| CODE | PHI1036 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | What is Politics? | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Even though the term 'politics' is widely used in everyday conversation and its meaning often seems uncontested, it actually carries different meanings depending on the context and the intended purpose of the discourse in which it is employed. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect on what does, or should, fall under the umbrella of 'politics'. This study-unit addresses the question 'What is Politics?' by providing an in-depth philosophical analysis and exploration of political activity. A particular emphasis is placed on political processes within democratic systems. The themes explored in this study-unit include foundational political concepts such as the state, ideology, representation, and law. Furthermore, this study-unit will examine how these concepts can be effectively applied to make sense of real-world political processes in a complex world. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: - critically engage with the question 'What is politics?' - equip students with a fundamental understanding of political processes, especially within democratic systems. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - critically discuss the different meanings of the term 'politics' - define and discuss the key concepts that are generally used to explain political processes, particularly in democratic systems; - critically analyse the philosophical foundations of political institutions. - critically analyse the relations between different political institutions. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - critically engage with the different uses of the term 'politics'; - explain the key concepts that are generally used to explain political processes, particularly in democratic systems; - employ these key concepts to analyse political processes, especially within democratic systems. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: • Heywood, Andrew. Politics, 5th ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019. • Swift, Adam. Political Philosophy: A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians, 2nd ed. Cambridge UK: Polity, 2006. • Axford, Barrie, Victoria Browne, Richard Huggins, Rico Isaacs. Politics: An Introduction, 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 2019. • Held, David. Models of Democracy, 3rd ed. Cambridge UK: Polity, 2006. • Hay, Colin. Political Analysis: A Critical Introduction. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. • Della Porta, Donatella. Can Democracy Be Saved? Participation, Deliberation and Social Movements. Cambridge UK: Polity, 2013. • Pettit, Philip. Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and Government. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. • Hay, Colin (ed.), Michael Lister (ed.), David Marsh (ed.). The State: Theories and Issues, 2nd ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022. Supplementary Readings: • Cohen, Joshua. Philosophy, Politics, Democracy: Selected Essays. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 2009. • Mouffe, Chantal. The Democratic Paradox. New York: Verso, 2009. • Dryzek, John S., (ed.), Bonnie Honig (ed.), Anne Phillips (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Political Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. • Beetham, David. The Legitimation of Power. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education, 1991. • Binder, Sarah A. (ed.), R. A. W. Rhodes (ed.), Bert A. Rockman (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2008). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Keith Pisani |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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