PHI204: Political Philosophy
Key details
| Accredited towards | Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts |
| Unit type | Core unit |
| Credit points | 6 |
| Indicative contact hours | 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Offered in | Semester 1 |
| Tuition fee | Learn more |
Overview
What role does the state play in promoting the human good? What legitimises political authority? What, if any, is the best form of government? What is justice? These are just a few of the questions we investigate in the study of political philosophy.
In this unit, we will be surveying many of the great thinkers who have contributed to the field of political philosophy, including Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, and Robert Nozick. We will reflect on and critique assumptions about politics and the human good from the tradition of political liberalism that continues to shape the contemporary world. We will also rediscover insights from ancient, preliberal thought, and see if there is still much to learn from this.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit of study, students will be able to:
- Accurately describe and explain a range of ideas and systems of thought within the study of political philosophy.
- Skilfully evaluate a range of ideas and systems of thought within the study of political philosophy.
- Demonstrate understanding of the contributions of historically significant thinkers in the field of political philosophy.
- Conduct self-directed research into given topics of interest relevant to the course.
- Effectively express a coherent, extended argument in written form.
- Verbally summarise, discuss, and provide commentary on material from lectures and weekly readings.
Interested in other Philosophy units?
| PHI101 | Introduction to Philosophy |
| PHI102 | Metaphysics |
| PHI202 | Moral Philosophy |
| PHI204 | Political Philosophy |
| PHI301 | Modern Philosophy |
| PHI302 | Social and Political Philosophy |
| PHI303 | Philosophy of Language |
| PHI304 | Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy |
| PHI305 | Intensive Study of a Text in Classical Philosophy |
| PHI306 | Intensive Study of a Text in Modern Philosophy |