Department of History, Philosophy and Politics
Level 1 Module Options
History: Single Honours
All students must take:
UPHPK4-30-1 Sources for Courses: History and Evidence
UPHPK5-30-1 Foundations of the West
You must also take at least one of:
UPHPK3-30-1 British History from the Black Death to the Present Day
UPHPGD-30-1 International History 1890-2000: The Century of the
Superpowers
Your final module (if needed) should be chosen from the Optional
Module List (shown below)
History: Half Award
Students MUST take:
UPHPK4-30-1 Sources for Courses: History and Evidence
You must also take one of:
UPHPK5-30-1 Foundations of the West (Not available to students on BA
(Hons) English & History)
UPHPK3-30-1 British History from the Black Death to the Present Day (Not
available to students on BA (Hons) History & Politics)
UPHPGD-30-1 International History 1890-2000: The Century of the
Superpowers
Optional Module List (for History Single Honours)
UPHPK3-30-1
UPHPGD-30-1
History Modules
British History from the Black Death to the Present Day
International History 1890-2000: The Century of the Superpowers
UPZPAA-30-1
UPZPMS-30-1
Philosophy Modules
Introduction to Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy
UPPNFF-30-1
Politics Modules
Ideas and Power
International Relations Modules
UPPNFB-30-1
UPPNFD-30-1
Politics Beyond the Nation State
Foreign Policy
UPGPPG-30-1
UPGPPF-30-1
English Modules
Once Upon a Time: Stories, Children and Literature
Beyond the Horizon: Spaces and Places in Literature
Philosophy: Single Honours
Students MUST take:
UPZPAA-30-1 Introduction to Philosophy
UPZPMS-30-1 Ancient Philosophy
UPPNFF-30-1 Ideas and Power
Your final module should be chosen from the Optional Module List
(shown below)
Philosophy: Half Award
Students MUST take:
UPZPAA-30-1 Introduction to Philosophy
UPZPMS-30-1 Ancient Philosophy
Optional Module List (For Philosophy Single Honours)
UPHPK4-30-1
UPHPK5-30-1
UPHPK3-30-1
UPHPGD-30-1
History Modules
Sources for Courses: History and Evidence
Foundations of the West
British History from the Black Death to the Present Day
International History 1890-2000: The Century of the Superpowers
UPPNFE-30-1
Politics Modules
Democracy or Dictatorships?
UPPNFB-30-1
UPPNFD-30-1
International Relations Modules
Politics Beyond the Nation State
Foreign Policy
UPGPPG-30-1
UPGPPF-30-1
English Modules
Once Upon a Time: Stories, Children and Literature
Beyond the Horizon: Spaces and Places in Literature
Politics: Single Honours AND Half Award
Students MUST take:
UPPNFE-30-1 Democracy or Dictatorships?
UPPNFF-30-1 Ideas and Power
Single Honours: Your additional two modules should be chosen from
the Optional Module List (shown below)
Optional Module List (For Politics Single Honours)
UPHPK4-30-1
UPHPK3-30-1
UPHPGD-30-1
History Modules
Sources for Courses: History and Evidence
British History from the Black Death to the Present Day
International History 1890-2000: The Century of the Superpowers
UPZPAA-30-1
UPZPMS-30-1
Philosophy Modules
Introduction to Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy
UPPNFB-30-1
UPPNFD-30-1
International Relations Modules
Politics Beyond the Nation State
Foreign Policy
UPGPPG-30-1
UPGPPF-30-1
English Modules
Once Upon a Time: Stories, Children and Literature
Beyond the Horizon: Spaces and Places in Literature
International Relations: Single Honours AND Half Award
Students MUST take:
UPPNFB-30-1 Politics Beyond the Nation State
UPPNFD-30-1 Foreign Policy
Single Honours: Your additional modules should be chosen from the
Optional Module List (shown below)
Optional Module List (For International Relations Single
Honours)
UPHPK4-30-1
UPHPK5-30-1
UPHPK3-30-1
UPHPGD-30-1
History Modules
Sources for Courses: History and Evidence
Foundations of the West
British History from the Black Death to the Present Day
International History 1890-2000: The Century of the Superpowers
UPZPAA-30-1
UPZPMS-30-1
Philosophy Modules
Introduction to Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy
UPPNFE-30-1
UPPNFF-30-1
Politics Modules
Democracy or Dictatorships?
