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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The intention is to cover the following topics week by week:

  • Some Definitions: Political Thought, Political Theology, Political Philosophy in Global Context
  • Platonopolis: the Pursuit of the Virtuous Society
  • Aristotelian Public Ethics and the Making of the Islamic Ethical Tradition
  • Religious Philosophies and Philosophical Religions
  • The circle of justice and the akhl?q tradition
  • Mirrors for princes and statecraft
  • Sufi Public Ethics
  • Whose Sovereignty? Whose Justice?
  • Individuals and Communities
  • Squaring Divine Sovereignty between Liberals and Traditionalists
  • Intersectionality, Decolonial Islamic Studies and the Pursuit of the Good

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
501000

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities22Classroom seminars
Guided Independent Study66Readings and online formative tasks, preparation for classes
Guided Independent Study62Preparation for presentations and assessments (web based on ELE etc)

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).