Tags
WP
Admissions requirements
None.
Description
In the pursuit of explanation and understanding, the student of world politics can draw on the rich resources of political theory. As discipline political theory aims to contribute to the analysis of political concepts such as freedom, equality and democracy, and to systematise and justify normative judgements about political and social institutions, forms of inequality, authority and oppression. This course forms an advanced introduction to this body of thought. Six principal intellectual traditions are surveyed and applied to the perennial debate about the nature and evaluation of power and sovereignty.
Credited as a methodology course in the ‘World Politics’ major, this course has several, interrelated aims: to foster appreciation of the variety of ways in which one can think about politics; the development of an awareness of how these intellectual traditions have shaped debates in relevant adjacent disciplines in the humanities and social sciences; the further development of critical thinking skills; the further development of knowledge and understanding of the nature and evaluation of power and sovereignty.
Course objectives
After successful completion of the course students:
are able to describe the main characteristics of a number of prominent intellectual traditions in political theory;
are able Recognise and apply the foundational principles and commitments of these traditions to issues relating to the nature of power and sovereignty;
have further knowledge and understanding of the nature of power and sovereignty
Timetable
Once available, timetables will be published in the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
Seminars.
Assessment
Participation: 15%
Presentation: 15%
Brief assignments: 30%
Written examination with short essay questions: 40%
Blackboard
There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.
Reading list
TBA
Registration
This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Laurens van Apeldoorn