Module Information

This module provides an introduction to the history of political theory and a close analysis of specific ideas, including good government, state of nature and rule of law, and thinkers, such as Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Kant. It combines lecture tuition with seminars, giving students the wider context as well as an opportunity to get first-hand access to some of the key texts in political theory. By learning about and analysing ideas from temporally and/or spatially distant contexts, students develop crucial analytical skills that will allow them to better understand, analyse and judge the political issues of our day.

This module will provide the opportunity for students to develop their oral, intellectual and communication skills. In the lectures emphasis will be placed on understanding, following the argument and summarizing it concisely. In the seminars emphasis will be placed on developing clear, cogent and persuasive arguments. The seminars offer the opportunity for students to show independent reasoning and judgment. Essay writing will encourage students to carry out research on their own initiative and to develop their written presentation skills. The examination will test knowledge retention, comprehension and skills of analysis under conditions of time constraint.