Social And Political Philosophy
- Arts
- 200 level
- 158 pages
- 17 units
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of social and political philosophy. It explores major themes such as justice, power, authority, and liberty, examining the works of influential Western philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx. The course also delves into political ideologies, including communalism, socialism, capitalism, democracy, and anarchism. Students will develop critical thinking skills and relate these concepts to contemporary African thought and situations.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 325 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, case study
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Computer based tests
- Forum discussions
- Portfolio presentation
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of PHL253, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- UNIT 1: PLATO AND ARISTOTLE’S POLITICAL IDEASPage 36
- UNIT 2: ST AUGUSTINE AND ST THOMAS AQUINAS’ POLITICAL PHILOSOPHYPage 51
- UNIT 3 THOMAS HOBBESPage 59
- UNIT 4: JOHN LOCKE’S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHYPage 64
- UNIT 5: JEAN JACQUE ROUSSEAUPage 72
- UNIT 6: NICCOLO di BERNARDO dei MACHIAVELLIPage 77
- UNIT 7: KARL MARXPage 83
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
PHL253 · UNIT 2: MEANING OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Allan Gewirth (1956) opined that questions asked by political philosophers are questions about what human being ought to do in relation to society and government, and about the right ordering and functioning of political power. These kinds of questions can be raised at different levels, from the most concrete and particular to the most abstract and general.
What you should be able to do
- Identify the basic questions in political and social philosophy.
- Discuss the methodology and the relevance of political and social philosophy to human society.
- Distinguish between political philosophy and political science.
- Explain the socio-political philosophies of major philosophers in the West.
- Clarify the major concepts in political and social philosophy.
- Examine the development and history of social and political thought.
- Clarify the concept of power and authority.
- Discuss the concept of justice.
- Identify and explain the various political ideologies, such as democracy, capitalism, socialism etc.
- Define the meaning and nature of political power.
What it prepares you for
- Policy Analyst
- Political Advisor
- Social Worker
- Journalist
- Public Administrator
- Government
- Non-profit Organizations
- Education
- Media
- International Relations
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 3: Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes' concept of the state of nature and the social contract requires careful understanding of his assumptions about human nature and the logic of his arguments.
- Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 6: Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli's separation of morality from politics and his advocacy of pragmatic, sometimes ruthless, leadership challenges conventional ethical norms.
- Module 3: The Idea of Justice in John Rawls, Irish Young and Robert Nozick Political Philosophy
Unit 1: John Rawls' Concept of Justice
Rawls' concepts of the original position and the veil of ignorance are abstract and require careful consideration to grasp their implications for justice.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 43 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: The Idea of Political Philosophy
Unit 1: Meaning, Nature and Origin of Politics · 2 hours
Read the unit introduction to understand the scope of political philosophy.. Define politics from different scholars' perspectives.. Trace the origin of politics from the Greek word Polis.. Discuss the functions and scope of politics in various settings..
Unit 2: Meaning of Political Philosophy · 2 hours
Define political philosophy and socio-political philosophy.. Examine the origin of political philosophy and the scope of political philosophers.. Identify basic questions in political philosophy related to individual and community.. Distinguish between social philosophy and political philosophy..
- Week 2Module 1: The Idea of Political Philosophy
Unit 3: Social Contract Theory · 3 hours
Examine the meaning of a social contract and how it was arrived at.. Discuss the principles involved in the social contract, including authority and obedience.. Trace the emergence of a political society from the social contract.. Explain the three central kernels of the social contract: human nature, origin of the state, and ends of government..
Unit 4: Political Science and Political Philosophy · 2 hours
Examine the meaning of political science.. Discuss how political science differs from political philosophy.. Explain the points of divergence between political philosophy and political science.. Compare and contrast the methodologies used in political science and political philosophy..
- Week 3Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 1: Plato and Aristotle's Political Ideas · 3 hours
Explain politics as conceived by Plato and Aristotle.. Grasp Plato and Aristotle's understanding of human nature.. Identify who should rule according to Plato and Aristotle.. Explain the concept of justice as viewed by Plato..
- Week 4Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 2: St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas' Political Philosophy · 3 hours
Explain politics as conceived by Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas.. Discuss Augustine and Aquinas' belief in the role of God in the creation of political society.. Examine how political society was created and its purpose according to the two philosophers.. Explain the best political regime in the two philosophers' discussions..
