BA Philosophy and Politics

Title:

Reason and Argument

Code:

PP1RA

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module enhances students’ ability to understand and construct complex arguments through the study of logic and the psychology of human reasoning. Reading: A module guide will be available. Recommended: Jamie Carlin Watson and Robert Arp, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to Reasoning Well, 2nd edition, Bloomsbury, 2015.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Introduction to Political Ideas

Code:

PO1IPI

Convenor:

DR Rob Jubb

Summary:

An introduction to political theory, covering central topics like the state and its authority, democracy, rights and liberty, equality and social justice, and war and intervention, as well as some of the basic methods for understanding them all. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

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Title:

Politics: International Relations and Strategic Studies

Code:

PO1IRS

Convenor:

DR Vladimir Rauta

Summary:

The module provides an introduction to the study of International Relations and Strategic Studies. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

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Title:

Introduction to Contemporary Democracy

Code:

PO1ICD

Convenor:

DR Christoph Arndt

Summary:

The module is intended to open students’ eyes to how democracy works or does not work around the world today. The first section on the Origins of Democracy looks globally at where democratic and non-democratic systems exist and what factors determine this distribution. Later sections draw much of their empirical content from the UK, but also include comparisons beyond the UK where appropriate.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

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Title:

What the font? Making and using typefaces

Code:

TY1WTF

Convenor:

DR Matthew Lickiss

Summary:

You are surrounded by fonts. Social media, text messages, email, branding, advertising, websites, books, magazines … Human (and machine) communication relies extensively on fonts, but what do you really know about them? How and why are new fonts created? And is it ever OK to use comic sans?! This module will introduce you to the world of typeface design, exploring the history, theory, and practice of making and using fonts and giving you the opportunity to design a typeface of your own. No background in design is required.

Assessment Method:

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Title:

What the font? Making and using typefaces (10 credits)

Code:

TY1WTF10

Convenor:

DR Matthew Lickiss

Summary:

You are surrounded by fonts. Social media, text messages, email, branding, advertising, websites, books, magazines … Human (and machine) communication relies extensively on fonts, but what do you really know about them? How and why are new fonts created? And is it ever OK to use comic sans?! This module will introduce you to the world of typeface design, exploring the history, theory, and practice of making and using fonts. No background in design is required.

Assessment Method:

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Title:

Introduction to Psychology

Code:

PY1IPY

Convenor:

PROF Judith Ellis

Summary:

This module is delivered at the University of Reading, for students who are interested in but not studying Psychology.  

Assessment Method:

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Title:

Elementary Logic

Code:

PP1EL

Convenor:

DR Severin Schroeder

Summary:

Arguments are the foundation of most philosophy. This module will teach you to explore in rigorous, mathematical terms why some arguments provide absolute support for their conclusions, and others do not. This module will thus provide essential formal ‘heavy machinery’ for reading and writing original philosophical papers in later parts of the degree course.Reading: Required readings will be posted online. Recommended:The open-source, online textbook ‘forall x’:http://www.fecundity.com/logic/Wilfrid Hodges, ‘Logic’, Penguin 2001

Assessment Method:

Set exercise 100%

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Title:

Global Justice

Code:

PP1GJ

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

Global traditions of philosophy  from the Buddha and Confucius to Simone Weil, Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther King Jr., and African and Native American thinkers advocate ideas of justice and freedom that extend far beyond contemporary conceptions. This course shows how these thinkers question our  ideas of justice, and  transform how we approach injustice and freedom in the  context of race and colonialism, nature and  indigenous communities, identity  and sexuality, family and polity, through radically different conceptions of freedom and violence,  love, equality and harmony.

Some of the claims we will examine include: Justice is freedom from suffering!  Revolutionary violence is cathartic and emancipatory! Political justice  requires mental training! Nature is alive and has rights! Gender and sexual freedom are gained by  dissolving bodily boundaries!  Truth lies in pleasure! Justice is  love! Social justice comes with harmonising differences! 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Oral 20%, Class test 10%

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Title:

The Meaning of Life

Code:

PP1ML

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

What is the meaning of life? This is perhaps the most important philosophical question we can ask. What is the answer? Indeed, what is the question really asking? In this module, we seek the answers. Along the way, we will consider a series of fascinating questions which promise to enlighten our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. What makes life worth living? Is there any reason to fear death? Could life in artificial reality be better or more fulfilling than life in the real world?

Reading:

A list of required readings will be posted online. All or nearly all core readings are available electronically.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Oral 20%, Class test 10%

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Title:

Mental Machines

Code:

PP1MM

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

This module investigates the interface between philosophy, cognitive science, and computer science. We will look at the hypothesis that the human mind is a computational system, as assumed by most contemporary work in cognitive science. We will ask: if the human mind is a computer, what kind of computer is it? Is it a classical computer, operating on structured representations in line with semi-logical rules of inference? Or is it more akin to contemporary ‘Deep Learning’ systems, trained on Big Data? We will consider substantial problems that arise for both such views, based on tasks that humans perform relatively easily, but on which computers are, as of yet, unable to perform successfully.

We will read the works of philosophers such as Ned Block, Dan Dennett, and Jerry Fodor, as well as scientists like Pedro Domingos and Gary Marcus.

Reading:



Required readings will be posted online.



Recommended:

Tim Crane, The Mechanical Mind, Routledge 2003.

Hubert Dreyfus, What Computers Still Can't Do, MIT Press 1992.

John Searle, 'Minds, brains, and programs’. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3: 417-457, 1980

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

The Right and the Good

Code:

PP1RG

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

In this module we will go through the arguments and positions of W. D. Ross’s The Right and the Good. This will involve a close reading of Ross’s seminal book to get clear on what Ross’s view was, and how defensible it is. This will cover areas such as first order normative theory, moral epistemology, and moral realism. We will assess his methodology, the historical context of the book, and its philosophical reception. 

Reading:

The Right and the Good. By W. D. Ross.

Required readings will be posted online.

Recommended:
Thomas Hurka, British Ethical Theorists From Sidgwick to Ewing

Robert Audi, Moral Knowledge and Ethical Character.
Robert Audi, The Good in the Right
Brad Hoooker, “Ross-Style Pluralism Versus Rule-Consequentialism”. Mind, Vol. 105, No. 420 (Oct., 1996), pp. 531-552

Philip Stratton-Lake, ‘Introduction’ to Ethical Intuitionism: Re-Evaluations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

Writing the Philosophical Essay

Code:

PP1WRI

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

This module will provide students with the skills necessary to craft clear, well-structured, and persuasive academic writing that effectively communicates complex ideas. Reading:Required readings will be posted online. Recommended: Harry Frankfurt, “On Bullshit” (available online)

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Radical Philosophy

Code:

PP1RP

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

From Plato and Marx to contemporaries like Judith Butler, Slavoj Zizek, and Catharine MacKinnon, there is a long tradition of radicalism in philosophy. This course is about how radical philosophy can usefully question our deepest assumptions and challenge our deepest beliefs. Poets should be outlawed from our society! We can secure knowledge by doubting everything! Capitalism will be destroyed by the very forces it creates! Gender is a social performance! Pornography silences women! Torture is permissible in extreme circumstances, e.g. post 9/11! These are some of the claims this course investigates philosophically.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Oral 20%, Class test 10%

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Title:

Student Enterprise

Code:

MM1F10

Convenor:

DR Lebene Soga

Summary:

This is a dynamic module introducing students to key concepts of business start-up. Students work in a team to identify and develop a new business opportunity, and then seek to test their idea through ‘lean start-up’ experiments. Students will be introduced to key concepts of entrepreneurial management including design thinking, business model creation, entrepreneurial finance and marketing. This is a highly interactive and practical module, with a focus on experiential learning.

This module is delivered at University of Reading and University of Reading Malaysia.

Assessment Method:

Oral 18%, Set exercise 2%, Project 40%, Class test 40%

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Title:

Introduction to Linguistics

Code:

ML1IL

Convenor:

MR Federico Faloppa

Summary:

This module aims to familiarise students with principles in general linguistics, and to give students an overall picture of what a language is, how it works, and what its main structures are, with a particular focus on French, German, Italian and Spanish. It will also provide useful meta-linguistic competence which can be applied to the study of any other language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 40%

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Title:

Greats of European Cinema

Code:

ML1GEC

Convenor:

DR Marta Simo-Comas

Summary:

The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the ways in which European Cinema – and the various national cinemas that comprise it – reflects the changing political, social and cultural climate of the twentieth century. The course is designed to introduce students to key features of film analysis and to develop their ability to apply them to the films studied.

Assessment Method:

Exam 55%, Set exercise 45%

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Title:

The Science of Climate Change

Code:

MT1CC

Convenor:

PROF Nigel Arnell

Summary:

This module provides an introduction to the science of climate change, aimed at students who do not necessarily have a scientific background.

Assessment Method:

Exam 70%, Assignment 30%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Inequality

Code:

PO1INE

Convenor:

DR Jonathan Golub

Summary:

Inequality is everywhere around us: different individuals earn different salaries, people of different genders and backgrounds have access to different economic opportunities, and those at the top of the income distribution have radically distinct life chances than those at the bottom. What explains rising inequality, is it fair and what are the consequences? Should anything be done to reduce inequality, and if so, what?This course aims to answer these questions by providing students with the analytical tools and knowledge to understand and explain the evolution of earnings, racial and gender inequality over time and its variation across developed countries. It also considers the economic, normative and political implications of different forms of inequality, in particular gender and racial inequality. Is inequality at the top of the income distribution (i.e. the 1% v. the rest of us) the inevitable outcome of a well-functioning market system or does it suggest problems in the way our democracy work? Does inequality undermine democracy for instance by affecting political participation or increasing the appeal of non-liberal populist parties? Take the course and you will find out more about these fascinating questions and more!

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 10%, Project 50%

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Title:

British Society

Code:

PO1BRI

Convenor:

DR Dawn Clarke

Summary:

The module draws on theories and approaches from Politics, Sociology, Psychology, History and Philosophy to consider some of the main contours of contemporary British Society. The module will explore a number of images of Britain including: Britain as a Welfare State, Multicultural Britain and Britain as a Class Society. It will also explore crime and deviance in Britain, the role of the mass media and the increasing power of the food industry. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

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Title:

Freedom

Code:

PO1FRE

Convenor:

DR Andrew Reid

Summary:

This module provides an inter-disciplinary approach to the subject of freedom, with contributions from four different departments of the University: Classics, Law, Philosophy, and Politics. Students will explore a range of different perspectives on the idea of freedom, and will examine the different ways in which freedom is valued and regulated in a variety of settings. Students will work both individually and within groups to prepare their assignments, and there are a variety of written and oral assessments.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 30%, Oral 40%, Report 30%

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Title:

Globalization and Language

Code:

LS1GL

Convenor:

DR Tony Capstick

Summary:

In this module students will explore the role of language in globalization. They will examine the reasons for the spread of languages around the globe historically and in the future (especially in the context of political developments such as Brexit, and the increasing importance of World languages such as English). They will also explore debates about linguistic imperialism and the political dimensions of language use and language policies. Finally, they will explore the effects of technology and migration on the linguistic situation in Latin America, New Zealand and the Middle East, including how urban centers are becoming increasingly multilingual and ‘superdiverse’, and the political and social consequences of this. Teaching is drawn from across the School of Literature and Language.

Assessment Method:

Set exercise 10%, Project 90%

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Title:

Intercultural Competence and Communication

Code:

IL1GICC

Convenor:

MS Joan McCormack

Summary:

This module is aimed at students who are keen to develop the skills they will need for working in the multi-cultural global workplace. The module will be delivered at the University of Reading Whiteknights campus. Drawing on expertise from Schools across the university, in the Autumn term it will consider intercultural competence and communication from a range of perspectives, including psychology, education, inclusivity, business, language and discourse, and anthropology. In the Spring term students will apply their knowledge to solve a real-world issue.

Assessment Method:

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Title:

Modernisms & Mythologies

Code:

FA1MM

Convenor:

DR James Hellings

Summary:

This module will provide a broad, introductory survey of key developments in the history, theory and criticism of art during the modern period. Its starting point will be theories of the development of modernity and its social, political and economic components, and the ways in which modern art functions in and on its historical contexts. It will continue to look at the retrospective modernist critical and theoretical accounts of modern art's development.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

Comedy on Stage and Screen

Code:

FT1CSS

Convenor:

DR Simone Knox

Summary:

This module gives students the opportunity to study comedy on stage and screen, encompassing theatre, live performance, film and television. Students will engage with the relevant critical vocabulary and contextual knowledge to explore how humour is created, circulated and consumed, across a range of genres and practices. Case studies may include classic and contemporary film comedies (e.g. screwball comedy); musical comedies (e.g. The Book of Mormon); stand-up comedy (e.g. Ali Wong); sitcoms (e.g. Friends); or the work of specific creative practitioners (e.g. Joe Orton).

Assessment Method:

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Title:

Analysing Theatre and Performance

Code:

FT1ATP

Convenor:

DR Matt McFrederick

Summary:

How do theatrical stories allow us to examine and reimagine our impression of the world today?  What practical qualities do theatre makers return to - or reinvent - in creating meaning in performance?

In this introduction to theatre and performance, you will share your interpretations and expand the ways you see and think about theatre in relation to the world today. You will learn how to be a confident spectator and reader of theatre through a range of diverse and topical performances in local or in London-based venues - previous trips have included the National Theatre, RSC Live, Peking Opera, the West End and smaller, innovative fringe venues.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

Approaches to Film

Code:

FT1ATF

Convenor:

DR Adam O'Brien

Summary:

How do films tell stories, make meanings, and contribute to our culture? What questions can, and should, we ask of a film?

This module includes a mix of cinema screenings, seminars and lectures, exploring a range of fiction and non-fiction films. Class discussions and assignments will challenge students to explore the meanings and cultural significance of moving images, across the 20th and 21st centuries.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present [10 credits]

Code:

AR1REV10

Convenor:

PROF Steve Mithen

Summary:

This module investigates the development of human society in the long-term, from our earliest hominin ancestors (c. 4 million years ago) through to the present day. We will look at key revolutions that have affected human behaviour in the long-term. Key themes include: human evolution, the development of complex societies, the spread of Christianity and Islam, the industrial revolution, and 20th century world wars. The module is taught by lectures.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present

Code:

AR1REV

Convenor:

PROF Steve Mithen

Summary:

This module investigates the development of human society in the long-term, from our earliest hominin ancestors (c. 4 million years ago) through to the present day. We will look at key revolutions that have affected human behaviour in the long-term. Key themes include: human evolution, the development of complex societies, the spread of Christianity and Islam, the industrial revolution, and 20th century world wars. The module is taught by lectures, seminars and has a field trip.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

Introduction to Marketing

Code:

AP1EM1

Convenor:

MR Nick Walker

Summary:

Gain fundamental knowledge of the key concepts of marketing and relate these critically to contemporary practice. Examine traditional approaches to marketing such as strategic marketing, segmentation, targeting and positioning, as well as the marketing mix, and discuss issues arising within marketing theory and practice, which bring into question some of the foundational principles of the discipline. Through lectures, readings, and the analysis of case studies, address the latest thinking within the marketing discipline.

Assessment Method:

Exam 70%, Class test 30%

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Title:

Introduction to Management

Code:

AP1SB1

Convenor:

PROF Julian Park

Summary:

This module provides a contemporary and comprehensive introduction to management science and its relevance to businesses. Interactive in-class activities and the use of online apps will help you learn techniques for inspiring teamwork in an organisation context, discover the importance of strategic management design for achieving an organisation's goals, and understand the roles of the manager and the responsibilities this carries. You will also have a range of opportunities to gain hands-on practising decision making through case studies. Furthermore, develop your leadership skills to motivate and guide a team towards the achievement of an organisation’s objectives.  

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

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Title:

Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic

Code:

CL1RH

Convenor:

PROF Annalisa Marzano

Summary:

This module investigates the mid- and late Republican history of Rome (2nd century BC to late first century BC), a period marked by profound socio-political changes which ultimately led to the crisis of the Republican institutions. It introduces students to the main types of evidence for ancient history and to modern methodological approaches.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

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Title:

Ancient Song

Code:

CL1SO

Convenor:

PROF Ian Rutherford

Summary:

This module introduces students to the lyric poetry of ancient Greece and Rome, studying authors from both civilisations and considering a range of thematic approaches to the surviving corpus of poetry. It is intended to be suitable for beginners and for those who have studied some ancient literature before; there is no language requirement, but there will be an opportunity for students who do have relevant skills to employ them in their coursework and exams.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

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Title:

Texts, Readers, and Writers

Code:

CL1TR

Convenor:

PROF Eleanor Dickey

Summary:

This module explores the history of texts, reading, and writing in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. We shall look at literature, papyri, inscriptions, letters, Linear B, etc. Attention will also be given to the invention of the alphabet and to ancient writing materials and technologies. No knowledge of Latin, ancient Greek, or the ancient world more generally is required.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Set exercise 10%

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Title:

The Economics of Climate Change

Code:

EC110

Convenor:

DR Stefania Lovo

Summary:

The module will offer an economic perspective on the causes and consequences of climate change. It will provide an introduction to key theoretical concepts, such as externalities and public goods, and to the policy tools available to devise adequate responses to climate change, such as command and control measures, taxation and subsidies. The module will also introduce national and international policy approaches in dealing with climate change and provide an overview of their implications for economic development.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Class test 40%

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Title:

The Study of Politics

Code:

PO2SOP

Convenor:

DR Christoph Arndt

Summary:

This module examines a range of different approaches to understanding, explaining and analysing politics and international relations. It focuses on giving students the ability to identify different methods and approaches in and to the twin academic disciplines of Politics and International Relations, and the different questions which they may be appropriately used to answer. In doing so, it prepares students for more advanced study in Politics and International Relations, including but not limited to an undergraduate dissertation in Politics and International Relations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Class test 40%

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Title:

Political Classics

Code:

PO2PHC

Convenor:

PROF Alan Cromartie

Summary:

A survey course in the history of political thought.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

The Media and Politics

Code:

PO2TMP

Convenor:

DR Dawn Clarke

Summary:

The module introduces students to the practice of discussing politics through the media, to theories of the roles played by the media in politics, and to how the media work in the world today.  It combines lectures and seminars with participation in a radio show.  In the event the module is oversubscribed those studying politics as part of their programmes will normally be given priority.  Students are chosen from those prepared to do a short broadcast on the politics show in the summer term of Part 1 study, and attend the editorial meetings at 1:00 pm on a Tuesday.  The module requires student attendance at most radio shows across the two terms – these are delivered live at 7:00 pm each Tuesday evening.  Contact the module convenor for further details.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 35%, Oral 20%, Project 45%

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Title:

War and Peace Since 1800

Code:

PO2WAP

Convenor:

DR Geoff Sloan

Summary:

This module aims to enable students to appreciate both the roles played by war in modern history and the ways in which warfare has evolved over a two-hundred year period. The strongly empirical, historical thrust of the module will be used to introduce students to the ideas key to understanding (a) why, how, and with what consequences wars occur, and (b) how peace can be "caused" and sometimes maintained.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

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Title:

Russia in the World

Code:

PO2RTW

Convenor:

DR Vladimir Rauta

Summary:

What is Russia’s role and place in the world? How does it understand and seek this? What sort of challenge does Russia present to the international order? To answer these questions, the module presents a three-fold answer. It introduces students to the foundations of Russia’s view of the world and of its place in the international system from a unique, interdisciplinary lens: the economic roots of political economy. The shifts from communist economy, transition to market economy and emergence as a resource-rich economy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Report 40%

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Title:

Politics of the Welfare State

Code:

PO2PWS

Convenor:

DR Brandon Beomseob Park

Summary:

