- Department: Politics
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Adam Fusco
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
- Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
- See module specification for other years: 2022-23
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Spring Term 2021-22 |
Liberty, or freedom, has been one of the most important political ideals of the past four hundred years, and it has also been one of the most fiercely contested. All sides in political argument want to say that they believe in freedom and liberty, but the kinds of liberty or freedom that are valued by can vary enormously. This course focuses upon questions about the meaning, history, and concrete implications of our conceptions of liberty. We shall ask: Should we understand political liberty as the absence of interference, collective self-mastery, freedom from domination, or something else entirely? Does the state secure or hinder liberty? How are the values of liberty and equality related? Does capitalism support or undermine liberty? Are liberty and democracy incompatible? Does political liberty presuppose autonomous agency? Can we speak of the unfreedom of peoples? Can liberty be justifiably curtailed in the name of security? In grappling with debates about liberty, we will read and discuss a range of texts from the history of political thought and from contemporary political philosophy, bringing each to bear on the discussion of a number of concrete issues of current politics and public policy.
Students will be able to:
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Essay |
N/A | 100 |
None
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Essay |
N/A | 100 |
Students will receive written timely feedback on their formative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor's feedback and guidance hours.
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 20 working days after submission; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor's regular feedback and guidance hours.
Isaiah Berlin, 'Two Concepts of Liberty' in his Four Essays on Liberty.
Ian Carter, Matthew H. Kramer and Hillel Steiner, Freedom: A Philosophical Anthology.
David Miller (ed.), The Liberty Reader.