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Unit of study_

PHIL2634: Democratic Theory

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

A unit in normative political philosophy. The unit will examine ideas of democracy, as well as historical foundations of these ideas, and it will do so in order to address key issues in contemporary democratic theory, such as the tension between republican and liberal ideas, the relationship between justice and democracy, the challenges of social and cultural pluralism, the limits of democratic inclusion, and, importantly, the nature of political legitimacy and the challenge of a suitably inclusive justification of political principles.

Unit details and rules

Unit code PHIL2634
Academic unit Philosophy
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
PHIL2514 or PHIL3514
Prerequisites
? 
(12 Junior credit points in Philosophy) or (6 Junior credit points in Philosophy and ANHS1600)
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Ryan Cox, ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Ryan Cox, ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au
Luara Ferracioli, luara.ferracioli@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Normative Democratic Theory Essay
An essay based on the topics of weeks 1 to 7.
45% Week 07
Due date: 19 Apr 2020 at 23:59
No more than 2000 words inc. notes.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO4
Presentation Applied Democracy Theory Presentation
A presentation of the argument of your essay on applied democratic theory.
10% Week 13 10 minutes. Approximately 500 words.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Applied Democratic Theory Essay
An essay based on the topics of weeks 8 to 13.
45% Week 14 (STUVAC)
Due date: 07 Jun 2020 at 23:59
No more than 2000 words inc. footnotes.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Assessment summary

  • Normative Democratic Theory Essay: You will be required to write an argumentative essay on one of the topics from weeks 1 through 7. Your essay will argue for a particular thesis related to these topics, e.g. that democracy can be justified on the grounds that it alone promotes equality.
  • Applied Democratic Theory Essay: You will be required to write an argumentative essay on one of the topics from weeks 8 through 13. Your essay will argue for a particular thesis related to these topics, e.g. that expatriates do not have a right to vote.
  • Applied Democratic Theory Presentation: You will be required to present an outline of the argument of your applied democratic theory essay to the class and to answer questions from your tutor and your peers.
  • On essay word counts: the word counts listed above are strict maximum limits. They should include section titles, footnotes, and anything else that appears in the body of your essay. They do not include bibliographies.
  • On referencing styles: we prefer that you use the Harvard referencing style (See: https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476130), but any other common referencing style is fine. (See: https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476063).

Assessment criteria

Result code

Result name

Mark range

Description

HD

High Distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when your work demonstrates an exceptional level of argumentative originality, clarity, and rigour, while engaging deeply with the relevant literature on the topic and reflecting the relevant learning outcomes.

DI

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when your work demonstrates a very high level of argumentative clarity and rigour, while engaging deeply with the relevant literature on the topic and reflecting the relevant learning outcomes.

CR

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when your work demostrates an adequate standard of argumentative clarity and rigour, and engages with the relevant literature on the topic, and reflects the relevant learning outcomes.

PS

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when your work either fails to demostrate an adequate standard of argumentative clarity and rigour, or fails to engage with the relevant literature on the topic, but not both.

FA

Fail

0 - 49

Awarded when your work both fails to demostrate an adequate standard of argumentative clarity and rigour, and fails to engage with the relevant literature on the topic.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

If you cannot make it for your presentation in Week 13, you must let us know as soon as possible so that we can make alternative arrangements for your presentation. If you do not make it on the day, and you have not made alternative arrangements with us, and you do not have a legitimate excuse, you will receive 0% for the assessment.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 What is Democracy? Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 02 Democracy and Equality I Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Equality Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 03 Democracy and Equality II Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Equality Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 04 Democracy and Deliberation Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Deliberation Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Democratic Authority Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Democratic Authority Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 06 Democratic Instrumentalism Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Democratic Instrumentalism Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 07 Against Democracy Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Against Democracy Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Threats to Democracy Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Threats to Democracy Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Democracy and Education Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Education Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Democracy and Citizenship Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Citizenship Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Democracy and Coercion Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Coercion Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Democracy and Children Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Democracy and Children Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 13 Democracy and the Other Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Democracy and the Other Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

  • Students must attend at least 90% of their scheduled classes. This includes both lectures and tutorials. Students who attend less than 90% of their scheduled classes may risk grade penalties and risk being unable to satisfactorily complete the unit.
  • Students who are at risk of missing more than 80% must be contacted by the unit coordinator and must explain their absences.
  • Students who miss more than 50% of their scheduled classes are to be reported to the department head.
  • Attendance will be taken informally at lectures and formally at tutorials.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All of the required and recommended readings for this unit are available in the PHIL2634 Democratic Theory Reader available from the University Copy Centre.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Possess a grasp of the principles and practices of democratic theory.
  • LO2. Build bridges between political philosophy and the actions of politicians, policy makers, and voters.
  • LO3. Learn to apply philosophical principles to democratic theory and practice.
  • LO4. Develop the abilities to think independently, analytically and creatively about democratic institutions.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

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