Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ARAM250: The Sovereign, the Good, and Society in Islamic Thought

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of the module is to introduce students to a range of historical and normative arguments and discourses about the nature of political thought, of the good, of the ethical and of the just, starting from the early reception of Platonic ethics and politics all the way through to contemporary Islamic debates in the aftermath of the ‘Arab spring’ and the uprisings since 2011. Alongside the study of texts, we will also consider different modalities of discourse in material culture, the sonosphere, and the arts of the articulation of ideas on sovereignty, justice, and the good in Muslim societies. We will also draw upon the perspectives of practitioners. By the end of the module, the students will have a good grasp of normative and theoretical elements of the tradition as well as their historical manifestations and some empirical grasp of attitudes and debates in the contemporary world.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some of the most important methodological and interpretive models in relevant areas of Islamic political thought
2. drawing upon some of the major texts and seminal thinkers (in translation) demonstrate knowledge and understanding in at least two key areas of Islamic political thought
Discipline-Specific Skills3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of fundamental issues, approaches and challenges in several related historical areas of Islamic thought and a general understanding of their underlying historical and social contexts
4. demonstrate the ability to relate the study of Islamic political thought to wider debates in the study of (comparative) political thought
Personal and Key Skills5. demonstrate writing and oral presentation skills, group work and ability to synthesize large areas of unfamiliar reading, subjects and a selection of interpretive and methodological approaches

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Oral presentation15 minutes1-5Oral (in discussion and/or in office hours)

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Book review301,200 words1-5Oral and written
Essay703,000 words1-5Oral and written

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Book review1,200 words1-5August/September period
Essay3,000 words1-5August/September period