Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3198: Revolution and Modern Political Thought

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to familiarize you with a range of foundational texts vital to understanding modern revolution and the conceptual difficulties it gives rise to. You will learn not only to exegetically reconstruct the arguments of these texts but also to use them as a starting point for critical reflection on the nature of modern revolution. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Understand political-theoretical arguments as both rhetorical interventions intended to influence an immediate historical context and as more abstract contributions to long-standing debates over the nature of political power and authority
2. Demonstrate detailed understanding of the theoretical arguments and conceptual vocabularies concerning the nature and legitimacy of revolution in the Western tradition
3. Comprehend the contested nature of political concepts whose meanings are often taken for granted in political debate
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Critically evaluate competing interpretations of texts in the history of political thought
5. Formulate a sustained and intellectually rigorous interpretive argument in the history of political thought backed by appropriate textual and historical evidence
6. Learn to form independent positions on major controversies in histories of political thought scholarship without excessive dependence on secondary sources
Personal and Key Skills7. Engage in respectful discussion with peers
8. Demonstrate oral and written communication skills