Gender, Justice and Society
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL1015 | Philosophy | 1 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- PHIL1015
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module will cover a selection of contemporary debates within political philosophy, with a particular focus on feminist philosophy. We will look at key concepts such as justice, autonomy, and culture, and consider how these concepts apply to issues of gender.* Questions covered may include the following:
What is justice? What is gender justice?
What would a just organization of labour and resources look like? How does the gendered distribution of labour and resources affect this?
What is autonomy? How does gender affect the way we understand autonomy?
What is culture, and why does it matter? How should the state respond to cultural differences? What should feminists say about this?
Is violence ever justified? How can we make sense of gender-based violence?
Should there be a distinction between the public and the private? Does it make sense to think of our personal lives as ‘political’?
*Note: the concepts of political obligation and state legitimacy are not among those that might be covered, as they are addressed in the Level 2 module Freedom and Obligation.
Target Students
First year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students, including Liberal Arts students. Also available to subsidiary students from other Schools and exchange students.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework: Mid semester - one essay of 2000 words
- 50% EXAM (2-hour): 2 hour Exam
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to introduce students to some key concepts and debates in political philosophy in general, and feminist philosophy in particular. Gender will be used as an example case to show how critical pressure can be applied to philosophical ideas. By the end of the module, students should be familiar with a range of philosophical literature within political philosophy and feminist philosophy, and should be comfortable engaging critically with this literature. The module will also introduce students to the idea of philosophical methodology, and encourage students to think critically about what philosophy is considered to be, how philosophy is done, who is conceived of as doing philosophy, and the relationship between these things.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:
Students should have a sound grasp of the selected concepts and debates within political philosophy and feminist philosophy, and of the idea of philosophical methodology.
Understanding:
Students should have a critical understanding of the arguments for and against different conceptions and positions within the material covered, and of the considerations that might lead to the adoption of a particular philosophical methodology.
Skills:
Students should have developed their ability to read and understand philosophical texts, to construct clear and precise philosophical arguments, to write clear and scholarly philosophical prose, and to conduct in-person philosophical discussions that are collaborative, constructive, and focused.
Conveners
- Dr Konstancja Duff