The course is an introduction to the politics of welfare states in the developed economies of OECD countries with a particular focus on Western Europe. It focuses on the interaction between political and economic factors in explaining the emergence and evolution of welfare states and their various forms across countries. Students learn the major theoretical approaches in the study of the welfare state and apply them to contemporary debates about the welfare state as well as the politics of welfare state reform.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Oral 10%

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Title:

Political Thinking

Code:

PO2THI

Convenor:

DR Alice Baderin

Summary:

Module in applied political theory. The course investigates the ethical issues that lie behind some important contemporary policy debates. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 2

Code:

PP2OID2

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

In this module you will consider the questions of oppression, inequality or democracy in more depth.  The course will build upon key philosophical arguments concerning the meaning and value of freedom, equality and democracy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1

Code:

PP2OID1

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

In this module you will consider the question: how should we be governed? The module will introduce you to key philosophical arguments concerning the meaning and value of freedom, equality and democracy. You will study both their defenders and their detractors.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

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Title:

Meaning and the Mind 2

Code:

PP2MM2

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module introduces students to core philosophical issues about meaning and the mind, and to central connections between these issues. How could there be minds in a physical world? Are states of consciousness physical states? How do our thoughts and words come to represent the world around us? These questions are intimately related. The capacity to represent the world is a central, problematic feature of the mind. Moreover, to assess what minds are, we must pay careful attention to what our words for mental states mean, and to how they come to mean what they do. We will investigate these questions by reading and discussing recent work in the philosophy of mind and language, by authors such as David Chalmers, Hilary Putnam and John Searle, as well as classic texts by authors such as Gottlob Frege and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

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Title:

Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 2

Code:

PP2IDR2

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module introduces students to a core area of philosophy – epistemology (the theory of knowledge), makes them familiar with key stances on the extent and nature of human knowledge (modal theories, reliabilist theories, virtue theories etc.), and requires them to evaluate such stances and find their place on the epistemological map. They will also be introduced to the social aspect of epistemology, by considering what role knowledge plays within a society, how we gain knowledge from others, and how we may be harmed specifically as knowers.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Meaning and the Mind 1

Code:

PP2MM1

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module introduces students to core philosophical issues about meaning and the mind, and to central connections between these issues. How could there be minds in a physical world? Are states of consciousness physical states? How do our thoughts and words come to represent the world around us? These questions are intimately related. The capacity to represent the world is a central, problematic feature of the mind. Moreover, to assess what minds are, we must pay careful attention to what our words for mental states mean, and to how they come to mean what they do. We will investigate these questions by reading and discussing recent work in the philosophy of mind and language, by authors such as David Chalmers, Hilary Putnam and John Searle, as well as classic texts by authors such as Gottlob Frege and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

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Title:

Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live

Code:

PP2EA1

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

This module introduces students to longstanding methods, issues and arguments in moral philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Ethical Argument 2: Philosophy and How to Live

Code:

PP2EA2

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

This module introduces students to longstanding methods, issues and arguments in moral philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Global Philosophy 1

Code:

PP2GP1

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

This module introduces some key thinkers and issues in global philosophy, the philosophy of gender and race, the ethics of resistance and the epistemology of terrorism. Some of the claims we will examine include: Gender is an illusion, male and female ‘sex’ attributes are social constructions!  Race categories are racist, they should be abolished! Persons are ‘processes’; self and identity are conceptual fictions!  Self-immolation is an ethical form of political protest! Gandhi and Islamist suicide bombing share an ethics of sacrificial dying! Debt is founded on violence! We should undertake dying with full awareness, by meditative fasting!

We will engage in philosophical conversations with (i) contemporary feminist and race theorists such as Judith Butler, Sally Haslanger and Naomi Zack on performativist,  constructionist and essentialist approaches to gender and race; (ii) Buddhist philosophers on the metaphysics of self and identity; (iii) Buddhist, Gandhian and Islamic ethics of sacrificial dying and political resistance; (iv) interdisciplinary perspectives on the nature and origins of debt and money; (v) Jaina conceptions of meditative dying, suicide and euthanasia; (vi) the epistemology of terrorism and Islamic approaches to non-violence.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Global Philosophy 2

Code:

PP2GP2

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

This module introduces some key thinkers and issues in global  philosophy, the philosophy of gender and race, the ethics of resistance and the epistemology of terrorism. Some of the claims we will examine include: Gender is an illusion, male and female ‘sex’ attributes are social constructions!  Race categories are racist, they should be abolished! Persons are ‘processes’; self and identity are conceptual fictions! Self-immolation is an ethical form of political protest! Gandhi and Islamist suicide bombing share an ethics of sacrificial dying! Debt is founded on violence! We should undertake dying with full awareness, by meditative fasting!

We will engage in philosophical conversations with (i) contemporary feminist and race theorists such as Judith Butler, Sally Haslanger and Naomi Zack on performativist,  constructionist and essentialist approaches to gender and race; (ii) Buddhist philosophers on the metaphysics of self and identity; (iii) Buddhist, Gandhian and Islamic perspectives on sacrificial dying and the ethics of political resistance; (iv) interdisciplinary perspectives on the nature and origins of debt and money; (v) Jaina conceptions of meditative dying, suicide and euthanasia; (vi) the epistemology of terrorism and Islamic approaches to non-violence. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1

Code:

PP2IDR1

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module introduces students to a core area of philosophy – epistemology (the theory of knowledge), makes them familiar with key stances on the extent and nature of human knowledge (modal theories, reliabilist theories, virtue theories etc.), and requires them to evaluate such stances and find their place on the epistemological map. They will also be introduced to the social aspect of epistemology, by considering what role knowledge plays within a society, how we gain knowledge from others, and how we may be harmed specifically as knowers.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 2

Code:

PP2HKW2

Convenor:

DR Severin Schroeder

Summary:

This module introduces students to the ideas of three great philosophers: David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, focussing especially on their respective conceptions of philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1

Code:

PP2HKW1

Convenor:

DR Severin Schroeder

Summary:

This module introduces students to the ideas of three great philosophers: David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, focussing especially on their respective conceptions of philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Global Politics and History

Code:

PO2GPH

Convenor:

DR Kerry Goettlich

Summary:

From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Brexit, and from the rise of China to the ‘Clash of Civilizations’, contemporary debates in world politics, and often the practice of world politics itself, depend on particular understandings of history. Indeed, it is impossible to study politics without relying on knowledge about the past. But how accurate or convincing are the historical narratives and assumptions that underlie contemporary debates? Is it ‘natural’ for politics to be organised into nation-states? Is empire a thing of the past? Where did democracy come from? When did globalisation start? Was decolonization a success or failure? Students will come away from this module with both the historical knowledge and the analytical skills to be able to answer such questions.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 40%, Report 20%

