| Unit name | Capital and Spirit |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20066 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Seiriol Morgan |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The focus of this unit is the philosophical analyses, justifications and critiques of the modern world that have been offered by the thinkers of the period, in particular those relating to the pre-eminent modern socio-economic system, capitalism. The rise and global spread of the free market (or arguably, the so-called ‘free market’) has radically transformed human society and the planet, overturning previous relations of power and authority and sparking huge advances/increases in material productivity, prosperity and population. Capitalism’s defenders have vigorously championed it on this basis. Meanwhile, the social order of the capitalist world has many discontents, who variously charge it with being unjustly unequal in wealth and in power, psychologically alienating, socially atomising, materially over-exploitative, hierarchical, dominating, and paradoxically bringing about new conditions of unfreedom. The unit aims to present students with the arguments advanced on all sides, and stimulate the development of nuanced views in response to them. To what extent should capitalism be welcomed, disciplined or deplored, and if the latter, what if anything might serve as a viable alternative? This unit outlines some possible answers to these questions.
This unit complements the curriculum’s core units in social and political philosophy, providing an additional dimension and also deeper context to core debates and concerns, as it moves beyond these to draw out the historical, economic and psychological backgrounds within which they arise, and addresses the questions their intersection distinctively raises. The unit will also demonstrate how philosophical enquiry can proceed historically as well as thematically, and will aim to show what might be distinctively valuable about this approach. It also equips students with skills that will help them to better understand key ongoing debates about politics and society, and to take part in them effectively.
We will take the defence of the modern social order offered by Hegel as our starting point, before examining the earlier sources on which Hegel drew in constructing his defence (e.g. Mandeville, Adam Smith) then turning to later critiques of the capitalist system and its beneficiaries that are offered in the Marxist tradition, amongst others. The unit will therefore be taught historically, and students will additionally learn key facts of capitalism’s development over time, as well as the arguments for and against it. Particular attention will be paid to the social and psychological aspects of life in capitalist society, as this is characterised by both defenders and critics, and expressed using concepts such as alienation, recognition, hierarchy, hegemony, consumption, identity and freedom. The unit will draw on work from disciplines other than philosophy, such as history, sociology and economics, but no existing advanced knowledge of these will be assumed.
If you successfully complete this unit, you will know a great deal more than you currently do about the nature of the socio-economic system within which you currently live, and which increasingly dominates the globe. You will know a great deal more about how it came to be the way that it is. You will be confident that you understand the key things that people have argued are good and bad about it, and what their arguments are in detail, and you will have significantly developed (and perhaps changed) the views you now hold about the system’s value and viability. You will much better equipped to argue for those views against people who hold different ones, whether those are mainstream, heterodox or marginal.
Learning Outcomes
Students successfully completing the unit will be able to:
1. demonstrate detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of philosophical accounts of the nature of the capitalist social order and its justifications (or otherwise), together with their broader philosophical and political significance,
2. demonstrate the ability to critically engage with the positions and arguments of the thinkers developing these themes, and to offer their own assessment of those positions and arguments, to a standard appropriate for level I/5,
3. demonstrate skills in philosophical writing, of a standard appropriate to level I/5,
4. demonstrate independent research skills of a standard appropriate to level I/5.
5. Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with others to analyse philosophical ideas, and to work together as a group to produce a presentation.
Lectures, small group work, individual exercises, seminars and virtual learning environment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1. Digital Group Presentation (10%) [ILOs 1, 2, 5]
2. Timed Assessment (90%) [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. PHIL20066).
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.
