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 | 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. 
 
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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:  459 | 
 
| 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 
Discussion groups: 9 | 
 
| Keywords | Not entered | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Philip Cook 
Tel: (0131 6)51 1577 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Miss Amy Wilson 
Tel: (0131 6)50 8253 
Email:  | 
   
 
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© Copyright 2015 The University of Edinburgh -  21 October 2015 12:54 pm 
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