Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL1026: Early Modern Political Thought

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The module will introduce you to some canonical texts of the early modern period. You will be encouraged to appreciate the originality and saliency of these texts within the political context in which they were written and to understand the significance of the controversies and debates that have surrounded them since their publication. You will develop your ability to analyse philosophical arguments and to situate the texts studied in the appropriate historical contexts. You will be encouraged to engage in close textual reading while developing an awareness of the wider themes and concepts that inform early modern political thought.

There are no prerequisites for this module, although it is designed to complement Classical Political Thought (POL1025) and Political Thought of Modernity (POL2059).

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 Skills	1. demonstrate knowledge of the major political theories of the Western tradition between Machiavelli and the French Revolution; 2. understand, summarise and interpret complex and abstract arguments in politics; 3. summarise and precis a political theory;
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. identify and discuss the major concepts deployed in a political theory and their argumentative articulation; 5. engage in both sympathetic interpretation and reasoned criticism of such theories, and to evaluate different interpretations in the light of appropriate evidence;
Personal and Key Skills	6. evaluate ideas, arguments and texts; 7. develop and assess communication skills; and 8. take a critical attitude towards their work and learn from others through peer evaluation processes. 9. work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

1) Machiavelli’s ideas on states, politics and republics;

2) Hobbes’s science of politics and conceptions of the state of nature, contract and sovereignty;

3) Locke’s ideas on the law and right of nature, property, the limits of obedience and the right to rebellion;

4) Rousseau’s critique of modern society, account of inequality, and ideas on liberty, sovereignty and contract;

5) Burke’s critique of the French Revolution and defence of conservatism.

Learning and Teaching

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
26.5	123.5	0

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

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	16.5	11 x 1.5 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	10	10 x 1 hour tutorials
Guided Independent study	73.5	Preparation for essays and exam
Guided Independent study	50	Reading for tutorials

Online Resources

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

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/