PHIL41000 Living Well: Aristotle's Ethics & Politics

Academic Year 2021/2022

*** Not available in the academic year indicated above ***

As Aristotle sees it, ethics and politics are both concerned with the same thing: the pursuit of happiness. His great work, the 'Nicomachean Ethics' is concerned with identifying what an individual's happiness consists in, while his 'Politics' attempts to identify which political system will best promote the happiness of each citizen. Both works are masterpieces of moral and political philosophy, and remain of great interest and influence today. In this module we will examine the key doctrines that Aristotle argues for in these seminal texts. To set Aristotle's work in its appropriate historical and philosophical context, we will also look closely at the treatment of these, and similar, topics by Aristotle's great predecessors, Socrates and Plato.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module diligent students should be able to: understand and interpret critically key passages of the Nicomachean Ethics and the Politics in English translation; identify, understand, and explain in detail the key features and principles of Aristotle's practical philosophy; explain and critically evaluate Aristotle's arguments in defence of his ethical and political conclusions; explain and assess Aristotle's criticisms of rival ethical views; discern and clarify the psychological and metaphysical presumptions that influence Aristotle's practical philosophy; display a familiarity with Ancient Greek ethics in general; appreciate the continuing influence of Aristotelian practical philosophy in modern philosophy and political theory.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

20

Autonomous Student Learning

230

Total

250

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Forthcoming 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Essay: < Description > Week 6 n/a Graded No

50

Essay: < Description > Week 12 n/a Graded No

50


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

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