Undergraduate Course: Political Thinkers (PLIT08011)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course has a strict quota. [See quota details below the course description]
The course aims to introduce students to some historical writers whose thoughts on politics - international or domestic - have become recognised by theorists as canonical in the western tradition, or whose work is becomingly increasingly recognised within a broader, non-Eurocentric canon.
Lectures are structured around the varying answers to the question What is Politics? given exemplary form by the specified thinkers. Their responses are examined through the themes/problems/tensions associated with their work. So, each lecture answers the question through the themes/contrasts etc raised or addressed by the thinker(s) in question.
The content of the course is innovative in two respects: first, it conceives of political thought as a unified discipline encompassing thinking pertinent to both politics and international relations; second, along with the standard thinkers traditionally examined in such courses it introduces a number of female or non-western thinkers.
QUOTA DETAILS AND INSTRUCTIONS: Student Support Officers or Personal Tutors automatically enrol students of the following four categories:
1. First year students admitted to a Politics or International Relations degree (Single or Joint)
2. Visiting Students (pre-registered) holding an offer of a place in the course from the College Office;
3. First year students whose main subject is in the School of Social and Political Science (SSPS)
4. First year students whose main subject has a joint degree with Politics (e.g. Economics, History etc.)
SSO and PTs cannot enrol students of the following categories:
- First year students taking the BA (HSS);
- Other first year students taking Honours degrees in the College of Humanities and Social Science (e.g. English Literature, Linguistics; Psychology; Business Studies);
- Second year students
Students will be placed on a waiting list, please contact the course secretary.
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| Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 450 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
163 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by one 2000-word essay which constitutes a formative feedback event and one two-hour examination, each contributing 50% of the overall course mark. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Familiarise themselves with some of the key claims made by historically influential thinkers and commentators.
- Acquire the background understanding of the development of key concepts that will enable them to contextualise their later studies in politics and international relations.
- Equip themselves with the skills and knowledge required for the interpretation and analysis of theoretical texts.
- Engage critically and reflectively with a range of theoretical debates.
- Develop their ability to assess a variety of perspectives and theoretical arguments.
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Reading List
Political Thinkers, eds David Boucher & Paul Kelly, Oxford University Press
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Lectures: 18
Tutorials: 9 |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Lynn Dobson
Tel: (0131 6)51 1285
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Amy Wilson
Tel: (0131 6)50 8253
Email: |
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