying, suicide and euthanasia; (vi) the epistemology of terrorism and Islamic approaches to non-violence.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Global Philosophy 2

Code:

PP2GP2

Convenor:

MISS Michela Bariselli

Summary:

This module introduces some key thinkers and issues in global  philosophy, the philosophy of gender and race, the ethics of resistance and the epistemology of terrorism. Some of the claims we will examine include: Gender is an illusion, male and female ‘sex’ attributes are social constructions!  Race categories are racist, they should be abolished! Persons are ‘processes’; self and identity are conceptual fictions! Self-immolation is an ethical form of political protest! Gandhi and Islamist suicide bombing share an ethics of sacrificial dying! Debt is founded on violence! We should undertake dying with full awareness, by meditative fasting!

We will engage in philosophical conversations with (i) contemporary feminist and race theorists such as Judith Butler, Sally Haslanger and Naomi Zack on performativist,  constructionist and essentialist approaches to gender and race; (ii) Buddhist philosophers on the metaphysics of self and identity; (iii) Buddhist, Gandhian and Islamic perspectives on sacrificial dying and the ethics of political resistance; (iv) interdisciplinary perspectives on the nature and origins of debt and money; (v) Jaina conceptions of meditative dying, suicide and euthanasia; (vi) the epistemology of terrorism and Islamic approaches to non-violence. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1

Code:

PP2HKW1

Convenor:

DR Sev.J. Schroeder

Summary:

This module introduces students to the ideas of three great philosophers: David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, focussing especially on their respective conceptions of philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 2

Code:

PP2HKW2

Convenor:

DR Sev.J. Schroeder

Summary:

This module continues the study Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein, and their respective conceptions of philosophy (in PP2HKW1), by contrasting them with another philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer and his distinctive ideas of the nature of philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1

Code:

PP2IDR1

Convenor:

DR Walter Veit

Summary:

This module introduces students to a core area of philosophy – epistemology (the theory of knowledge), makes them familiar with key stances on the extent and nature of human knowledge (modal theories, reliabilist theories, virtue theories etc.), and requires them to evaluate such stances and find their place on the epistemological map. They will also be introduced to the social aspect of epistemology, by considering what role knowledge plays within a society, how we gain knowledge from others, and how we may be harmed specifically as knowers.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 2

Code:

PP2IDR2

Convenor:

DR Walter Veit

Summary:

This module introduces students to a core area of philosophy – epistemology (the theory of knowledge), makes them familiar with key stances on the extent and nature of human knowledge (modal theories, reliabilist theories, virtue theories etc.), and requires them to evaluate such stances and find their place on the epistemological map. They will also be introduced to the social aspect of epistemology, by considering what role knowledge plays within a society, how we gain knowledge from others, and how we may be harmed specifically as knowers.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Meaning and the Mind 1

Code:

PP2MM1

Convenor:

DR Walter Veit

Summary:

This module introduces students to core philosophical issues about meaning and the mind, and to central connections between these issues. How could there be minds in a physical world? Are states of consciousness physical states? How do our thoughts and words come to represent the world around us? These questions are intimately related. The capacity to represent the world is a central, problematic feature of the mind. Moreover, to assess what minds are, we must pay careful attention to what our words for mental states mean, and to how they come to mean what they do. We will investigate these questions by reading and discussing recent work in the philosophy of mind and language, by authors such as David Chalmers, Hilary Putnam and John Searle, as well as classic texts by authors such as Gottlob Frege and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Meaning and the Mind 2

Code:

PP2MM2

Convenor:

MR Petter Sandstad

Summary:

This module introduces students to core philosophical issues about meaning and the mind, and to central connections between these issues. How could there be minds in a physical world? Are states of consciousness physical states? How do our thoughts and words come to represent the world around us? These questions are intimately related. The capacity to represent the world is a central, problematic feature of the mind. Moreover, to assess what minds are, we must pay careful attention to what our words for mental states mean, and to how they come to mean what they do. We will investigate these questions by reading and discussing recent work in the philosophy of mind and language, by authors such as David Chalmers, Hilary Putnam and John Searle, as well as classic texts by authors such as Gottlob Frege and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1

Code:

PP2OID1

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

In this wide-ranging module, with an emphasis on contemporary political philosophy, we will explore some of the most important concerns for society. We will ask questions such as: Do existing accounts of justice need to be amended to acknowledge, explicitly, the concerns arising from race, gender, and disability? How should political philosophy respond to intersecting oppressions? What aspects of modern life threaten democracy? What is the best method by which to develop theories of justice? Is justice a local or global concern? How should we balance loyalty to our own state with concerns for global justice?