Disclaimer:

Title:

American Government and Politics

Code:

PO2AMG

Convenor:

DR Mark Shanahan

Summary:

This module examines the historical, ideological and constitutional frameworks of American Government and Politics. It analyses the relationship between ideas and values (such as liberty and individualism) and the ways in which these condition the expression of the American political system; it looks at intermediate institutions that connect the public to the federal government (such as elections, the media, and interest groups); it explores the central institutions in Washington (such as the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court), and assesses important policy areas (such as gun control); finally the module offers a concluding session on the influences on, and delivery of, US foreign policy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Report 30%

Disclaimer:

Title:

British Government and Politics

Code:

PO2BGP

Convenor:

DR Rose De Geus

Summary:

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the working and development of the current British political system and culture.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 35%, Oral 15%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Comparative Government and Politics

Code:

PO2CGP

Convenor:

PROF Daphne Halikiopoulou

Summary:

This module introduces students to the discipline of Comparative Politics. It examines the origins of political systems, regime formation and processes of a range of states from all regions of the world from a comparative perspective. Studying this module will give students a good understanding of comparative methods and research design; the ability to comparatively analyse the development of state formation and democratization processes around the world; and the tools to nuance, unpack and conceptualize some of the contemporary challenges that democratic nation- states face. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 30%, Oral 10%, Class test 20%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Contemporary Strategy

Code:

PO2COS

Convenor:

DR Kenton White

Summary:

This module is an introduction to the concept of strategy and its relationship with war and politics. It addresses the demands and challenges of strategic and security analysis in the modern period from a theoretical and practical standpoint. After exploring the theoretical foundation of strategy, we will look at some examples. This module will introduce you to a series of contemporary problems and how they stand in the field of modern strategy.  Aside from asking the question “What can military force do for you?”, the module asks, “Why is strategy so difficult?”

This module complements the module PO2WAP ‘War and Peace since 1800’.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Model United Nations

Code:

PO2MUN

Convenor:

DR Sarah Von Billerbeck

Summary:

The Model United Nations module explores the structure and function of the United Nations in a changing global context. The module includes a series of lectures about the UN, its primary organs, and its main activities, along with an in-depth simulation of various countries and their positions, aims, and role within the UN focusing on a crisis scenario. Students learn about foreign policy analysis, multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, international organisations, and contemporary global issues. This module will provide students with an opportunity to participate in a Model UN conference in the UK. The location will be confirmed at a later date due to uncertainties surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. The University will endeavour to inform students of which conference has been selected as soon as practicable.  Attendance at the conference is a compulsory element of the module, and students will be asked to contribute £250 towards the cost of the trip.  

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Modern International Relations

Code:

PO2MIR

Convenor:

DR Joseph O' Mahoney

Summary:

This module provides an advanced analysis of the principal theoretical approaches to international politics, as well as coverage of a selection of major issues on the international stage, including globalisation, conflict, nuclear weapons and terrorism. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 45%, Set exercise 5%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Development of transferable skills through a school placement 2

Code:

ED2TS2

Convenor:

DR Caroline Foulkes

Summary:

This module enables undergraduate students to develop key transferable skills needed for employment, and also provides outreach experience. Following specialist training on key aspects of working in schools, ten day placements in June/July in secondary schools in the Reading area will provide work experience in a professional setting.

If no school placement available for 2021-22 due to covid-19 lockdown restrictions, students will work together via Microsoft Teams (if campus not open), to develop their knowledge of key aspects of teaching and learning in the school environment using classroom videos and interviews with teachers.  Sessions will provide opportunities for students to develop a range of transferable skills.

In the autumn, students will build on the knowledge and transferable skills acquired in order to plan and deliver, with colleagues, a teaching session that shares knowledge of their degree specialism with small groups of school students. If covid-19 restrictions prevent working with school children, students will deliver the teaching session to fellow undergraduates, either face to face on campus or via Teams. Students will reflect on, and share, their experiences with their colleagues. Assessment will be by coursework, and placement supervisor report on professionalism and engagement.

Students will be selected by application and interview.

Please be aware that once the placement (or education experience) has been completed in June it is not possible to switch from this module in the Autumn Term as students have completed practical activities directly relating to 50% of the mark (Professionalism and portfolio) and that link to activities in the Autumn Term.

Assessment Method:

Practical 10%, Oral 50%, Portfolio 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Development of transferable skills through a school placement 1

Code:

ED2TS1

Convenor:

DR Caroline Foulkes

Summary:

This module enables undergraduate students to develop key transferable skills needed for employment, and also provides outreach experience. Following specialist training on key aspects of working in schools, five day placements in June/July in secondary schools in the Reading area will provide work experience in a professional setting.

If no school placement available for 2021-22 due to covid-19 lockdown restrictions, students will work together via Microsoft Teams (if campus not open), to develop their knowledge of key aspects of teaching and learning in the school environment using classroom videos and interviews with teachers.  Sessions will provide opportunities for students to develop a range of transferable skills.

 In the autumn, students will build on the knowledge and transferable skills acquired in order to plan and deliver, with colleagues, a teaching session that shares knowledge of their degree specialism with small groups of school students. If covid-19 restrictions prevent working with school children, students will deliver the teaching session to fellow undergraduates, either face to face on campus or via Teams.  Students will reflect on, and share, their experiences with their colleagues. Assessment will be by coursework, and placement supervisor report on professionalism and engagement.

Students will be selected by application and interview.

Please be aware that once the placement (or education experience) has been completed in June it is not possible to switch from this module in the Autumn Term as students have completed practical activities directly relating to 50% of the mark (professionalism and portfolio) and that link to the activities in the Autumn Term.

