Overview
Political Science 357: Political Philosophy: Hobbes to Human Rights introduces early modern and modern political philosophy. The course provides a solid grounding in the content of Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan, John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract, John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, and Harriet Taylor Mill’s “Enfranchisement of Women.” Attention is also given to the political writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels.
Outline
Part 1: Re-Ordering Political Philosophy: The Individual
- Unit 2: Hobbes on Human Nature
- Unit 3: Hobbes on Civil Society
- Unit 4: Locke: An Overview
- Unit 5: Locke's Politics
Part 2: Modern Political Philosophy
- Unit 6: Rousseau
- Unit 7: The Rights of Women: Wollstonecraft
- Unit 8: Harriet Taylor and John Stuart Mill
- Unit 9: Marx
- Unit 10: Human Rights
Conclusion: Re-visioning Continues
Evaluation
Your final grade in Political Science 357: Political Philosophy: Hobbes to Human Rights is based on the grades you achieve in the assignments. To receive credit for the course, you must achieve a course composite grade of D (50 percent) or better. Students are advised that some universities require a minimum grade to receive transfer credit for a course.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Participation | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Comparative Essay | 20% |
| Assignment 3: Research Presentation | 25% |
| Assignment 4: Critical Synthesis | 35% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
All of the readings and study materials are provided online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the POLI 357 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C (60%) on the written assignment.
Challenge for credit course registration form