Politics, Religion and Philosophy Modules Year 1

Year 1

Compulsory modules:

Introduction to the Study of Religion (20)

This module surveys wider theories and debates in sociology, cultural studies and anthropology as a basis for the study of religion, focussing especially on the social and cultural analysis of religion.

Problems of Philosophy (20 credits)

This module introduces a range of key philosophical problems most of which practically everyone with a philosophical temperament has puzzled over before:

Scepticism (how can I know anything at all about the world?)
Free will (how can I think and act freely, if all my thoughts and actions are determined by the laws that govern the Universe?)
The existence of God (does S/He exist?)
Realism vs. antirealism (to what extent is reality distinct from how it appears?)
The mind/body problem (is the mind just the brain?)
Personal identity (what is it about you that makes you the same person as you were years ago?)
Utilitarianism vs. Deontology (are actions morally right and wrong ‘in themselves’, or are they so just because of the effects they have on people’s happiness etc?)
Ethical obligation (do we have obligations to others?)
Moral relativism (are moral values absolute or do they vary from one culture/person to others?)
The requirements of justice (who should have what?)

Understanding Politics (20)

This is an introductory course designed to familiarise students with a broad spectrum of theories, approaches and issues related to the concept of power and contemporary political ideas.

The aim is to provide students with a solid foundation of key skills and knowledge upon which they can build their own perspectives on a number of themes and issues which they are likely to encounter over the course of their degree programme.

The course is divided into two main parts – the first part looks at different conceptions of politics and power, whilst the second half of the course examines a number of contemporary ideas and political issues.