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 2

Code:

PP2OID2

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

In this module you develop the skills and build upon the content learned in PP2OID1, Oppression, Inequality and the Enemies of Democracy. This course will build upon key philosophical arguments concerning the meaning and value of freedom, equality and democracy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

International Economics

Code:

EC311

Convenor:

DR Hussein Hassan

Summary:

International economics is concerned with economic interactions among sovereign nations, in terms of trade in goods and services as well as investment in financial and real assets. It tries to answer questions such as: why do nations trade; what are the gains from trade; are such benefits fairly allocated across various social groups; should trade be free or protected; how much should trade and financial relations among nations be regulated, integrated, coordinated; why do monetary regimes and exchange rates matter; why do some nations tend to accumulate current account deficits and foreign debt whereas other are in surplus and are net lenders. Part of the module will apply the introduced theoretical concepts and models to the policy context of Brexit and EU integration.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Public Economics

Code:

EC314

Convenor:

DR Jade Siu

Summary:

This module provides students with the opportunity to explore the rationale for government intervention in the economy, to assess what the role of the government should be, and to analyse a wide range of policy issues.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Set exercise 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Urban Economics

Code:

EC317

Convenor:

DR Vivien Burrows

Summary:

The module introduces students to key topics in urban economics. We will examine some of the main economic theories and models that are used to study cities and their development, and explore a range of problems that affect cities and policies that can be used to address them. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Development Economics

Code:

EC319

Convenor:

DR Samantha Benvinda Rawlings

Summary:

Development economics concerns the application of economic tools to the study of issues that are of particular importance to low-income countries. This module primarily focuses on the application of microeconomic theory to understanding causes and consequences of underdevelopment and it studies the behaviour of individuals, including their choices and constraints when markets are missing or incomplete. The module aims to equip students with an understanding of relevant economic theory, evidence, and implications for policy. Development economics is a broad field, so that the module will necessarily focus only on a selection of topics relevant for development. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Money and Banking

Code:

EC320

Convenor:

DR Christos Mavrodimitrakis

Summary:

 This module builds on Intermediate Macroeconomics to study the economics of money, banking, and financial markets. The module consists of two basic parts: Financial Markets and Institutions; and Central Banking and Monetary Policy; while the role of money is at the centre of the analysis. Both the Great Recession and the Covid-19 pandemic highlight the volatility of financial markets and demonstrate the importance of central banks to the health of the financial system and the economy. This volatility can hit financial consumers directly, leading to difficulty in getting loans, falling home values, declining retirement account values and jeopardising jobs. We discuss interest rates, their relation to bond prices and returns, and their determination. We extend the analysis of the bond market to explain changes in credit spreads and the term structure. We also look at the role of expectations in the stock market and explore what drives stock prices. Financial institutions are central in the workings of the economy. We will look at financial structure and at the business and process of banking. On central banking, we explore what central banks are trying to achieve; what motivates them; how the money supply is determined; what are the policy tools central banks have in their disposal; how monetary policy is being conducted. We further discuss how the quantity theory of money explains inflation in the long run and how theories of the demand for money have evolved; the role of expectations in monetary policy; and the transmission mechanisms through which monetary policy affects the aggregate economy.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Class test 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Competition Policy and Economic Regulation

Code:

EC326

Convenor:

DR Minyan Zhu

Summary:

The module seeks to provide an in-depth introduction to the economic analysis of competition policy and economic regulation. Competition policy is a legislative framework enforced by competition (anti-trust) authorities to limit monopolisation and promote competition within industries. The economic aspects of competition policy are an area where economics ‘directly’ informs contemporary policies that regularly make the news headlines. Economic regulation is the activity of regulatory authorities to influence the price, quantity and entry/exit often in a particular industry where the market structure naturally favours a monopoly seller. The module explores the understanding of why competition policy and economic regulation are needed, how such intervention is implemented in practice and the implications of such intervention for economic welfare.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Economics of Banking

