Module review for PH2202: Major Political Philosophers

Taken AY2014/2015 Semester 2


PH2202: Major Political Philosophers

This module was a great one, which owed its greatness, clarity and interesting content to the professor teaching this module. However, it is his last semester teaching in NUS, which is a pity, because he is very well-liked by the students for being an engaging and witty lecturer.

The content was difficult, although the lecturer made it as clear as possible, and it was also very interesting. It touched on utilitarianism, Rawls and Nozick, and provided a good foundation to them. There is really nothing much that I can comment on, save for how great the module was.

Assessment: There is tutorial participation (10%), one 2,000 word essay (30%), and finals (60%). This is by far the module with the least assessment criteria ever, although the content is difficult to master. The essay took much work, and studying for finals made me realise just how much content there was to actually remember. The professor often gives manageable and fair questions for finals, however, and if you study, you should be alright.

Workload: The workload is manageable enough, and the readings aren’t too many that you’d keel over, although reading a short piece can take almost forever, with the amount of brain cells you must put to it. This is the only module, it feels, that you can get away just doing one essay for asssessment criteria, which is more than a welcome change.

Unfortunately, the professor (who has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor) will be retiring after the end of this sem. However, his module was a great module and I’m certain that all the students (judging from the farewell card that was written and passed around) feel much the same.


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Module review for PH2202: Major Political Philosophers

Taken AY2014/2015 Semester 2


PH2202: Major Political Philosophers


This was my first ever Philo mod, and it certainty sparked my interest in the discipline. It raises pertinent questions of distributive justice – why and how resources should be spread across society. Should we maximize total happiness (utilitarianism), benefit the disadvantaged (Rawls), or focus on protecting the individual liberty (Nozick) of people? All of these make for very good discussion, and really forces you to think.

We had a great lecturer – very experienced, humourous with a knack for storytelling. He also knew exactly how to explain difficult concepts, in simple ways that wouldn’t confound students.

Assessment
10%: tutorial participation
30%: essay
60%: finals

Personally, I adored the “no frills” style of assessment, with only one 2000 word essay and final exam to tackle. However, I spent loads of time trying to get the concepts right, so it definitely wasn’t a walk in the park.

Workload
The workload was moderate, but it could be harder if like me, you have no prior exposure to Philo. The lecturer is retiring this sem, and I don’t know if they’ll still be offering this mod. But here’s to many more great mods to come!


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