Module COMB1031: Perspectives on Human Nature

Department: Combined Honours in Arts

COMB1031: Perspectives on Human Nature

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• to provide a foundation for the study of the humanities and social sciences
• to explore the concept of ‘human nature’ and its significance in western thought
• to explore the distinctive contribution of a series of thinkers, from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, to continuing debates regarding the nature of humanity
• to introduce Combined Honours students to important concepts and perspectives which might inform their thinking in specific disciplines and their reflections on the connections between these disciplines

Content

• This module provides a conceptual foundation for the study of the humanities and the social sciences through a series of investigations in the history of ideas. Focusing on the concept of ‘human nature’, it introduces a selection of thinkers whose approaches to the question of what it means to be human have profoundly influenced subsequent thinking in the humanities and social sciences. The seminars which form the core of the module give students an opportunity to engage directly with the writings of some of the most significant figures in western intellectual history. The figures studied are likely to vary from year to year, in line with the interests of the teaching staff, but will usually include seventeenth-, eighteenth-, nineteenth- and twentieth-century figures such as Descartes, Hobbes, Hume, Rousseau, Marx, Darwin, Freud and Sartre.

Learning Outcomes

• knowledge of the classical and religious background to the development of ideas concerning human nature in modern European thought
• knowledge of the fundamental ideas of a selection of modern thinkers and of their distinctive contributions to the understanding of human nature
• an understanding of the significance of early modern and modern explorations of what it is to be human for reflection on human identity and society today
• an understanding of the significance of reflection on human nature for students of the humanities and the social sciences

• the ability to identify, analyse, and evaluate specific concepts
• the ability to relate ideas to their social, cultural and intellectual contexts
• the ability to reflect on the continuing significance of the ideas under investigation for the study of the humanities and the social sciences

• the ability to locate, evaluate, and summarise information drawn from a variety of sources, both in print and online
• the ability to communicate ideas, in a clear, concise, and convincing manner, with reference to appropriate supporting evidence

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module is taught by a combination of lectures, which introduce key concepts and place them in their social, cultural and intellectual contexts, and seminars, which give students an opportunity to investigate selections from the works of influential thinkers in the development of the humanities and social sciences. The essay allows students to explore a topic at some length and to show their understanding of how it relates to other issues. The examination employs short extracts and an essay to test the range and the depth of student’s knowledge and understanding at the end of the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1 x 2,500 word essay

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University