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PHL305Arts2 Unitsintermediate

Advance Political Philosophy

This course deepens students' understanding of core topics and theories in political philosophy. It focuses on topics such as social justice, human rights, liberty and liberalism, politics and power, political obligation, and disobedience. The course investigates how we evaluate different political systems and assess their relative merits and virtues. It evaluates the justification, values, and operation of democratic forms of government, and controversies in democratic theory and practice in Africa.

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39h
Study Time
13
Weeks
3h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
Social JusticeHuman RightsLibertyPolitical ObligationDemocracy

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
📚
Math Level
No Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Social Justice

2

Human Rights

3

Liberty and Liberalism

4

Politics and Power

5

Political Obligation

6

Civil Disobedience

7

Democracy and Democratization

Total Topics7 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Political Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Policy Advisor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Diplomat

Apply your skills in this growing field

Journalist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Civil Servant

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

GovernmentNon-profit OrganizationsInternational RelationsLawEducation

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Social Justice and Political Philosophy

2h

Unit 1: A Conceptual Exposition of the Notion of Justice in Political Philosophy

2 study hours
  • •Define justice, identify and discuss distributive, retributive, and divine theories of justice.
  • •Analyze the relationship between justice and political philosophy.
Week
2

Module 1: Social Justice and Political Philosophy

2h

Unit 2: The Concept and Theories of Social Justice

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the meaning of social justice.
  • •Differentiate between benefits and burdens in society.
  • •Evaluate the criteria for the justification of distributions of social goods.
Week
3

Module 1: Social Justice and Political Philosophy

2h

Unit 3: Social Justice Theories and Africa: A Critical Evaluation

2 study hours
  • •Identify the main contention of distributive justice.
  • •Discuss some objections levelled against distributive justice and its proponent.
  • •Explain the idea of entitlement justice of Robert Nozick.
  • •Examine the politics of justice in apartheid South Africa and Rwandan genocide.
Week
4

Module 2: Liberty, Liberalism and Notion of Rights

2h

Unit 1: On the Idea of Liberty

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the idea of liberty as a political concept.
  • •Differentiate between negative and positive liberty.
Week
5

Module 2: Liberty, Liberalism and Notion of Rights

2h

Unit 2: The Concept of Liberalism

2 study hours
  • •Demonstrate commanding knowledge of liberalism.
  • •Explain the popular strands of liberalism.
  • •Discuss some of the problems that scholars have levelled against liberalism and liberty.
Week
6

Module 2: Liberty, Liberalism and Notion of Rights

2h

Unit 3: Notion of Rights in Political Theory

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the idea of rights.
  • •Explain the main features of human rights.
  • •Denote the context within which right applies to human as a political entity.
Week
7

Module 2: Liberty, Liberalism and Notion of Rights

2h

Unit 4: Political Power and Political Systems

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the meaning of politics and power.
  • •Identify types of political system.
  • •Explain the various types of political party systems.
Week
8

Module 3: Political Obligation, Civil Disobedience and Punishment

2h

Unit 1: Political Obligation and the Origin of Civil Society

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the concept of political obligation.
  • •Explain the emergence of states from the classical social contract scholars.
  • •Examine why humans are subject/accountable to governments/states that emerge after human creation.
Week
9

Module 3: Political Obligation, Civil Disobedience and Punishment

2h

Unit 2: What is Civil Disobedience?

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the meaning of civil disobedience.
  • •Realize that civil disobedience is an important aspect of civil governance.
  • •Relate with the grounds upon which civil disobedience can be justified.
Week
10

Module 3: Political Obligation, Civil Disobedience and Punishment

2h

Unit 3: Punishment and Crimes in Civil Society

2 study hours
  • •Explain the idea of crime and punishment.
  • •Discuss the context to which an action is a crime.
  • •Examine why punishments are important following a crime.
Week
11

Module 3: Political Obligation, Civil Disobedience and Punishment

2h

Unit 4: Theories of Punishment and Capital Punishment

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the various theories of punishment and what they mean.
  • •Explain the notion of capital punishment.
  • •Examine the idea of capital punishment from the angle of Jeremy Bentham.
Week
12

Module 4: Democracy and the Democratisation Process in Africa

2h

Unit 1: Meaning and Ideal of Democracy

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the meaning of democracy.
  • •Explain the fundamental tenets and practicability of liberal democracy.
  • •Examine the basic ideals of democracy.
Week
13

Module 4: Democracy and the Democratisation Process in Africa

2h

Unit 2: African Development and the Challenges of Democratisation

2 study hours
  • •Discuss an in-depth conception of the relationship between democracy and development in Africa.
  • •Identify the challenges faced by the democratization process in Africa.
  • •Examine the position of Francis Fukuyama concerning why democracy fails in Africa.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create concept maps linking social justice theories (Units 1-3)

2

Compare Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau's views on political obligation (Module 3)

3

Analyze arguments for and against civil disobedience (Unit 2, Module 3)

4

Review key features of different political systems (Unit 4, Module 2)

5

Practice essay questions on democracy and development in Africa (Module 4)

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