The Political Theory Of Capitalism

Module description

 

This module is designed as an in-depth study of the work of key thinkers in the history of political thought, arranged around the theme of the nature and justification of private property rights and free markets.  Specifically, the educational aims are to:

• Provide students with knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to these debates such as John Locke, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Friedrich Hayek and John Rawls
• Enable students to place the contributions of these thinkers within the broader context of the ubiquitous problems of politics and in particular the challenge of justifying private property rights and free markets.
• Provide students with the skills required for engagement with and critical analysis of original works and secondary source material in political theory/philosophy.
• By the end of this module students will be able to:
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to debates about the feasibility and desirability of private property rights and free markets.
• Show an understanding of the underlying presuppositions and assumptions informing philosophical debate about capitalism, private property rights and markets.
• Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse and evaluate key original texts and secondary source material in political theory/philosophy.

 

Assessment details

Essay (2000 words) 50%

Exam 50% 

Educational aims & objectives

This module is designed to provide students with a good knowledge of the work of key thinkers in the history of political thought arranged around the theme of order and conflict in the modern state. Specifically, the educational aims are: - Provide students with a sound knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to the history of political thought. - Enable students to place the contributions of these thinkers within the broader context of the ubiquitous problems of politics and in particular the challenge of creating and maintaining social order in modern states where values and interests may conflict. - Provide students with the skills required for engagement with and critical analysis of original works in political theory, some written in the early modern period.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module students will be able to: - Demonstrate a good knowledge of the ideas of the key thinkers in the history of political thought. - Show an understanding of the problem of social order and conflict in political thought, history and organisation and relate the ideas of the key thinkers studied to this problem. - Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse and evaluate key original texts in political thought.

Teaching pattern

Weekly 1-hour lecture, 1-hour seminars

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.