- Week 5Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 3: Thomas Hobbes · 3 hours
Explain political society as conceived by Hobbes.. Discuss Hobbes' idea of rights and the metaphysical basis of his political thought.. Explain Hobbes' concepts of 'Rights'.. Examine how political society was created and its purpose according to Hobbes..
- Week 6Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 4: John Locke's Political Philosophy · 3 hours
Discuss how a political society emerged according to Locke.. Explain Locke's idea of Class inequality, consent and property.. Assess Locke's type of government that may be acceptable in society.. Discuss his idea of revolution and grasp Locke's Liberal tradition..
- Week 7Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 5: Jean Jacque Rousseau · 3 hours
Discuss how a political society emerged according to Rousseau.. Explain Rousseau's idea of class inequality, a general will and human nature.. Attempt an explanation of political society as conceived by Rousseau.. Assess the distinction between Rousseau, Hobbes and Locke's political ideas..
- Week 8Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 6: Niccolo Machiavelli · 3 hours
Explain Machiavelli's political thoughts.. Explain the conception of political power.. Discuss the reason for Machiavelli's separation of morality from politics..
- Week 9Module 2: Western Political Thoughts
Unit 7: Karl Marx · 3 hours
Explain Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel's political ideas.. Explain the concept of class struggle in Karl Marx's political philosophy.. Identify the sources that influenced Karl Marx's political philosophy.. Evaluate the place of the mode of production in Karl Marx's political idea and its effect on society..
- Week 10Module 3: The Idea of Justice in John Rawls, Irish Young and Robert Nozick Political Philosophy
Unit 1: John Rawls' Concept of Justice · 3 hours
Explain John Rawls' idea of justice.. Explain his idea of the original position as the origin of justice.. Discuss his understanding of the veil of ignorance and impartiality.. Identify the reason why Rawls subscribes to the particular conception of justice..
- Week 11Module 3: The Idea of Justice in John Rawls, Irish Young and Robert Nozick Political Philosophy
Unit 2: Iris Marion Young's Concept of Justice · 3 hours
Explain Iris Young's concept of justice.. Explain the alternative model of justice proposed by her against the idea of distributive justice.. Discuss her argument against the distributive form of justice.. Examine her strategies on how to address structural injustices in society..
- Week 12Module 3: The Idea of Justice in John Rawls, Irish Young and Robert Nozick Political Philosophy
Unit 3: Robert Nozick's Concept of Justice · 3 hours
Explain Robert Nozick's idea of justice.. Discuss his argument against the left-wing anarchist.. Draw a comparison between his theory of justice and John Rawls' theory of distributive justice.. Know his ideas of a utopian society and 'invisible hand.'.
- Week 13Module 4: Political Concepts
Unit 1: Communalism · 2 hours
Explain communalism and communitarianism as a political ideology.. Discuss the values that are inherent in the two concepts.. Identify the reason why they are favored by some society such that they are adopted as an ideology in some state.. Explain the limitations of these concepts in human society..
Unit 2: Socialism · 2 hours
Define Socialism as a political ideology.. Discuss the aims and objectives of socialism as a political concept.. Explain the values and features of Socialism.. Identify the reasons why Socialism is a preferred political ideology in some society..
Preparing for the exam
- Create detailed summaries of each philosopher's key arguments and concepts.
- Develop comparative charts contrasting different philosophers' views on major themes like justice and liberty.
- Practice applying theoretical concepts to real-world political events and social issues.
- Review all self-assessment exercises and discussion forum contributions.
- Focus on understanding the historical context and intellectual influences of each philosopher.
- Prioritize studying the core concepts from each unit, such as the state of nature, social contract, and general will.
- Allocate specific study time for each module, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all units.
- Create concept maps linking key ideas across different modules.
- Answer practice questions under timed conditions to simulate the exam environment.
Questions students ask about this course
What is PHL253 about?
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of social and political philosophy. It explores major themes such as justice, power, authority, and liberty, examining the works of influential Western philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx. The course also delves into political ideologies, including communalism, socialism, capitalism, democracy, and anarchism. Students will develop critical thinking skills and relate these concepts to contemporary African thought and situations.
How many units does PHL253 have?
PHL253, Social And Political Philosophy, has 17 units across 4 modules, over 158 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
Is PHL253 hard?
PHL253 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.
How long does PHL253 take to study?
About 325 hours of study, spread across its 17 units.
How is PHL253 assessed?
PHL253 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments, computer based tests, forum discussions, portfolio presentation and final examination.
What can I do with PHL253?
Policy Analyst, Political Advisor, Social Worker, Journalist and Public Administrator.