Ideas and Power
UPGPPG-30-1
UPGPPF-30-1
English Modules
Once Upon a Time: Stories, Children and Literature
Beyond the Horizon: Spaces and Places in Literature
Module Outlines
History Modules
UPHPK4-30-1
SOURCES FOR COURSES: HISTORY AND EVIDENCE
Syllabus outline:
Teaching Block 1: History and Society
Taught in thematic blocks, each of about 2-3 weeks. Themes may vary from year to year but
might include
Block one: Nationhood and Ethnicity
Block two: God, the Individual and the State
Block three: Gender and the Family
Block four: Money, Property and Power
Teaching Block 2: Approaches to Making History
Practical hands-on workshops leading towards final project
Block five: Sources and archives, including visit to TNA and exercises using digital archives
(Times, Parliamentary Papers, EEBO etc)
Block six: Questions and arguments; creating a group research project; formulating questions,
using evidence
Block seven: Group project and presentations
Assessment:
1. Individual Portfolio
2. Group Project based on a theme from term one in which students work in small groups to
formulate and answer a research question, using individually retrieved and analysed
primary evidence from approved electronic resources.
UPHPK5-30-1
FOUNDATIONS OF THE WEST
Syllabus outline:
The module aims to provide a broad overview of European history from the late Roman
empire to the late nineteenth century.
Issues explored in the first semester include the early Christian church; the rise of Islam; the
crusades; the Renaissance; the Reformation; European expansion; the scientific revolution
and the rise of absolutism.
Issues explored in the second semester include the rise of capitalism; the Enlightenment; the
‘Atlantic revolution’; the growth of state power; industrialisation; nationalism; colonialism and
racism.
Assessment:
1. Exam
2. Reflective Seminar Reports
3. Group Presentation
4. Literature Review
5. Essay
UPHPK3-30-1
BRITISH HISTORY FROM THE BLACK DEATH TO THE
PRESENT DAY
Syllabus outline:
After an introductory session, the module is divided into a series of Blocks, each covering a
particular theme of, and approach to, British history. Each block will consist of a series of
lectures and seminars (one of each per week) and will last between three and five weeks.
Semester 1:
Themes may vary from year to year but might include:
Block 1: Governing Britain: Peoples' Rights - introducing and examining the framework of
governmental institutions, administration, and politics during the period covered by the
course.
Block 2: Economic Histories: Peoples' Livelihoods - introducing and examining the means by
which people earned their livings and the drivers of the British economy during the period
covered by the course.
Semester 2:
Block 3: Social Histories: Peoples' Relations - introducing and examining how people related
to each other through social orders, 'class' and gender, and the different spheres in which
relations might develop, such as the household and the legal environment.
Block 4: Cultural Histories: Peoples' Environments - introducing the development of
architecture, art, entertainment, and multi-cultural influences in Britain during the period
covered by the course, and examining their impact upon British and British colonial society.
Block 5: Religious Histories: Peoples' Faiths - introducing the concept of established and nonestablished religious beliefs in Britain, and examining their impact upon British politics and
society.
Assessment:
1. Three Hour Examination
2. Article review/comparison
3. Seminar presentation and paper - Paper to be submitted at time of presentation.
UPHPGD-30-1
INTERNATIONAL HISTORY 1890-2000: THE CENTURY OF
THE SUPERPOWERS
Syllabus outline:
The module is divided into eight connected blocks:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The United States and Russia during the late 19th century (social, political, economic
development).
