| CODE | PHI5016 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Democracy: Models, Principles, and Contemporary Challenges | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers an in-depth analysis and exploration of democracy and democratic theory within the context of today’s complex societal and political landscape. It investigates a range of democratic models – including liberal, republican, deliberative, and agonistic – discussing their philosophical underpinnings. Central democratic ideas such as popular sovereignty, private rights, public reason, and the public sphere are also explored. Furthermore, the study-unit confronts the challenges faced by contemporary democracies, such as the emergence of post-truth politics and issues surrounding representation in diverse, pluralistic, and multicultural societies. Overall, this study-unit aims to connect theoretical perspectives with their practical applications, fostering a deep understanding of real-world processes and challenges within the context of today’s democracies. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: - Critically engage with various models of democracy and key democratic ideas and principles. - Employ theory to critically examine contemporary challenges faced by modern democracies. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Discuss how different democratic models explain different political processes in democratic systems; - appraise key concepts that are generally used to explain political processes in democratic systems; - analyse the main challenges faced by democracies in today's world. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically engage with different models of democracy and the accounts they offer to explain political processes in democratic systems; - Identify the strengths and weakness of different models of democracy and the accounts they offer to explain political processes in democratic systems; - Explain and discuss key concepts employed in democratic theory; - Critically analyze challenges faced by democracies in today's world; - Engage in creative and critical thinking intended to offer solutions to the challenges faced by democracies in today's world; Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Rawls, John. Political Liberalism (expanded edition). New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. - Mouffe, Chantal. The Paradox of Democracy. New York: Verso, 2000. - Habermas, Jürgen. Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy. Translated by William Rehg. Cambridge MA: MIT, 1996. - Benhabib, Seyla ed. Democracy and Difference: Contesting the Boundaries of the Political. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Jean-Paul De Lucca 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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