6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Chief examiner(s)
Dr Sam Butchart
(semester 1 and summer semester)
Dr Linda Barclay
(semester 2)
Coordinator(s)
Dr Linda Barclay
(Day)
Dr Sam Butchart
(Flexible)
Unit guides
Offered
- First semester 2018 (Flexible)
- Second semester 2018 (Flexible)
- Second semester 2018 (On-campus)
Notes
- The unit is offered as part of the Philosophy Flexible Learning programPhilosophy Flexible Learning program (http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/philosophy/flexible-learning/).
- The unit may be offered as part of the Summer Arts ProgramSummer Arts Program (http://www.monash.edu/students/courses/arts/summer-program.html).
Synopsis
The overarching aim of this unit is to give students a strong foundation in political philosophy. The unit focuses on three principal questions: How are political institutions justified? How should wealth and income be distributed in the just state? And when is it justified to punish someone for violating a state's laws? Students will be introduced to central attempts to answer these questions, using both classical and contemporary authors.
Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will have:
- mastered fundamental concepts in political philosophy;
- acquired familiarity the methodology of political philosophy and how political philosophy relates to other branches of philosophy;
- be able to identify relevant literature for the purposes of scholarly work on political philosophy;
- improved written and oral communication skills;
- undertaken independent research and reading in completing the assignments.
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