Code:

EC327

Convenor:

MS Diya Abraham

Summary:

This module provides students with a guide to the economic theory of banking covering an introduction to the recent developments in academic research with a focus on the microeconomics of banking. The module will address important issues including the economic theory of bank financial intermediation pointing out the weaknesses in the banking sector, bank risks and strategies adopted by banks to address risks, economic assessment of the link between market structure, competition and stability in banking, the rationale for government intervention, and banking regulation. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Industrial Organisation

Code:

EC347

Convenor:

DR Joo Young Jeon

Summary:

This module presents a number of lessons from theoretical industrial economics for our understanding of corporate decision-making - such as price-setting, output-setting, investment in productive capacity, advertising, product differentiation, vertical integration and collusive behaviour. In this context, the role of industrial competition is emphasised and both the determinants of market structure and the imperatives for competition policy intervention are discussed.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Business History

Code:

EC348

Convenor:

PROF Peter Scott

Summary:

The course reviews the history of business from the earliest times to the present day. It provides a wide-ranging introduction to the history of businesses at different times and in different countries. It focuses on the growth of major businesses that have had a significant impact on technological innovation and social structures. It analyses the growth of business through the lens of entrepreneurship, emphasising the role of individual personality and social institutions in the growth of business enterprises.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Financial Economics

Code:

EC349

Convenor:

DR Mark Guzman

Summary:

This module has two parts. The first part covers financial decision making in an idealised world with certainty and in a more complex world with uncertainty and market imperfections. The second part covers recent developments in financial markets and securities.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Set exercise 25%, Class test 25%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Dissertation (for Joint degrees)

Code:

EC3DSI

Convenor:

DR Hussein Hassan

Summary:

The dissertation module involves a 12,000 word independent piece of research work which students carry out on a topic of their choice. While mostly working independently, students will receive one-on-one supervision with an academic in the Department.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 20%, Dissertation 80%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

British Foreign and Defence Policy since 1945

Code:

PO3BFD

Convenor:

DR Kenton White

Summary:

The purpose of this module is to encourage students to critically evaluate Britain's foreign and defence policy record in the post-war era. This module is broken up into two areas. The first will look at the theory and practice of how foreign and defence policy is made. The second part will address what the policies have been and why, and what the current policies look like. The course will examine the end of the British Empire, the development of the Commonwealth, the nature of Britain’s relationship with the US and Britain’s sometimes ‘awkward’ relationship with other European states. The course then critically examines a series of major post-war challenges – the Suez crisis, the Falklands War, economic and ‘soft power’, its retention of nuclear weapons, the impact of New Labour on British foreign policy including the conflict in Iraq. The course concludes with an exercise assessing the UK's place in the world today and strategy for the future.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Introduction to Critical Security Studies

Code:

PO3CSS

Convenor:

DR Andreas Behnke

Summary:

The module provides an introduction to the rapidly expanding and evolving sub-field of Critical Security Studies. It provides the students with the conceptual and theoretical tools to critically examine recent developments within domestic as well as international security issues. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 10%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Dynamics of Civil Wars

Code:

PO3DCW

Convenor:

DR Vladimir Rauta

Summary:

Civil war is the dominant form of political violence in the contemporary world. The module discusses dynamics of political violence in civil wars. It presents students with a theoretical and empirical analysis of key problems in civil wars such as participation, recruitment, organisation, external support, rebel diplomacy and rebel governance (topics subject to minor change). The module will require students to engage with theoretical works and empirical case studies of modern and contemporary conflicts. This will allow students to come away with a clearer sense of the depth and breadth of how political violence is employed in civil war and think about these critical phenomena in a more nuanced way. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Dissertation

Code:

PO3DIS

Convenor:

DR Adam Humphreys

Summary:

Students prepare an independent, research-based dissertation of 8,000-10,000 words on a topic in Politics and International Relations (broadly understood), chosen in consultation with advisers within the Department of Politics and International Relations.  This piece of work represents the culmination of three years of progressively more independent study.

Assessment Method:

Oral 10%, Dissertation 90%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Far Right

Code:

PO3FAR

Convenor:

PROF Daphne Halikiopoulou

Summary:

Far right parties are on the rise across Europe. Their shared populist rhetoric, emphasis on sovereignty and policies that promote a ‘national preference’ has facilitated the term ‘the new nationalism’. How may we explain this phenomenon? Is it driven by demand or supply-side dynamics? Are different European far right parties comparable? What are their similarities and differences? This course provides a broad overview of the theories and approaches to the study of the far right across Europe, focusing on the commonalities and differences in support for such parties across case and circumstance.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Oral 10%, Project 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Feminism and Political Theory

Code:

PO3FPT

Convenor:

DR Maxime Lepoutre

Summary:

This module explores the contributions of feminism to contemporary political theory. It begins by examining theoretical controversies surrounding the definition, subject matter, and aims of feminism. It then brings these theoretical insights to bear on a range of pressing issues in feminist politics, such as abortion, surrogacy, pornography, marriage and sexist language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Intelligence, War and International Relations

Code:

PO3INT

Convenor:

DR Geoff Sloan

Summary:

The module aims to provide students with an insight into the pertinence and diversity of the intelligence function within war, strategy and international politics. This will entail acquiring a thorough understanding of the various concepts, changes and continuities associated with intelligence activities in the twentieth and early twenty first centuries.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

International Organizations in Global Politics

Code:

PO3IOG

Convenor:

DR Scott Edwards

Summary:

This module introduces students to the study of international organisations. International organisations are key players in global politics. They help states coordinate policies, solve cooperation problems and advance national interests. At the same time, international organisations have become actors in their own right that regulate ever more issue areas and intervene deeply into the domestic realm of states. This has given rise to controversies in academic and policy communities not only over why international organisations exist and whether they matter in international politics, but also over whether they can effectively alleviate global problems and how legitimate they are. The aim of the module is to

1. Discuss the main theoretical and conceptual approaches to the study of international organisations;
2. Examine how international organisations are designed, how they work, and how effective they are;
3. Analyse the major challenges international organisations face – legitimacy problems, politicization, withdrawal – and the ways they respond to these challenges.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

International Political Economy

Code:

PO3IPE

Convenor:

DR Jonathan Golub

Summary:

The course is an introduction to International Political Economy (IPE), which focuses on the interaction between states and markets at the domestic and international levels. It covers the major theoretical approaches to IPE and applies them to study international trade, development, financial crises, and economic sanctions. It also considers the relationship between globalisation and the welfare state as well as the environment.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 40%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

International Terrorism

Code:

PO3ITE

Convenor:

DR Amanda Hall

Summary:

This course examines key issues in the study of contemporary international terrorism. It starts by examining what terrorism is and what distinguishes it from other forms of conflict and warfare in the international system, the causes and consequences of terrorism throughout history, and the nexus between terrorism and the media. From here, the focus shifts to the question of whether there is a particular terrorist type, looking at a range of so-called “typologies” of terrorism that have gained prominence in recent decades. We examine what factors influence terrorist target selection and modus operandi, as well as the options available to counterterrorism, specifically focusing on the effectiveness of political, economic, military and judicial instruments. Terrorism and counterterrorism are further examined with a view to just-war theory and within the context of the civil liberties debate. The course concludes with a look to the future, both in terms of terrorism itself and the contribution the social sciences can make to conceptual and theoretical progress in the area.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Karl Marx

Code:

PO3MAR

Convenor:

PROF Alan Cromartie

Summary:

This module examines the thought of Karl Marx, the greatest social theorist of the last two centuries. It is a text-based course that focuses on excerpts from Marx’s major writings – in other words, we look at the words on the page to see what Marx actually said. 

Particular attention is paid to his ideas about alienation, ideology, exploitation, and revolution, but you will emerge with a general understanding of the Marxist interpretation of history and its possible political implications.  The approach that is adopted is sympathetic to Marx, but students from all political backgrounds are welcome and vigorous dissent is encouraged; the course pays particular attention to those features of thinking that seem to have continuing political importance, but it also explains the reasons for his vulnerability to liberal and conservative criticism.

