Admission requirements
Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the information bar on the right.
Description
This course centers on two enduring questions in political philosophy and political life. First, how do power relations permeate society and shape the distribution of social, cultural, and economic privilege? We begin by examining the concept of power itself—its forms and manifestations in both social and political contexts. Key themes include domination, oppression, and discrimination, as well as the complex relationship between power and freedom. We will also reflect on what distinguishes legitimate from illegitimate uses of power. Second, we ask: under what conditions are individuals morally justified in resisting the power of the state? Drawing on a range of philosophical frameworks, we will assess the moral foundations for resistance. Topics include civil disobedience, uncivil disobedience, and secession. We conclude by broadening our scope to the international domain and the legitimacy of political violence on a global scale, focusing on the ethics of war.
Course objectives
The course aims to:
give students a familiarity with central debates in political philosophy that concern the concepts of power and resistance;
acquaint students with key writings on power and resistance.
Students who successfully complete the course:
will have a good understanding of the central debates in political theory about the notions of power and resistance.
will be able to paraphrase, interpret, reproduce and criticise the use made of the concepts of power and resistance in philosophical writing and in wider political contexts.
will be able to distinguish between different types of power;
will be able to distinguish between different types of resistance
will be able to relate contemporary political and everyday events to theories of power, and to theories of resistance
will be able to analyse and interpret a philosophical text
will be able to develop argumentative skills through seminar discussion and analysis of philosophical texts
will be able to practice and further develop presentation skills
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminars.
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Compulsory reading responses | pass/fail |
| Presentation of final paper proposals | pass/fail |
| Final paper | 100% |
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of two subtests (see above).
Resit
The resit consists of one examination for all parts at once (100%), consisting of an essay. The mark for the resit will replace all previously earned marks for subtests. No separate resits will be offered for subtest. Class attendance and participation is required for taking the resit. Students who have obtained a satisfactory grade for the first examination cannot take the resit.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The reading list will be posted on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga.