PH9GG-30 Democracy: Authority and Resistance
Introductory description
PH9GG-30 Democracy and Authority
Module aims
The aim of this module is to introduce students to fundamental questions and theories concerning the general nature of political authority and the authority of democratic institutions in particular.
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.
- The Nature of Political Authority
-Legitimacy v. Justification v. Authority
-Leading Views of the Nature of Political Authority - The Authority of Democracy: Advocates and Critics
-Intrinsic Theories
-Instrumentalist Theories - The Obligations of Democratic Citizenship
-Voting and Participation
-Disobedience and Protest
-Toleration and Compromise
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- (i) demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the most important questions and theories concerning the nature of political authority
- (ii) demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the central theories defending and opposing the authority of democratic institutions
- (iii) demonstrate the ability to systematically relate key questions and concepts in the philosophy of political authority to broader philosophical questions and concepts concerning morality, epistemology, and metaphysics
- (iv) produce original and advanced written work on a topic of current interest in the philosophical literature on democracy and authority.
Indicative reading list
Joseph Raz, selections from The Morality of Freedom
Stephen Darwall, “Authority and Reasons: Exclusionary and Second-Personal”
Plato, selections from The Republic
John Locke, selections from Second Treatise of Government
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, selections from The Social Contract
David Estlund, selections from Democratic Authority
Thomas Christiano, selections from The Constitution of Equality
Hélène Landemore, selections from Democratic Reason
Fabienne Peter, selections from Democratic Legitimacy
Gerald Gaus, selections from The Order of Public Reason
Daniel Viehoff, “Democratic Equality and Political Authority”
Robert Paul Wolff, selections from In Defense of Anarchism
Alex Zakaras, “Complicity and Coercion: Towards an Ethics of Political Participation”
Hanna Pitkin, selections from The Concept of Representation
Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
Kimberley Brownlee, selections from Conscience and Conviction: The Case for Civil Disobedience
Juliet Hooker, “Black Lives Matter and the Paradox of U.S. Black Politics: From Democratic Sacrifice to Democratic Repair”
Subject specific skills
TBC
Transferable skills
TBC
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 2 hours (6%) |
| Seminars | 8 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Private study | 274 hours (91%) |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 word essay | 100% | Yes (extension) |
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
This module is Option list D for:
- Year 2 of TPHA-V7PM Postgraduate Taught Philosophy
This module is Option list E for:
- Year 1 of TPHA-V7PM Postgraduate Taught Philosophy