Crisis and Judgment

7.5 credits

Syllabus, Master's level, 5FT194

Code
5FT194
Education cycle
Second cycle
Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
Theoretical Philosophy A1N
Grading system
Pass with distinction, Pass, Fail
Finalised by
The Department Board, 29 August 2024
Responsible department
Department of Philosophy

Entry requirements

120 credits, of which 90 credits should be in a discipline within the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences, Languages, Law, Theology or Educational Sciences and include a thesis of at least 15 credits

Learning outcomes

The general aim of this course is that the student after completion shall demonstrate a nuanced use of the concepts of "crisis", "criticism" and "judgment" in analyzing social, cultural and especially political phenomena, and be able to interpret them with respect to intellectual historical context. The emphasis will be on training the capacity to scrutinize both contemporary and classical arguments and theory formation in political thought in particular in light of the lines of philosophical and historical argumentation discussed in the course.

Specific outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

Upon completion of the course, the student should:

  • be able to account for the central concepts, arguments and problems treated
  • be able to identify contemporary political issues and philosophical positions of relevance for the themes of the course.

Skill and ability

Upon completion of the course, the student should have acquired advanced competencies and ability to:

  • independently provide well-informed analyses of the concepts studied as well as the strengths and weakness of the arguments made in the required readings
  • elaborate and explicate specific examples of contemporary discussions in relation to the historical and philosophical perspectives treated in the course.

Values, attitudes and practical relevance

Upon completion of the course, the student should have acquired an advanced ability to:

  • think critically in relation to the questions raised by and discussed in the readings
  • demonstrate sound judgment in analyzing and adjudicating the potential and limitations involved in the application of different theoretical models of and justifications for political decision-making and action
  • approach political ideas concerning crises and crisis management in a philosophically sophisticated and historically conscientious manner.

Content

The Ancient Greek verb "krinein" means "to judge or decide". The noun "krisis" means "judgment" or "decision". What makes a crisis "critical" is thus not that it calls for an immediate response, but rather that it entails a judgment in the face of significant uncertainty. In this course, we will study the nature of judgment in contexts where action as well as inaction have potentially cataclysmic and irreversible repercussions. The selected texts provide broad historical perspectives on the themes of the course, where epistemological inquiry draws upon analyses of cultural conditions, developments in science and especially political events in order to examine the anatomy of crises.

Instruction

Lecture-seminars. The lecture-style will be thoroughly interactive. Students are expected to be present, prepare, participate and contribute to the discussions.

Assessment

Active class participation in the lecture-seminars, two reaction papers presented and discussed in class (1000 words each), oral comments on other papers/presentations and one final essay (2000 words) at the end of the course on a topic approved by the teacher.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

No reading list found.

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