Methods in Political Theory (P02753)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-P02753

The course would cover specialised methods in political theory, such as the following (amongst others):

The Cambridge School and the History of Political Thought
The use of historical thought in contemporary political theory
Textual analysis in political theory
The political theory of political institutions
The theory and practive of contemporary analytical theory
Analytical political theory v. continental political theory
Relativism, Subjectivism, ethical Realism: metha-ethics and normative moral judgment

Which topics are taught will depend on teaching availability, but also, and more importantly, on students? own research topics in any given year, other themes and topics would be added to the list. The focus of the course is very much on linking methodological issues with identifiable research projects. For example, a student trying to reconstruct a Lockean theory of political obligation would learn how to distinguish between a claim made by Locke, and a Lockean claim. These are not arcane questions: failing to address them can, more often than not, make the difference between a successful argument and a failed attempt.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Science), (School of Social and Political Science, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : To be arranged/Unknown

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 5 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Tutorial	Tuesday	09:00	10:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To expose students to a wide range of methodological issues in political theory and the history of political thought, and to complement the grounding provided by Explanation and Understanding.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course, the students will have read major methodological work in political theory; they will have learnt to identify the methodological problems raised by their own, specific, research project, and to locate the resources which will help them solve those problems. They will also have learnt to see the different sub-fields within political theory as linked by common themes and methodological concerns, rather than as discrete fields of inquiry.