units

AZA2640

Faculty of Arts

18 September 2017 26 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 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.

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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.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Arts
Organisational UnitSouth Africa School of Social Sciences
OfferedSouth Africa First semester 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Mr Charles Villet

Synopsis

The unit adopts a global perspective but looks at issues through a South African and African lens. We examine questions such as: When, if ever, is warfare justified? What about humanitarian intervention? What about violent revolution and terrorism? Why should civilians be protected in conflict? These issues are linked to the situation in Africa, with particular reference to some of the vexing dilemmas encountered within this context, such as terrorism, dictatorships and civil war.This unit will introduce students to theoretical approaches to the ethics of conflict that will allow them to answer these difficult questions. It will also serve to introduce students to basic ideas in moral and political philosophy. No background in philosophy is required: merely an interest in rational argument applied to global conflict.

Outcomes

Students successfully completing the unit at 2-level will:

  1. be able to explain the central ideas of just war theory;
  2. be able to explain leading criticisms of just war theory;
  3. have developed the ability to apply philosophical theories of justice in conflict to actual cases from recent history;
  4. be able to develop and critically assess arguments about the justification of violence in the pursuit of political ends;
  5. be able to critically assess the situation in Africa and its accompanying political dilemmas as it relates to issues of violence and justice.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

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

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Mr Charles Villet

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

Philosophy
International studies

Prohibitions

AZA3640, ATS2640, ATS3640