Admission requirements
Admission of third-year bachelor students from other departments on request only; decision on individual basis depending on availability and profile (background in ethics and political philosophy).
Description
Freedom and liberty seem almost universally desired and praised. In a world of widely diverging political philosophies this should be cause for puzzlement.
It is generally accepted that the central role of freedom has in many ways been the defining mark of modern political philosophy, apparently replacing virtuous notions of the good life associated with pre-modernity. Still, here the Roman notion of libertas, dependent on virtus, complicates things. Do people, then, simply mean different things in using the same words? Does it even make sense to use the words freedom and liberty interchangeably?
Discussion in class will revolve around three main questions: What are the main conceptions of freedom? What is their relation? What, if anything, would be the grounds for deciding between them?
Thus, understanding freedom as an essentially contested concept, we will touch on positive and negative freedom, freedom and rights, freedom and virtue, freedom and institutions, freedom and knowledge, as well as their complex interrelations.
Course objectives
Course objectives will be posted on Blackboard by the start of the course.
Timetable
See Collegeroosters Wijsbegeerte 2013-2014 , BA Wijsbegeerte (BA Plus-traject of Standaardtraject), 3e jaar.
See Timetables Philosophy 2013-2014 , Timetable Undergraduate Courses in English.
Mode of instruction
Lectures and seminars.
Course Load
Total course load: 280 hours.
Attending lectures and seminars: 3 × 14 weeks = 42 hours
Time for studying the compulsory literature and for completing assignments in preparation for class: 118 hours
Time to write a papers (including reading / research final paper): 120 hours
Assessment method
Weekly assignments: reading response questions (21 %)
Two small papers of 800 words each (44 % in total)
Outlines papers (8 % in total)
Final paper of 1,600 words (25 %)
Attendance (2 %)
Blackboard
Blackboard is used to post course materials and to make announcements.
Reading list
The reading list can be found in the syllabus, which is available from Blackboard.
Registration
Please register for this course on uSis.
See Inschrijven voor cursussen en tentamens
Exchange students and Study Abroad students, please see the Study in Leiden website for information on how to apply. See also Registration for courses and examinations
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Registration Contractonderwijs
Contact details
Remarks
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