There is no examination, but the module will conclude with a Long Essay requiring detailed knowledge of all aspects of the course.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Politics & International Relations of the Middle East

Code:

PO3MEA

Convenor:

DR Younis Lahwej

Summary:

This module seeks to provide students with a nuanced understanding of the Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. Divided into two sections, it links the domestic politics of Middle Eastern states with the international tensions and conflicts of the region. The first part begins with a survey of the history of states and empires, followed by the emergence of nationalism and the establishment of the modern state system. We examine in detail the influence and overlapping roles of Pan-Islam, Pan-Arabism, State-Nationalism, Zionism, Palestinian Nationalism, Islamic Fundamentalism and Gender throughout the region and assess the extent to which they impact and define contemporary state politics. The second part turns to the issue of state-civil society relations in the region and the special role of water and oil in national and international politics. Examination of the international politics of the region further includes inter-Arab relations, the Arab-Israeli dispute, the Gulf wars and the complexities of the Syrian Crisis as well as the roles of the superpowers and their interests in the region. The course concludes with a role-play simulation involving negotiation and conflict resolution within the context of a politically sensitive issue for the Israelis and Arab/Palestinians and the current regional conflicts. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Politics of Nuclear Weapons

Code:

PO3NUK

Convenor:

DR Joseph O' Mahoney

Summary:

How do nuclear weapons affect international politics? How likely is nuclear war or nuclear terrorism? How dangerous is nuclear proliferation? Is nuclear disarmament possible? This module examines the historical, and political contexts for nuclear policy making, including the development of nuclear weapons by states, the evolution of nuclear strategy, the role nuclear weapons play in international politics, the risks posed by nuclear arsenals, and the policies and strategies in place to mitigate those risks. Emphasis is given to political and technical considerations affecting national choices. The module considers the issues surrounding non-proliferation strategies, nuclear security, and next steps for arms control.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Parliamentary Studies

Code:

PO3PAR

Convenor:

DR Mark Shanahan

Summary:

This highly innovative module, taught both for final year undergrads and PIM84 Masters students working, in part, together, is co-taught by parliamentary practitioners and experts alongside staff and members from the Department of Politics & IR. This module provides students with an understanding of the working and impact of the institution of Parliament both in theory and in practice. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 30%, Report 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Responsibility for Injustice

Code:

PO3RFI

Convenor:

DR Rob Jubb

Summary:

This is a module in political and moral theory, focusing on questions of responsibility for and appropriate responses to injustice. It aims to enable students to think critically about their responsibilities to fight to end injustice.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Risk

Code:

PO3RIS

Convenor:

DR Alice Baderin

Summary:

Advanced course in political theory, focusing on questions about the ethics and politics of risk. The course brings together ethical theory with the study of applied cases.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

US Foreign and Defence Policy since 1950

Code:

PO3USF

Convenor:

DR Graham O'Dwyer

Summary:

American foreign policy matters. As the most powerful, wealthiest, and influential state in the contemporary international system what Washington thinks and does is important to understand. But how did the US come to be in such a dominant position? This module explores this question and a set of integrated ones that flow from this concerning the American foreign policy tradition, the growth of presidential power in foreign policy making since 1945, and a number of case studies that explore key events and policies across time. By exploring historical and contemporary cases, since the Vietnam War, students will analyse how foreign policy decisions are made, look at who influences them, and how this has evolved overtime. Drawing on primary and secondary sources students will gain an understanding of crucial events such as the Vietnam War, nuclear diplomacy during the Cold War, US-Mexico-Colombia relations and the War on Drug, and the response to 9/11. Finally, the course will explore salient challenges faced by US foreign policymakers today.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Worlding International Relations

Code:

PO3WIR

Convenor:

DR Andreas Behnke

Summary:

This module is directed to students interested in the history and current development of International Relations. It addresses the challenges formulated in diverse parts of the world to the Western dominance of the field of International Relations. Focusing on how central concept of IR are understood in different parts of the world, the module investigates how scholars from around the world think about central concepts such as sovereignty, the state, war, peace, religion and ‘the international’. Highlighting the conceptual differences in non-Western approaches, the module casts light on their implication for IR and the study of world politics.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

War, Peace and International Ethics

Code:

PO3WPE

Convenor:

DR Maxime Lepoutre

Summary:

This module examines the ethical dimensions of war, peace, and interstate conflict. While this module focuses on issues within moral thought and theory, it does so with an eye to assessing real-world conflicts. Among the issues discussed are humanitarian intervention, strategic bombing, terrorism, the use of human shields, automated warfare, war crimes tribunals, and peace-making.  

