Postgraduate Course: Methods in Political Theory (PGSP11135)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | 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.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
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.
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Assessment Information
| One essay of 3,000 words (+/- 10%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Tim Hayward
Tel: (0131 6)50 4238
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Gillian Macdonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 3244
Email: |
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