Assessment Method:

Practical 10%, Oral 50%, Portfolio 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Introduction to Critical Security Studies

Code:

PO3CSS

Convenor:

DR Andreas Behnke

Summary:

The module provides an introduction to the rapidly expanding and evolving sub-field of Critical Security Studies. It provides the students with the conceptual and theoretical tools to critically examine recent developments within domestic as well as international security issues. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 10%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

Title:

British Foreign and Defence Policy since 1945

Code:

PO3BFD

Convenor:

DR Kenton White

Summary:

The purpose of this module is to encourage students to critically evaluate Britain's foreign and defence policy record in the post-war era. This module is broken up into two areas. The first will look at how foreign and defence policy is made. The second part will address what the policies have been and why, and what the current policies look like. The course will examine the end of the British Empire, the development of the Commonwealth, the nature of Britain’s relationship with the US and Britain’s sometimes ‘awkward’ relationship with other European states. The course then critically examines a series of major post-war challenges – the Suez crisis, the Falklands War, economic and ‘soft power’, its retention of nuclear weapons, the impact of New Labour on British foreign policy including the conflict in Iraq. The course concludes with an exercise assessing the UK's place in the world today and strategy for the future.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Dynamics of Civil Wars

Code:

PO3DCW

Convenor:

DR Vladimir Rauta

Summary:

Civil war is the dominant form of political violence in the contemporary world. The module discusses dynamics of political violence in civil wars. It presents students with a theoretical and empirical analysis of key problems in civil wars such as participation, recruitment, organisation, external support, rebel diplomacy and rebel governance (topics subject to minor change). The module will require students to engage with theoretical works and empirical case studies of modern and contemporary conflicts. This will allow students to come away with a clearer sense of the depth and breadth of how political violence is employed in civil war and think about these critical phenomena in a more nuanced way. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Dissertation

Code:

PO3DIS

Convenor:

DR Adam Humphreys

Summary:

Students prepare an independent, research-based dissertation of 8,000-10,000 words on a topic in Politics and International Relations (broadly understood), chosen in consultation with advisers within the Department of Politics and International Relations.  This piece of work represents the culmination of three years of progressively more independent study.

Assessment Method:

Oral 10%, Dissertation 90%

Disclaimer:

Title:

The Far Right

Code:

PO3FAR

Convenor:

PROF Daphne Halikiopoulou

Summary:

Far right parties are on the rise across Europe. Their shared populist rhetoric, emphasis on sovereignty and policies that promote a ‘national preference’ has facilitated the term ‘the new nationalism’. How may we explain this phenomenon? Is it driven by demand or supply-side dynamics? Are different European far right parties comparable? What are their similarities and differences? This course provides a broad overview of the theories and approaches to the study of the far right across Europe, focusing on the commonalities and differences in support for such parties across case and circumstance.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Oral 10%, Project 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

International Organizations in Global Politics

Code:

PO3IOG

Convenor:

DR Amanda Hall

Summary:

This module introduces students to the study of international organisations. International organisations are key players in global politics. They help states coordinate policies, solve cooperation problems and advance national interests. At the same time, international organisations have become actors in their own right that regulate ever more issue areas and intervene deeply into the domestic realm of states. This has given rise to controversies in academic and policy communities not only over why international organisations exist and whether they matter in international politics, but also over whether they can effectively alleviate global problems and how legitimate they are. The aim of the module is to

1. Discuss the main theoretical and conceptual approaches to the study of international organisations;
2. Examine how international organisations are designed, how they work, and how effective they are;
3. Analyse the major challenges international organisations face – legitimacy problems, politicization, withdrawal – and the ways they respond to these challenges.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Intelligence, War and International Relations

Code:

PO3INT

Convenor:

DR Geoff Sloan

Summary:

The module aims to provide students with an insight into the pertinence and diversity of the intelligence function within war, strategy and international politics. This will entail acquiring a thorough understanding of the various concepts, changes and continuities associated with intelligence activities in the twentieth and early twenty first centuries.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Feminism and Political Theory

Code:

PO3FPT

Convenor:

DR Maxime Lepoutre

Summary:

This module explores the contributions of feminism to contemporary political theory. It begins by examining theoretical controversies surrounding the definition, subject matter, and aims of feminism. It then brings these theoretical insights to bear on a range of pressing issues in feminist politics, such as abortion, surrogacy, pornography, and marriage.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Politics & International Relations of the Middle East

Code:

PO3MEA

Convenor:

DR Younis Lahwej

Summary:

This module seeks to provide students with a nuanced understanding of the Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. Divided into two sections, it links the domestic politics of Middle Eastern states with the international tensions and conflicts of the region. The first part begins with a survey of the history of states and empires, followed by the emergence of nationalism and the establishment of the modern state system. We examine in detail the influence and overlapping roles of Pan-Islam, Pan-Arabism, State-Nationalism, Zionism, Palestinian Nationalism, Islamic Fundamentalism and Gender throughout the region and assess the extent to which they impact and define contemporary state politics. The second part turns to the issue of state-civil society relations in the region and the special role of water and oil in national and international politics. Examination of the international politics of the region further includes inter-Arab relations, the Arab-Israeli dispute, the Gulf wars and the complexities of the Syrian Crisis as well as the roles of the superpowers and their interests in the region. The course concludes with a role-play simulation involving negotiation and conflict resolution within the context of a politically sensitive issue for the Israelis and Arab/Palestinians and the current regional conflicts. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

Title:

The Politics of Nuclear Weapons

Code:

PO3NUK

Convenor:

DR Joseph O' Mahoney

Summary:

How do nuclear weapons affect international politics? How likely is nuclear war or nuclear terrorism? How dangerous is nuclear proliferation? Is nuclear disarmament possible? This module examines the historical, and political contexts for nuclear policy making, including the development of nuclear weapons by states, the evolution of nuclear strategy, the role nuclear weapons play in international politics, the risks posed by nuclear arsenals, and the policies and strategies in place to mitigate those risks. Emphasis is given to political and technical considerations affecting national choices. The module considers the issues surrounding non-proliferation strategies, nuclear security, and next steps for arms control.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Responsibility for Injustice

Code:

PO3RFI

Convenor:

DR Rob Jubb

Summary:

Advanced course in political and moral theory, focusing on questions of responsibility for and appropriate responses to injustice. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Parliamentary Studies

Code:

PO3PAR

Convenor:

DR Mark Shanahan

Summary:

This highly innovative module, taught both for final year undergrads and PIM84 Masters students working together, is co-taught by parliamentary practitioners and experts alongside staff and members from the Department of Politics & IR. This module provides students with an understanding of the working and impact of the institution of Parliament both in theory and in practice. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 30%, Oral 30%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

US Foreign and Defence Policy since 1950

Code:

PO3USF

Convenor:

DR Graham O'Dwyer

Summary:

This module examines US foreign and defence policy from the end of the Second World War to the present, with a focus on understanding US foreign policy processes, institutions, and decision-making. At heart the module seeks to address three broad questions: who makes (and influences) US foreign policy? How has US foreign policy changed since the end of the Second World War? What is the role of US foreign policy in the world today? By exploring historical and contemporary cases, students will analyse how foreign policy decisions are made, who influences them, and how this has evolved overtime. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, students will gain an understanding of crucial events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the end of the Cold War, and the War on Terror. Finally, the course will explore salient challenges faced by US foreign policymakers today.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Risk

Code:

PO3RIS

Convenor:

DR Alice Baderin

Summary:

Advanced course in political theory, focusing on questions about the ethics and politics of risk. The course brings together ethical theory with the study of applied cases.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

International Terrorism

Code:

PO3ITE

Convenor:

DR Christina Hellmich

Summary:

