PHILO215-19B (HAM)

Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction

15 Points

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Division of Arts Law Psychology & Social Sciences
School of Social Sciences
Philosophy

Staff

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Convenor(s)

Liezl Van Zyl

Liezl Van Zyl
9356
J.3.19A
To be advised
liezl.vanzyl@waikato.ac.nz

Lecturer(s)

Stephanie Gibbons

Stephanie Gibbons
6062
J.3.18
Monday 11-12
stephanie.gibbons@waikato.ac.nz

Administrator(s)

: paula.maynard@waikato.ac.nz

Placement Coordinator(s)

Tutor(s)

Student Representative(s)

Lab Technician(s)

Librarian(s)

: anne.ferrier-watson@waikato.ac.nz

You can contact staff by:

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Paper Description

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This paper gives students the opportunity to study three classical texts in Moral and Political Philosophy: Plato's Republic and J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism and On Liberty. We consider questions about central concepts, including:

  • virtue, e.g. What is virtue? How do we become virtuous? Why should we be good? Does it benefit me to be virtuous?
  • happiness, e.g. What is (true) happiness? Is happiness merely subjective? Is there a link between virtue and happiness?
  • art, e.g. What is art? Do artists play an important role in society? Should artists be censored?
  • justice, e.g. What is justice? Is democracy the best form of government? What is the proper role of the state?
  • freedom, e.g. Why do we value freedom? What dos it mean to be (truly) free? Should the state interfere with individual freedom for the sake of the public good? How much freedom should people have?
  • equality, e.g. Should everyone have equality of opportunity? Should society be organised around individual merit? Should everyone have equal rights?
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Paper Structure

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Both classes will be a mix of lecture and discussion. Note that there is a 10% participation mark.

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Learning Outcomes

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Students who successfully complete the course should be able to:

  • To think critically about moral and political issues
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  • To articulate and defend original arguments in support of contentious theses
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  • To make rational and ethical decisions in personal, professional and public contexts
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  • To communicate information, arguments and analyses effectively, both orally and in writing
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  • To ethically engage in original research.
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  • To elucidate and analyse complex moral and political ideas and concepts
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  • To be proficient in the distinctive questions and history of moral and political philosophy
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Assessment

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Assessment Components

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The internal assessment/exam ratio (as stated in the University Calendar) is 100:0. There is no final exam. The final exam makes up 0% of the overall mark.

The internal assessment/exam ratio (as stated in the University Calendar) is 100:0 or 0:0, whichever is more favourable for the student. The final exam makes up either 0% or 0% of the overall mark.

Component DescriptionDue Date TimePercentage of overall markSubmission MethodCompulsory
1. Weekly quizzes (Plato)
25
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
2. Essay 1
23 Aug 2019
11:30 PM
20
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
3. Weekly quizzes (Mill)
25
4. Essay 2
18 Oct 2019
11:30 PM
20
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
5. Attendance and participation
10
Assessment Total:     100    
Failing to complete a compulsory assessment component of a paper will result in an IC grade
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Required and Recommended Readings

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Required Readings

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The required texts for this course are:

Plato’s Republic. Any reputable edition of the Republic will do, but some translations are better than others. Recommendations include translations by Grube & Reeve (Hackett), Bloom, Lindsay, Lee, Cornford.

J.S. Mill, Utilitarianism. Any edition. As it is no longer under copyright the full text is freely available online.

J.S. Mill, On Liberty. Any edition. As it is no longer under copyright the full text is freely available online.

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Online Support

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Lecture notes are available on Moodle
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Workload

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You are expected to attend all three contact hours each week, and should expect to spend on average about 4 to 6 hours each week reading, thinking, and working on the pieces of assessment.

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Linkages to Other Papers

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Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Equivalent(s)

Restriction(s)

Restricted papers: PHIL215

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