Unit Outline

This is an introduction to political philosophy. Political philosophy is the branch of philosophy concerned with political values, such as freedom, equality, community, rights, duties, and democracy. Political philosophy is as old as philosophy itself. However, this unit will focus on contemporary debates. These cover a wide range of issues linked by fundamental disagreements about what makes one form of government better than another. The readings are selected principally on the basis of their influence in philosophy and other disciplines such as political science and sociology, as well as the wider culture.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Understand the work of some of the most important political philosophers in contemporary political philosophy.
2.	Understand some of the historical context from which contemporary debates in political philosophy arose.
3.	Analyse and communicate ideas about politics with increased sophistication.
4.	Apply the concepts of contemporary political philosophy to contemporary political issues.
5.	Develop an ability to understand and respect the political commitments of others, without necessarily sharing them.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points at Introductory level or higher

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Refer to MyLO sites for details.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Presentation	See the MyLO site for the due date	10 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Essay	See the MyLO site for the due date	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Exam	Exam Period	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Presentation

Task Description:

Refer to MyLO site for details.

Task Length:

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically analyse the relevant texts	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Essay

Task Description:

Refer to MyLO site for details.

Task Length:

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically analyse the relevant texts	LO1, LO3, LO4
2	Develop a reflectively sustainable position in response to the texts relevant to the question	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Engage with likely objections to the position put forward	LO5
4	Write in clear prose	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Exam

Task Description:

Refer to MyLO site for details.

Task Length:

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically analyse the relevant texts	LO1, LO3, LO4
2	Develop a reflectively sustainable position in response to the texts relevant to the question	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Engage with likely objections to the position put forward	LO3, LO5
4	Write in clear prose	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.