units

ATS3690

Faculty of Arts

18 September 2017 20 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Arts
OfferedClayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Dr Paul Muldoon; Dr Michael Janover

Notes

Previously coded PLT3090

Synopsis

This unit seeks to illuminate the current crisis of humanity by looking at the work of three key figures in recent political theory - Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. Each of these theorists has interrogated the relationship between politics and barbarism at the most profound level and attempted to salvage a concept of humanity from the catastrophes of the twentieth century. Pivoting around themes of truth, freedom and power, their work draws us back to fundamental questions about the purposes and possibilities of politics as a human endeavour. Engaging with them will help to shed light on what might be hoped for human beings, individually and collectively, in the future.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. understand debates about humanism and anti-humanism in politics and political theory
  2. compare and contrast key political ideas of the three theorists studied in the unit: Arendt, Foucault, Derrida
  3. display developing skills of spoken and written communication in addressing questions of politics and humanism
  4. summarise and analyse passages of text that raise issues and ideas in political theory
  5. understand and analyse the relationship between politics and ethics in the writings of political theorists
  6. critically reflect on political theory as an attempt to explain the meaning and advance the possibility of human freedom

Assessment

Seminar Participation: 10%
Written work: 60% (3000 words)
2 Hours exam: 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Paul Muldoon

Workload requirements

One 2-hour seminar per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Politics
Philosophy
International studies
International relations

Prerequisites

Completion of two Gateway units in Politics

Prohibitions

ATS2690