PP1GJ: Global Justice

Module code: PP1GJ

Module provider: Philosophy; School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Michela Bariselli, email: michela.bariselli@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 2 October 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will guide you through the discovery of global philosophical perspectives on justice and freedom. Global traditions of philosophy from the Buddha and Confucius to Simone Weil, Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther King Jr., African and Native American thinkers, as well as Christian female mystics advocate ideas of justice and freedom that extend far beyond contemporary conceptions. By studying these traditions, you will be encouraged to question your most fundamental beliefs and ideas about justice and freedom. You will acquire new insights for approaching pressing questions related to the relationship between individual freedom and a harmonious society, to post-colonial justice, race and (non)violence, to environmental justice, nature and indigenous community, and to pleasure as a means to achieve freedom from mental and bodily boundaries. You will develop the ability to engage with a variety of ways of ‘doing’ philosophy, and you will be ready to engage with problems and issues arising from a multicultural society.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Identify key views of a variety of global philosophical perspectives. 
2. Explain how each philosophical tradition analysed provides an alternative perspective to familiar Western perspectives for discussing justice and freedom.  
3. Use the insight from a philosophical perspective to analyse and assess other philosophical perspectives. 
4. Assess and evaluate arguments produced by a variety of philosophical perspectives. 
5. Present and communicate one’s own view clearly, precisely, and effectively.  

Module content

This module introduces a variety of global philosophical traditions, such as Buddhism, Confucianism, African, American and Pacific aboriginal philosophies, post-colonial philosophies, Christian mystical philosophy. We will discuss justice in relation to freedom, to suffering, to colonial and post-colonial violence, to colonial dispossession, to the environment, to restoration, and to pleasure as a means to freedom. Some of the claims we will examine include: Justice is freedom from suffering! Revolutionary violence is cathartic and emancipatory! Political justice requires mental training! Nature is alive and has rights! Gender and sexual freedom are gained by dissolving bodily boundaries! Truth lies in pleasure! Justice is love! Social justice comes with harmonising differences! 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is taught by a mixture of lectures and seminars. Seminar sessions are entirely dedicated to students’ discussion and peer learning. Students will be given questions to discuss and tasks to complete to strengthen their understanding of the weekly topic and to provide them with an opportunity to exercise their critical and communicative skills. Lecture sessions will be a mixture of taught content and students’ discussion. Students are encouraged to be active in all classes, asking questions and trying to answer the questions posed by others.  

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Active participation in class discussion, small group work, online activities such as quizzes. Pre-submission feedback on their written assignment. Students will be able to receive feedback on their essay plan. 

Reassessment

Additional costs