Module LAW3158 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW3158: Law and Philosophy
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
The module aims to develop your research skills. Above all, it aims to develop your critical analysis of existing arguments, and your creative ability to propose innovative solutions supported by persuasive reasoning. Since the topics will be chosen by the group, the module aims to develop your understanding of issues which are topical generally, and of particular importance to you.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Compare, analyse and synthesise the principal rules and theories relating to the given topic 2. Select and assess appropriate techniques of evaluation and to evaluate selected aspects of the given critically 3. Identify, explain and critically evaluate key issues in the given topic and to apply relevant rules and theories |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Integrate and assess information from primary and secondary legal sources using appropriate interpretative techniques 5. Select, integrate and present coherently and reflectively, orally and in writing, relevant legal and theoretical arguments 6. Demonstrate knowledge of legal and philosophical concepts, and their political implications |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Interact effectively and proactively within a learning group, to share information and ideas, and to manage conflict 8. Communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the context 9. Work independently and to manage time efficiently in preparing for the prescribed learning activities and assessment 10. Manage relevant information and to develop own arguments and opinions with minimum guidance |
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 assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essays (five essays in total) | 1,000 words per essay | 1-10 | Written and Oral |
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.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best three out of maximum five essays (each essay equal weight) | 100 | 1,000 words per essay | 1-10 | Written and Oral |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
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 assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best three out of maximum five essays | One essay: 3,000 | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
During this module, you will have the opportunity to write five essays. Your best three marks will constitute your summative grade. If you fail any individual essay, there is no re-assessment. If you fail overall, then you will be set one further essay, on a topic covered during the module. Since it is only one essay, it will be longer.
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
We will discuss in seminar which resources are likely to be relevant to which topics have been chosen. But the following reading can be useful:
Blackburn, Ethics (OUP: 2003) (an introduction to ethics)
Singer, Practical Ethics, 3rd edn (CUP: 2011) (ethical theory applied to a number of topics)
Fearn, Zeno and the Tortoise (Grove Press: 2002) (entertaining first introduction to philosophy)
We will not be restricted to Western philosophy – but that tradition does loom large. Good overviews include:
Russell, A History of Western Philosophy (Routledge: 2004)
Cottingham (ed), Western Philosophy: An Anthology (Blackwell: 1996)