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Are we free?

Code:

PP3AF

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

‘Freedom’ is a central concept in modern political and ethical debate.  But many aspects remain unclear and call for philosophical investigation. For example, we are often able to do what we want. And that certainly looks like being free. But suppose we do not control what we want. We may be doing what we want, but are we free? Or suppose everything that happens must happen, as a result of events that took place millennia before our birth. That includes not only every action we perform, but every want that drove us to that action. Again, we may be doing what we want, but are we free? If not, do our lives have any more significance than that of fleas? Can we really be held responsible for anything? Do we ever merit praise or deserve blame? Are we ever justified in punishing people? These are some of the issues this module investigates philosophically.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Code:

PP3BESR

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

This module will introduce students to a variety of ethical challenges and considerations for professionals and corporate enterprises alike. We consider issues such as: the importance of ethics in the business environment, the grounds of professional ethics, moral reasoning in a business environment, whether doing well is compatible with doing good, and how to allocate social responsibility.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Chinese Philosophy

Code:

PP3CP

Convenor:

PROF John Preston

Summary:

This module introduces students to the following major figures in the Confucian tradition from early Chinese philosophy: Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. (Works by Mozi and Han Feizi will also figure). We will look at central texts from each of these thinkers in detail, and consider relations not only between their ideas but also between their ideas and those of notable philosophers from the Western philosophical tradition.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Dissertation in Philosophy

Code:

PP3DIS

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

In this module you will pursue an in-depth philosophical project of your own devising. While predominately working independently you will receive one-on-one supervision with an academic working in the same field of study, and you will be encouraged to collaborate with other students on the module. 

Assessment Method:

Oral 25%, Dissertation 65%, Set exercise 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Fairness

Code:

PP3FAI

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

This module addresses the concept of fairness and its relation to other moral concepts and considerations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Happy, Good and Meaningful Lives

Code:

PP3HGML

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

Happiness and well-being are not only important from the agent’s point of view, but are essential to many moral debates. In this module we will analyse the key notions of happiness, a good life, and a meaningful life to gain a better understanding of each. We will also consider various views on what things make for a happy life, a good life, and a meaningful life. The module will look at both historical and current views on these issues.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Philosophy of Law

Code:

PP3LA

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

This module will introduce students to basic issues in the philosophy of law, including the nature of crime and punishment.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Philosophy of Language

Code:

PP3LAN

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

Philosophy of language concerns the nature of meaning, language, and communication. It seeks answers to the following questions: Are human beings the only animals who communicate with language? What kinds of mental capacities do babies need to acquire language? How do languages develop and change over time? What is the significance of the fact that languages have different color terms?  What happens when a language dies? Is preventing language death valuable? Can languages go into decline? In particular, is English getting worse over time? How does the development of writing affect the way we use language? What makes some uses of language “correct” and other uses “incorrect”? What is the significance of the fact that some languages don’t have a word for the color “blue”?  Why do we so easily draw conclusions about people who have certain kinds of accents? Why is it so hard to program computers to have natural-sounding human conversations?

Addressing these questions will require an examination of foundational texts in philosophy, linguistics, psychology and anthropology from the 19th, 20th centuries, as well as cutting-edge research informed by developments in the cognitive sciences.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Mediaeval Philosophy

Code:

PP3MED

Convenor:

MISS Michela Bariselli

Summary:

This module introduces students to mediaeval philosophy (roughly, the period from 500 to 1500 AD). We will pick one philosophical topic (such as moral obligation, or God’s existence, the problem of universals, or the motion of projectiles) and look at what some major thinkers of the period had to say about it.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Morality of Abortion

Code:

PP3MOA

Convenor:

PROF Philip Stratton-Lake

Summary:

In this module we will look at both sides of the debate about the morality of abortion. We will consider different approaches to the issue, eg., rights based, value based, reasons based, feminist arguments, etc, read the main literature for each approach, and assess the various arguments. Authors to be considered will typically include Thomson, Singer, Dworkin, Tooley, and Marquis.

