HI2A5-15 Individual, Polis and Society: Philosophical Reflections on History
Module aims
This module will introduce students to a range of long-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century primary texts in which there is sustained reflection and commentary on the individual, the polity, and an emerging conception of society. In doing so, this module raises broader philosophical questions about the construction of identity, character and virtue, political realism and idealism, and relativism and individualism. The module also involves students in reflecting on the changes in styles of painting, architecture and fashion and linking this to the core themes. The emphasis of the module is on how as historians we should approach some of the major pieces of writing of the period, both the more and the less philosophical. Consequently, a core component of the module is encouraging a close reading of the primary texts, coupling this with raising questions about the importance of historical context in generating and reflecting critically on such readings. The module is structured thematically, taking conceptions of the individual, then the polis, then society; but within those themes it is structured chronologically, allowing students to have a sense of the increasing interaction of different lines of argument.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Deliberating the Self: Journals/Diaries/Autobiography: John Bunyan; Samuel Pepys; Dudley Ryder; James Boswell, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin
Female Constructions: Mary Wollstonecraft (A Vindication, Maria) and Mary Hays (Memoirs of Emma Courtney)
Black Narratives: The History of Mary Prince
The Romantic Self: Leopardi/Stendhal/Hazlitt/Moritz
Self (and other) Portraits
~ Reading Week: no lectures or seminars ~
Nature and State: Government and the individual: Thomas Hobbes and John Locke
Institutions, ‘Spirit’, Virtues and Vices: B de Mandeville and C.L. Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu
Divergent Republics: J J Rousseau / Federalist Papers
Improvement and its Critics: William Godwin /Thomas Malthus
The Politics of Education: Rousseau (Emile)/Wollstonecraft/Macaulay
Constitutionalism: G. W. F. Hegel – Philosophy of Right
The Discovery of Society: Kames/Millar
The Critique of the Social: J J Rousseau – Discourse on Origin of Inequality/Adam Ferguson - Origins
Society’s Productivity: Adam Smith Bk V
~ Reading Week: no lectures or seminars ~
The Beaux Monde and 'Bon ton': Fashion Clothes/Hair/goods/The Tatler/Spectator
The Contribution of Labour: E. Sieyes, What is the Third Estate/Paine, Agrarian Justice/H. St Simon/Robert Owen
The Nation as Community: J. G. Herder/ J. G. Fichte Addresses
Order and Change: E. Burke – Reflections/ J. S. Mill Spirit of the Age
Democratic Society: Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America 1835 and 1840
Historical Determinism/All that is Solid: Karl Marx
Revision
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- By the end of the module students will be able to understand and accurately characterise theoretical approaches to the writing of history and philosophy.
- By the end of the module students will be able to analyse a range of key primary texts from the period, in philosophy, literature and the developing social sciences together with other historical sources (including diaries, portraits, and newspapers) from the 17th to the 18thc.
- By the end of the module students will be able to critically evaluate and reflect on the relationships between shifting ideas about individual, polis, and society.
- By the end of the module students will be able to evaluate a variety of primary sources and deploy these to engage in historical interpretation and debate.
- By the end of the module students will be able to show an awareness of the points of contact and divergence between historical and more philosophical readings of classic texts between 1660 and 1800.
- By the end of the module students will be able to demonstrate oral and written communication skills through the production of both a 2,000 word and 3,000 word essay, and a presentation to the class.
- By the end of the module students will be able to conduct independent research (including the use of appropriate ICT resources).
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Subject specific skills
No subject specific skills defined for this module.
Transferable skills
No transferable skills defined for this module.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Tutorials | 1 session of 1 hour (1%) |
| Private study | 131 hours (87%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
No private study requirements defined for this module.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A1
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Oral Participation | 10% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Essay Plan | 40% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Essay | 50% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
- written feedback on essay and exam cover sheets\r\n- student/tutor dialogues in one-to-one tutorials\r\n
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.