This course examines key issues in the study of contemporary international terrorism. It starts by examining what terrorism is and what distinguishes it from other forms of conflict and warfare in the international system before tracing the causes and consequences of terrorism throughout history, from the 19th-century anarchists to religious terrorism across a range of faiths. From here, the focus shifts to the question of whether there is a particular terrorist type, and the nexus between terrorism and the media. We examine what factors influence terrorist target selection and the modus operandi as well as the options available to counterterrorism, specifically focusing on the effectiveness of political, economic, military and judicial instruments. Terrorism and counterterrorism are further examined with a view to just-war theory and within the context of the civil liberties debate. The course concludes with a look to the future, both in terms of terrorism itself as well as the contribution the social sciences can make to conceptual and theoretical progress in the area.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Karl Marx

Code:

PO3MAR

Convenor:

PROF Alan Cromartie

Summary:

This module examines the thought of Karl Marx, the greatest social theorist of the last two centuries. It is a text-based course that focuses on excerpts from Marx’s major writings – in other words, we look at the words on the page to see what Marx actually said. 

Particular attention is paid to his ideas about alienation, ideology, exploitation, and revolution, but you will emerge with a general understanding of the Marxist interpretation of history and its possible political implications.  The approach that is adopted is sympathetic to Marx, but students from all political backgrounds are welcome and vigorous dissent is encouraged; the course pays particular attention to those features of thinking that seem to have continuing political importance, but it also explains the reasons for his vulnerability to liberal and conservative criticism.

There is no examination, but the module will conclude with a Long Essay requiring detailed knowledge of all aspects of the course.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

International Political Economy

Code:

PO3IPE

Convenor:

DR Jonathan Golub

Summary:

The course is an introduction to International and Comparative Political Economy (IPE and CPE, respectively), which focuses on the interaction between states and markets at the domestic and international levels. It covers the major theoretical approaches to IPE and CPE and applies them to study international trade, globalisation, the crisis, capitalism, inflation and growth regimes. It also considers the relation between globalisation and the welfare state as well as capitalism.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 40%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Worlding International Relations

Code:

PO3WIR

Convenor:

DR Andreas Behnke

Summary:

This module is directed to students interested in the history and current development of International Relations. It addresses the challenges formulated in diverse parts of the world to the Western dominance of the field of International Relations. Focusing on how central concept of IR are understood in different parts of the world, the module investigates how scholars from around the world think about central concepts such as sovereignty, the state, war, peace, religion and ‘the international’. Highlighting the conceptual differences in non-Western approaches, the module casts light on their implication for IR and the study of world politics.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

War, Peace and International Ethics

Code:

PO3WPE

Convenor:

DR Maxime Lepoutre

Summary:

This module is about the ethical dimension of international relations in peace and war. While this module focuses on issues within moral thought and theory, it does so with an eye to real world conflicts. Among the issues discussed are war crimes and moral responsibility, strategic bombing, revolutionary war, terrorism, and peacemaking.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Wittgenstein, Science and Worldviews

Code:

PP3WSW

Convenor:

PROF John Preston

Summary:

This module covers the ways in which Ludwig Wittgenstein was influenced by the natural sciences of his time, and the remarks he made about natural science and worldviews from his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) to his one of his last works, On Certainty (1949-51). (Note that Part 3 modules in the Department of Philosophy are driven by student interest: the University will not allow us to run any that do not enrol enough students (the minimum number is 12)).

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Topics in Comparative Philosophy: an International Online Course

Code:

PP3TCP

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

This is a module in comparative philosophy taught by an international faculty who are specialists in their field based in Europe and the UK. It presents core topics in the philosophy of mind, and in social, political and moral philosophy from a variety of cross-cultural perspectives: Indian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Buddhist and Western philosophies.  We will discuss Brahmanist/Hindu concepts of mind, Mengzi and Xuanzang on the experience of other minds, Laozi and Nagarjuna on interdependence, Sextus Empiricus and Dogen on continuous inquiry, and interrogate the concepts of morality and law, nation and tradition from a variety of philosophical perspectives. Classes will be online with an international group of students and faculty but will include in-person seminars and support.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Philosophy of Religion

Code:

PP3REL

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

This module will introduce students to basic issues in the philosophy of religion.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

The Morality of Abortion

Code:

PP3MOA

Convenor:

PROF Philip Stratton-Lake

Summary:

In this module we will look at both sides of the debate about the morality of abortion. We will consider different approaches to the issue, eg., rights based, value based, reasons based, feminist arguments, etc, read the main literature for each approach, and assess the various arguments. Authors to be considered will typically include Thomson, Singer, Dworkin, Tooley, and Marquis.

Assessing these various argument will take us into various more general issues, such as what makes it wrong to kill adult humans, the conditions of having rights, as well as issues outside of moral philosophy that are relevant to this debate, such as the nature of personhood, personal identity, the identity conditions of organisms, philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, and metaphysics.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Mediaeval Philosophy

Code:

PP3MED

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

This module introduces students to mediaeval philosophy (roughly, the period from 500 to 1500 AD). We will pick one philosophical topic (such as moral obligation, or God’s existence, the problem of universals, or the motion of projectiles) and look at what some major thinkers of the period had to say about it.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Reason, Value & Knowledge

Code:

PP3RVK

Convenor:

PROF Philip Stratton-Lake

Summary:

To familiarise students with important concepts and debates in contemporary moral theory.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

The Scandal of Film

Code:

PP3SCF

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

Films play a central role in our cultural life. But many aspects remain unclear and call for philosophical investigation. For example, we often attribute enormous powers to films. They teach us about reality! They reveal the human condition! They make us better people! They make us worse people! They include some of the greatest art yet produced! They do philosophy—better and more seriously than philosophers do! But are any of these claims actually true? Is it even possible, for example, that a film might be a work of art? It would be a scandal to go on believing these claims and not investigate them. So this course will.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Speech Attacks: bullshit, lies, propaganda

Code:

PP3SPA

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

This module focuses on the way language can be used aggressively, to deceive, manipulate, and oppress. The theoretical foundation of the approach to language taken in this module is speech act theory, which investigates the various ways that we use language to perform actions ranging from betting, promising, and telling, to insulting, bullshitting, and silencing.  We will begin by discussing the foundations of speech act theory and examine a variety of ways that it has been applied to philosophical problems in feminist theory and political and social theory. We will also discuss lies and bullshit, and what (if anything) is wrong with these uses of language. And we will discuss the nature of propaganda and “fake news” and how to resist its effects. 

