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Module Catalogue

PH9E3-30 Topics in Moral and Political Philosophy

Department
Philosophy
Level
Taught Postgraduate Level
Module leader
Nadine Elzein
Credit value
30
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

PH9E3 Topics in Moral and Political Philosophy

Module web page

Module aims

The module will offer a critical engagement with key debates in moral and political philosophy. It will deal with a range of problems revolving around the tension between moral autonomy and political authority, focusing in particular on the following two questions: on what grounds, if any, can individual moral agents be placed under a moral duty to obey political authority? And is deferring to political authority compatible with acting as autonomous moral agents? In addressing these two questions a number of fundamental issues in moral and political philosophy will be critically examined, such as "why is consent morally important?", "can morality make room for associative responsibilities?", “how important is the difference between our duty to help and our duty not to harm?”, "under what conditions do we incur fair-play obligations?", “how should we understand equality?”. Particular attention will be paid to the question of how best to characterize practical reasoning in relation to issues of obedience.

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.

Illustrative Syllabus

  1. Introduction to the module. Discussion of distributive principles.
  2. Equality: distributive or relational?
  3. Aggregation
  4. Aggregation, uncertainty, and statistical lives
  5. Moral uncertainty
  6. READING WEEK
  7. Racial Profiling
  8. Sex, Consent, and Deception
  9. Killing the Innocent
  10. Nudging

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • By the end of the module the student should have a systematic understanding and knowledge of key contemporary debates in moral and political philosophy, and the major methodological and conceptual issues at stake in them.
  • By the end of the module the student should be able to participate in debate on an important set of issues in contemporary moral and political philosophy, and to articulate arguments and criticisms in an insightful, original, and productive way
  • By the end of the module the student should be able to analyse and critically evaluate different theories and arguments presented in current research, and come to an independent assessment of their relative merits; to be able to critically evaluate different methodological approaches in these debates.

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Subject specific skills

TBC

Transferable skills

TBC

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 9 sessions of 1 hour (3%)
Seminars 9 sessions of 1 hour (3%)
Private study 282 hours (94%)
Total 300 hours

Private study description

No private study requirements defined for this module.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.

Assessment group A2
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
7500 word essay 100% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Feedback on assessment

Feedback on essays will be provided on the coversheet for the essay, addressing standard areas
of evaluation and individual content.

Courses

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 1 of TPHA-V7P2 Postgraduate Taught Continental Philosophy

This module is Option list A for:

  • TPHA-V7PN Postgraduate Taught Philosophy and the Arts
    • Year 1 of V7PN Philosophy and the Arts
    • Year 2 of V7PN Philosophy and the Arts