The respective relations of the United States and Russia with Europe, most notably
Britain, Germany and France before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
The United States' entry into the First World War in 1917 and her deliberate retreat into
isolation in 1919; the Russian Revolution and the subsequent forced isolation of the
Soviet Union, 1917-1921.
Inter-war social and economic developments in the United States and the Soviet Union.
American and Soviet reactions to the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1930s.
The respective roles of the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II
(partners in the Grand Alliance against Hitler).
The development of the Cold War, up to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and its
impact on Soviet-American relations.
8.
The involvement of the United States in Vietnam compared and contrasted with the
involvement of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan; the collapse of the Soviet Union; postCold War International Relations
Assessment:
1. Exam
2. Essay
3. Essay
4. Individual Seminar Presentation
Philosophy Modules
UPZPAA-30-1
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
Introduction to Philosophy is a systematic introduction to critical thinking (Term I) and an
introduction to the fundamental areas, metaphysics and epistemology (Term II). The module
will teach you how to reason, i.e., how to express philosophical ideas in an organized and
logical way, and how to analyze and examine arguments and their expression. The lessons
we draw from such study, however, are not limited to philosophy alone, and it is one of the
great benefits of a philosophical education that the analytic and critical skills we acquire are
applicable to all fields of human inquiry and activity.
Through the study of major philosophical texts and problems from the history of the discipline,
this module provides an introduction to the major theoretical areas involved in the study of
philosophy. These areas are:
1. Critical Thinking. What is a good argument? How can we distinguish a good
argument from a poor one? What types of arguments are there? The characteristics
of a good argument: structure, clarity, coherence; induction and deduction; validity
and fallacies.
2. Epistemology or the Theory of Knowledge. What is knowledge? How does it differ
from belief or opinion? How knowledge is best acquired? Can we ever know anything
for certain? Descartes’ Cogito and Hume’s Uniformity of Nature problem; skepticism.
3. Metaphysics. The nature of what exists; the ways in which things exist; different
kinds of ontology: dualism; the mind/body problem.
Key Texts:


Tracy Bowell and Gary Kemp, Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, 2nd edn (London:
Routledge 2007)
R. Descartes, Meditations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986)
Assessment:



take-home assignment (logic test)
2,000 word essay
3 hour exam
UPZPMS-30-1
ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
The aim of this module is to introduce students to the foundational names, texts, and ideas of
early Greek philosophy and thus, a fortiori, to the foundational ideas of Western philosophy as
a whole. The first term will focus on the earliest philosophers up to and including Socrates.
The second term will focus on the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle.
Key Texts:


Catherine Osborne, Presocratic Philosophy, A Very Short Introduction (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2004) - excellent background reading
Robin Waterfield, ed., The First Philosophers (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000)
- central texts for the first term.
Assessment: 30% commentary; 30% essay; 40% exam
Politics Modules
UPPNFF-30-1
IDEAS AND POWER
Why do we have government? What is the best form it can take? Can governments claim
a right to rule? This course deals with these and other questions in political theory, where the
concern is with what ought to be (and not with just what is). Students will explore the
meaning of concepts such as equality, freedom, rights, social justice and democracy, and
they will discuss questions related to these concepts. For example, what limits should be
placed on freedom of speech? What form of democracy is best? By doing so, students will
learn how to construct arguments for or against particular concepts and principles. In
introducing students to political theory, this module provides an introduction to the study of
politics and a foundation for those who continue with the subject in their second and third
years.
Assessment: 25% essay, 25% essay; 50% exam
UPPNFE-30-1
DEMOCRACY OR DICTATORSHIP
What do governments do? How do governments make decisions and what influences them?
How does democracy differ from dictatorship? These are amongst the questions considered
in this course. We begin by providing an overview of government—its activities, the different
branches of government and the influences upon them, different types of government (such
as democracy and dictatorship, parliamentary and presidential). We then move on to examine
these features in particular countries. Each year we will concentrate on several countries
selected from a range (such as the UK, Russia, and the USA). In introducing students to
government in practice (political science) the module provides an introduction to the study of
politics and a foundation for those who continue with the subject in their second and third
years.
