Module manager: Erik Zhang
Email: e.zhang@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module introduces you to contemporary work in ethics, meta-ethics, and political philosophy, the most pressing debates and issues in these areas, and how this work is interrelated. We will ask questions such as: What are rights and who has them? Do the dead have rights? May we privilege the interests of our loved ones over the stronger interests of strangers (and our fellow citizens over non-citizens)? Are there reasons for love, and if so, what are these reasons? Does our distinctness as individuals allow for interpersonal aggregation? In what sense are we all equals, both morally and politically? And in answering these questions, our attention will be naturally drawn to certain notions of deep meta-ethical significance, such as reasons, values and fittingness.
The module aims to provide you with a high level of understanding of a range of contemporary work in ethics, meta-ethics, and political philosophy, which will enable you to understand the most pressing issues in these areas, and to pursue work in these areas in your dissertation, independent studies, or further studies. The module also aims to provide an understanding of how debates in meta-ethics, ethics, and political philosophy are related, and how we can learn more about one of these areas by learning about others.
Through seminars and formative feedback, you will be provided with understanding and guidance to produce original philosophical work of their own on the topics covered during the module.
The seminars, though facilitated by the module leader, will be ‘active’, discursive, and student-led, and will form the basis of further directed reading and discussion.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Articulate the connections between ethics, metaethics, and political philosophy.
2. Critically analyse some of the key readings, debates, and issues in contemporary ethics, political philosophy and meta-ethics.
3. Formulate and defend an independent view, through critical, original and nuanced argument.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Communicate ideas and understanding clearly and concisely, using appropriate academic language (Academic and Work-Ready skill).
5. Undertake independent research to identify and use appropriate material to support knowledge and analysis of topics (Academic, Work-Ready, Digital and Sustainability skills).
6. Apply standards of academic integrity including when and how to appropriately acknowledge someone else’s work (Academic and Work-Ready skill).
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Seminar | 11 | 2 | 22 |
| Private study hours | 277 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 23 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Student will receive formative feedback in the following ways:
(1) During the weekly, two-hour-long seminars, the module leader will respond to student questions and support understanding based on the module content and readings.
(2) During a one-to-one supervision, the module leader will comment and provide guidance and feedback on an essay plan.
(3) Students are also invited to submit a partial draft of half of the essay they will submit for summative assessment. Written or verbal feedback will be given.
To ensure that students get the formative feedback that they need, they are asked to read and reflect on (i) the feedback they received in previous summative assessments, (ii) the PRHS marking criteria, and (iii) the specific guidance provided on the summative assessment in this module. This requires students to critically engage with previous feedback, current expectations, and play an active role in honing their knowledge and skill development.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
There is no reading list for this module
Last updated: 13/02/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team