Module POL2123 for 2022/3
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2123: The Idea of Human Rights
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Module Aims
The module considers the idea of human rights from a variety of perspectives within political, moral and legal philosophy. We begin by considering the history (and historiography) of the concept of human rights, looking at how the cosmopolitan liberalism of late eighteenth century theorists (such as Kant and Paine). We move on to look at Arendt’s critique of universal human rights and Rorty’s attempt to offer an anti-foundational defence of the idea. We then turn to consider the theories of human rights – advanced by John Rawls, James Griffin and others – before raising specific normative questions about how the concept relates to substantive political concerns. These questions vary from year to year, and will include some of the following: the relationship between human rights and democracy; the human right to freedom of movement; feminism and human rights; the post-colonial critique of human rights practice; human rights and healthcare; and how a concern with human rights relates to the natural environment.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate understanding of the historical and philosophical underpinnings of a prominent political phenomenon 2. Critically evaluate different conceptions of human rights |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Analyse texts in moral, legal and political philosophy 4. Criticise philosophical texts effectively |
Personal and Key Skills | 5. Formulate and express ideas at different levels of abstraction 6. Demonstrate proficiency in written communication according to scholarly conventions |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
- The history of the idea of human rights
- Arendt’s critique of human rights
- Rorty’s anti-foundational defence of human rights
- John Rawls’ ‘law of peoples’
- The human right to democracy
- Critics of human rights
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 |
---|---|---|
22 | 128 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
Guided Independent Study | 44 | Preparing for seminars: Reading and research |
Guided Independent Study | 84 | Completing assessment tasks: Reading, research and writing |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
- ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Textual Commentary | 1000 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Essay | 100 | 2500 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Essay | Essay (2500 words) | 1-6 | Summer re-sit period |