Assessment: course work 60% (the best two marks from three available assignments); 40%
exam
International Relations Modules
UPPNFD-30-1
FOREIGN POLICY
By studying this module students will gain an understanding of the domestic and external
factors which influence the foreign policies of various nation states and appreciate their
diversity. The module begins with an introduction to foreign policy analysis. This introduction
examines the general theories that seek to explain the influence of domestic and external
factors on the formation of foreign policy. The next part of the module builds on this
foundation by examining the foreign policies of four states - the USA, Russia, France and
Iran. Contemporary issues relating to each state’s foreign policy will be used to illustrate the
variation and similarity that characterize foreign policy practices in international politics. The
final part of the module focuses specifically on some of the external actors which shape a
nation state’s foreign policy, such as the UN, NATO and the EU. In short the module seeks to
offer a broad but stimulating introduction to the study of Foreign Policy within the discipline of
International Relations.
Assessment:; In-class multiple choice test 20%; In-class written essay 20%; Essay 30%;
Written Exam 30%
UPPNFB-30-1
POLITICS BEYOND THE NATION STATE
This module introduces students to the study of politics at the global and international levels.
The module begins by considering the history and development of global politics and
examines different interpretations of the nature of global politics. The module, next, considers
some issues that are central to contemporary global politics such as: warfare and security,
justice and poverty, and the defence of the environment. Finally, the module examines the
structure and functions of international institutions such as: the UN, the WTO, and the EU.
Assessment: 50% course work (the best two marks from three available assignments); 50%
examination.
English Modules
UPGPPG-30- 1
ONCE UPON A TIME: STORIES, CHILDREN AND
LITERATURE
‘Once Upon a Time’ is a module focused on questions of narrative, as it functions in prose, poetry
and drama, in both oral and literary culture. It considers the ways that stories are constructed and
narrated, especially as they relate to the rendering of human experience; and on the role of the
reader in parsing and building meaning. It also addresses the relationship between narrative form and
subject matter – not least in folk-tale and the genres that have grown from it. The thematic centre of
‘Once Upon a Time’ is the representation of childhood, both as it rendered explicitly, through fictional
representation and memoirs; and implicitly, through the production of stories deemed suitable for
children. Changing historical concepts of children’s interests, needs and natures will be addressed
through the study of narratives for and about them in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, taking
into account the ways in which certain narrative forms and strategies have at various times been
considered particularly suitable for children’s consumption.
Assessment:
1. Text comparison exercise and oral report
2. Essay
3. Creative writing and commentary
4. Exam (2 hours)
UPGPPF-30-1
LITERATURE
BEYOND THE HORIZON: SPACES AND PLACES IN
This module ventures far and wide in its exploration of literatures in English focusing on the
role of place, and the concept of space in literary texts. The dynamics of travel, exploration,
discovery, colonialism and imperialism inscribe themselves on a range of texts that emanate
from England the ‘centre’ as well as from the margins and the liminal, fluid spaces in between.
Beginning with a sense that borders are there to be crossed, boundaries there to be
transgressed and frontiers there to be pushed, the module resists the umbrella definition of
‘postcolonial’ to define its selected works, electing instead to interrogate and reflect upon the
role played by space and place. In this way an importance is given to the specificities of
locality and geography while also enabling enquiries into more abstract yet, crucial concepts
of spaces within literature pertaining to literary history and ideas about the canon. Some of
the texts are therefore presented as responses or writing back to a ‘core’ of English literary
works that are refigured by such interactions. Reflecting a broad geographic scope, the
module includes literature from the early modern period to the present day, resisting a
chronological ordering while nevertheless conveying a sense of the very literary history that
informs writings from ‘beyond the horizon’.
Assessment:
1. Engagement with critical material and oral report
2. Critical Anthology
3. Seen Exam (2 hours)