Assessing these various argument will take us into various more general issues, such as what makes it wrong to kill adult humans, the conditions of having rights, as well as issues outside of moral philosophy that are relevant to this debate, such as the nature of personhood, personal identity, the identity conditions of organisms, philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, and metaphysics.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Philosophy of Religion

Code:

PP3REL

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

This module will introduce students to basic issues in the philosophy of religion.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Reason, Value & Knowledge

Code:

PP3RVK

Convenor:

PROF Philip Stratton-Lake

Summary:

To familiarise students with important concepts and debates in contemporary moral theory.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

The Scandal of Film

Code:

PP3SCF

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

Films play a central role in our cultural life. But many aspects remain unclear and call for philosophical investigation. For example, we often attribute enormous powers to films. They teach us about reality! They reveal the human condition! They make us better people! They make us worse people! They include some of the greatest art yet produced! They do philosophy—better and more seriously than philosophers do! But are any of these claims actually true? Is it even possible, for example, that a film might be a work of art? It would be a scandal to go on believing these claims and not investigate them. So this course will.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Speech Attacks: bullshit, lies, propaganda

Code:

PP3SPA

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

This module focuses on the way language can be used aggressively, to deceive, manipulate, and oppress. The theoretical foundation of the approach to language taken in this module is speech act theory, which investigates the various ways that we use language to perform actions ranging from betting, promising, and telling, to insulting, bullshitting, and silencing.  We will begin by discussing the foundations of speech act theory and examine a variety of ways that it has been applied to philosophical problems in feminist theory and political and social theory. We will also discuss lies and bullshit, and what (if anything) is wrong with these uses of language. And we will discuss the nature of propaganda and “fake news” and how to resist its effects. 

Exploring the questions raised in this module will take us into debates in philosophy of language, epistemology, feminist theory, and political philosophy. We will look at real-world examples in which language is used aggressively and use the tools provided by speech act theory to help us understand how those uses function, and how they can be opposed. We will read work by some (if not all) of the following authors: J.L. Austin, Harry Frankfurt, Sally Haslanger, Rae Langton, Ishani Maitra, Geoff Nunberg, Martha Nussbaum, George Orwell, Jason Stanley, and Lynne Tirrell.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Society and State in Ancient Greece

Code:

PP3SSG

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

A module devoted to the study of classic works in Ancient Greek political philosophy, including some or all of Aristotle’s Politics and Rhetoric and Plato’s Republic and Gorgias. We look at the philosophers’ conceptions of politics, society, and government, and examine their relevance to modern concerns and issues.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Topics in Comparative Philosophy: an International Online Course

Code:

PP3TCP

Convenor:

MISS Michela Bariselli

Summary:

This is a module in comparative philosophy taught by an international faculty who are specialists in their field based in Europe and the UK. It presents core topics in the philosophy of mind, and in social, political and moral philosophy from a variety of cross-cultural perspectives: Indian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Buddhist and Western philosophies.  We will discuss Brahmanist/Hindu concepts of mind, Mengzi and Xuanzang on the experience of other minds, Laozi and Nagarjuna on interdependence, Sextus Empiricus and Dogen on continuous inquiry, and interrogate the concepts of morality and law, nation and tradition from a variety of philosophical perspectives. Classes will be online with an international group of students and faculty but will include in-person seminars and support.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Wittgenstein, Science and Worldviews

Code:

PP3WSW

Convenor:

PROF John Preston

Summary:

This module covers the ways in which Ludwig Wittgenstein was influenced by the natural sciences of his time, and the remarks he made about natural science and worldviews from his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) to his one of his last works, On Certainty (1949-51). (Note that Part 3 modules in the Department of Philosophy are driven by student interest: the University will not allow us to run any that do not enrol enough students (the minimum number is 12)).

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.