Introductory description

Philosophy deals with what’s possible; politics with what’s practical. However, can we really get a handle on either of these areas without thinking about the other? Addressing many of the contemporary problems we face requires both a detailed understanding of political realities, on the one hand, and ethical analysis and philosophical reasoning, on the other hand.

Module aims

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.

Topics addressed include global poverty and egalitarianism; theories of intergenerational justice; science, ethics and impacts of climate change; the Kyoto Protocol; and overpopulation. Module outline: Global Justice; Global Justice and International Legitimacy; International legitimacy; Population; Justice Between Generations; The Non-identity Problem; Climate Change: Science, Impacts, and Ethics; Climate Change: Politics and Policy; Discussion and Conclusions.

Learning outcomes

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

• Comprehend and critically analyse complex arguments from the literature of contemporary political theory, international ethics and environmental policy;
• Provide an account of your considered judgements about the issues discussed, taking account of a variety opposing arguments and perspectives;
• Think rigorously and independently about the relevant issues;
• Construct your own sustained argument about the issues covered, and defend it against sceptics, using arguments from other disciplines where appropriate;
• Apply themes from the course to topical social and political issues to aid your general understanding.

Indicative reading list

Refer to online reading list.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Interdisciplinary

Co-taught by Philosophy and Politics for PPE students only. Designed as part of our bridge model, providing real life context so that students can integrate their studies in the their disciplines and focus on important topics at the intersection of philosophy and politics.

Subject specific skills

A solid knowledge and understanding of: (i) Political information: knowledge and understanding of current policy and political theory in the specified topics. (ii) Philosophy: knowledge and understanding of ethical and philosophical debates. (iii) Research issues: Familiarity with contemporary debates and latest research in some specialised areas of PPE. Evaluate how to approach a problem from the perspective of a contemporary researcher with a PPE background

Transferable skills

An established capacity of: (i) Analytical thinking, reasoning and application. (ii) Critical, creative and strategic thinking. (iii) Abstraction and Problem solving. (iv) Policy evaluation and the analysis of institutions.