| Unit name | War and Peace: Tolstoy’s Ethics in a European Context |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL30042 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Green |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Lev Tolstoy was not only a great writer; his writing was inspirational for social movements around the world. He sought not only to tell a good story, but also to consider the ethics of narrative as well as the ethical questions that we all encounter in our everyday lives. The ethics of wartime is also a major theme, something which is of particular relevance today. Tolstoy engaged broadly with ideas from across Europe in War and Peace. In this unit we explore that engagement, reading Tolstoy’s masterpiece alongside the texts he was in dialogue with. We examine three fundamental questions Tolstoy wrestled with:
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will deepen your knowledge and awareness of narrative and its complications, whether historical or fictional. It will build on your understanding of how stories are put together, how history is written, and how people thought about war in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It will also use War and Peace and associated readings to extend and consolidate your understanding of transnational debates about ethics. All readings are available in English translation.
An overview of content
The main text in this unit is Lev Tolstoy’s War and Peace (1869, serialised 1865–1867). Short works by Tolstoy will also be included as preparation for reading the novel and Tolstoy’s writing will at times be supplemented with short extracts from works by important influences on him such as Hegel on the philosophy of history, Rousseau on the power of social convention, and Kant on ethics.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Through War and Peace, Tolstoy engaged in a dialogue with thinkers from across Europe about how to tell stories and how to live. By studying both Tolstoy’s writing and the works of his intellectual interlocutors, you will gain an understanding of these key questions as well as being able to situate Tolstoy and his writing in a broader European tradition. The exploration of ethics can be a capstone in a humanities education. Tolstoy was not interested in abstracts, but in the practicalities of living a good life – something we will debate from various perspectives throughout the unit.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Each week, you will have 2 x 50-minute sessions that will include, broadly, four types of learning: lecture, discussion, student presentations and workshop.
Lectures: Lectures equip you with foundational subject knowledge. Far from being a passive mode of learning, lectures help you build critical analysis and evidence-gathering skills by modelling interpretation and posing key questions related to the discipline. Typically, the earlier of the two sessions of the week will take the form of a lecture.
Student-led seminars: Typically, the second session of the week will take the form of a student-led seminar. Through participation in presentations, both as a presenter and an audience member, you will become familiar with the key critical debates on the topic, while also learning to engage with and critique existing ideas. Students will also sharpen their presentation skills.
Discussion: Discussions are a student-centred and interactive mode of learning. In pairs or small groups, you will discuss key questions about the texts, developing, sharing and defending your own arguments.
Workshop: Workshops are dedicated to a specific skill, such as close reading, research skills, or essay-writing. Workshops are held occasionally, usually in advance of assessment.
Beyond the classroom, you will devote much time to primary and secondary reading and viewing. You should expect to read a large number and variety of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will include literary texts (poetry and prose), films, etc. Secondary sources will include books and scholarly articles. Reading is sometimes misunderstood as a ‘passive’ activity, but engaged reading is an active process, as you will not only be expanding your subject knowledge, but developing your sense of empathy and judgement. Online activities and digital resources will be used where appropriate.
In total, you will have 20 hours of classroom learning and 180 hours of independent learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
In class we will discuss the themes and ideas relevant for the summative assessments and work on writing skills specific to the assessments: a reflective journal and a research essay.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Reflective journal, 1500 words (30%). [ILOs 1 and 3]
Research essay, 2,500 words, (70%) [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MODL30042).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