Exploring the questions raised in this module will take us into debates in philosophy of language, epistemology, feminist theory, and political philosophy. We will look at real-world examples in which language is used aggressively and use the tools provided by speech act theory to help us understand how those uses function, and how they can be opposed. We will read work by some (if not all) of the following authors: J.L. Austin, Harry Frankfurt, Sally Haslanger, Rae Langton, Ishani Maitra, Geoff Nunberg, Martha Nussbaum, George Orwell, Jason Stanley, and Lynne Tirrell.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Society and State in Ancient Greece

Code:

PP3SSG

Convenor:

PROF David Oderberg

Summary:

A module devoted to the study of Aristotle’s classic work The Politics. We look at his conception of politics, society, and government, and examine its relevance to modern concerns and issues.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Are we free?

Code:

PP3AF

Convenor:

PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford

Summary:

‘Freedom’ is a central concept in modern political and ethical debate.  But many aspects remain unclear and call for philosophical investigation. For example, we are often able to do what we want. And that certainly looks like being free. But suppose we do not control what we want. We may be doing what we want, but are we free? Or suppose everything that happens must happen, as a result of events that took place millennia before our birth. That includes not only every action we perform, but every want that drove us to that action. Again, we may be doing what we want, but are we free? If not, do our lives have any more significance than that of fleas? Can we really be held responsible for anything? Do we ever merit praise or deserve blame? Are we ever justified in punishing people? These are some of the issues this module investigates philosophically.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Code:

PP3BESR

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

This module will introduce students to a variety of ethical challenges and considerations for professionals and corporate enterprises alike. We consider issues such as: the importance of ethics in the business environment, the grounds of professional ethics, moral reasoning in a business environment, whether doing well is compatible with doing good, and how to allocate social responsibility.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Chinese Philosophy

Code:

PP3CP

Convenor:

PROF John Preston

Summary:

This module introduces students to the following major figures in the Confucian tradition from early Chinese philosophy: Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. (Works by Mozi and Han Feizi will also figure). We will look at central texts from each of these thinkers in detail, and consider relations not only between their ideas but also between their ideas and those of notable philosophers from the Western philosophical tradition.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Dissertation in Philosophy

Code:

PP3DIS

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

In this module you will pursue an in-depth philosophical project of your own devising. While predominately working independently you will receive one-on-one supervision with an academic working in the same field of study, and you will be encouraged to collaborate with other students on the module. 

Assessment Method:

Oral 25%, Dissertation 65%, Set exercise 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Philosophy of Law

Code:

PP3LA

Convenor:

DR George Mason

Summary:

This module will introduce students to basic issues in the philosophy of law, including the nature of crime and punishment.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Philosophy of Language

Code:

PP3LAN

Convenor:

DR Nat Hansen

Summary:

Philosophy of language concerns the nature of meaning, language, and communication. It seeks answers to the following questions: What is a language? How does linguistic communication differ from non-linguistic communication? Are human beings the only animals who communicate with language? What happens when a language dies? Is preventing language death valuable? Can languages go into decline? In particular, is English getting worse over time? How does the development of writing affect the way we use language? Is it possible to design a logically perfect language? How are dictionaries made? Are they manuals for correct use of words, or just records of how people in fact use language? What makes some uses of language “correct” and other uses “incorrect”? What is the significance of the fact that some languages don’t have a word for the color “blue”?  Why do we so easily draw conclusions about people who have certain kinds of accents? 

Addressing these questions will require an examination of foundational texts in philosophy, linguistics, psychology and anthropology from the 19th, 20th centuries, as well as cutting-edge research informed by developments in the cognitive sciences. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Happy, Good and Meaningful Lives

Code:

PP3HGML

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

Happiness and well-being are not only important from the agent’s point of view, but are essential to many moral debates. In this module we will analyse the key notions of happiness, a good life, and a meaningful life to gain a better understanding of each. We will also consider various views on what things make for a happy life, a good life, and a meaningful life. The module will look at both historical and current views on these issues.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Fairness

Code:

PP3FAI

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

This module addresses the concept of fairness and its relation to other moral concepts and considerations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Development of transferable skills through a school placement 3

Code:

ED3TS3

Convenor:

DR Caroline Foulkes

Summary:

This module enables undergraduate students to develop key transferable skills needed for employment, and also provides outreach experience. Following specialist training on key aspects of working in schools, five day placements in June/July in secondary schools in the Reading area will provide work experience in a professional setting.

If no school placement available for 2021-22 due to covid-19 lockdown restrictions, students will work together via Microsoft Teams (if campus not open), to develop their knowledge of key aspects of teaching and learning in the school environment using classroom videos and interviews with teachers.  Sessions will provide opportunities for students to develop a range of transferable skills.In the autumn, students will build on the knowledge and transferable skills acquired in order to plan and deliver, with colleagues, a teaching session that shares knowledge of their degree specialism with small groups of school pupils. . If covid-19 restrictions prevent working with school children, students will deliver the teaching session to fellow undergraduates, either face to face on campus or via Teams. Students will reflect on, and share, their experiences with their colleagues. Assessment will be by coursework, and placement supervisor report on professionalism and engagement.

Students will be selected by application and interview.

Please be aware that once the placement (or education experience) has been completed in June it is not possible to switch from this module in the Autumn Term as students have completed practical activities directly relating to 50% of the mark (professionalism and portfolio) and that link to activities in the Autumn Term.

Assessment Method:

Practical 10%, Oral 50%, Portfolio 40%

Disclaimer:

Title:

Development of transferable skills through a school placement 4

Code:

ED3TS4

Convenor:

DR Caroline Foulkes

Summary:

This module enables undergraduate students to develop key transferable skills needed for employment, and also provides outreach experience. Following specialist training on key aspects of working in schools, ten day placements in June/July in secondary schools in the Reading area will provide work experience in a professional setting.

If no school placement available for 2021-22 due to covid-19 lockdown restrictions, students will work together via Microsoft Teams (if campus not open), to develop their knowledge of key aspects of teaching and learning in the school environment using classroom videos and interviews with teachers.  Sessions will provide opportunities for students to develop a range of transferable skills.

In the autumn, students will build on the knowledge and transferable skills acquired in order to plan and deliver, with colleagues, a teaching session that shares knowledge of their degree specialism with small groups of school pupils. . If covid-19 restrictions prevent working with school children, students will deliver the teaching session to fellow undergraduates, either face to face on campus or via Teams. Students will reflect on, and share, their experiences with their colleagues. Assessment will be by coursework, and placement supervisor report on professionalism and engagement.

Students will be selected by application and interview.

Please be aware that once the placement (or education experience) has been completed in June it is not possible to switch from this module in the Autumn Term as students have completed practical activities directly relating to 50% of the mark (Professionalism and portfolio) and that link to activities in the Autumn Term.

Assessment Method:

Practical 10%, Oral 50%, Portfolio 40%

Disclaimer: