At least one first-year single-semester philosophy subject, or permission from the Head of School or subject coordinator.

This subject involves the discussion of some recent philosophical explorations of the nature and ground of moral thinking. On completion of the subject students should be able to think critically about, and to evaluate, the philosophical cogency of those explorations, and have acquired a background for their own further philosophical reflection on the nature and ground of morality.

A written assignment of 2000 words 50 (due mid-semester), a 2-hour closed-book written examination 47 (held at the end of semester) and tutorial participation 3.

At least one first-year single-semester philosophy subject or permission from the Head of School or subject coordinator.

This subject involves the critical study of classic political texts by Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Locke, with comparisons among them and with more recent writers. These texts contain many famous views and arguments, and raise various fundamental questions in political philosophy including those of the basis of political authority, the relationship between politics and morality, and the best form of government. The study of such classics should develop students' appreciation of historically important parts of Western thought, and contribute to a richer understanding of modern views and issues.

A written assignment of 2000 words 50% (due mid-semester), a 2-hour closed-book written examination 47% (due at the end of semester) and tutorial participation 3%.

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Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in philosophy.

The subject will examine topics in political philosophy. These may change from year-to-year, but might include issues concerning the state, war, social justice etc.

A 5000-word essay 100% (due at the end of semester).

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in philosophy.

The subject deals with topics from a range of areas in applied ethics, including issues of individual decision-making and public policy. The subject asks students to use skills in philosophical reasoning and knowledge of philosophical theory in such areas as moral, political, and legal philosophy, along with relevant empirical information, in order to devise solutions and assess proposals concerning selected practical problems. Students will become familiar with the recent literature in such journals as the Journal of Applied Philosophy and Ethics.

A 5000-word essay 100% (due at the end of semester).

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in philosophy.

This subject will involve an advanced study of problems and issues in contemporary value theory, normally concentrating on issues in ethics. In some years the course may instead focus on issues in contemporary aesthetics. On completion of the subject, students should be able to bring philosophical reflection to bear more widely on their lives.

A 5000-word essay 100% (due at the end of semester).

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in philosophy.

A 5000-word essay 100% (due at the end of semester).

A booklet of readings will be made available by the School.

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At least one first-year single-semester philosophy subject, or 121-171 Environmental Change, or permission from the Head of School or subject coordinator.

This subject is a study of the historical background to our present attitudes; what we mean by 'the environment'; models and theories for relating to the environment; moral problems concerning food chains; the preference for diversity; and the bearer of rights and values. The subject should provide students with a critical understanding of some of the main sources of present day attitudes to the environment, and a critical understanding of a representative selection of contemporary philosophical thought about the environment.

Two written assignments of 2000 words, one due mid-semester 50%, the second due at the end of semester 47%, and tutorial participation 3%.

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A supervised thesis on a topic to be approved by the Head of School or the School's honours coordinator. Students will be required to attend weekly seminars and present a class paper based on their thesis topic.

A thesis of 10 000 words 100% (due at the end of the second semester of enrolment).

This subject is an accessible survey of the development and principal arguments of the major schools of political thought in the past 250 years, especially those that have motivated and expressed the needs of large groups of people. The schools of political thought surveyed include liberalism, Marxism, feminism, anarchism, syndicalism, communism, nationalism, fascism, socialism, social democracy, conservatism, neo-liberalism and environmentalism. Tutorial discussion centres on primary source documents for each school of thought, which include classical political essays such as Marx's Communist Manifesto and Mill's On Liberty.

An essay of 2000 words 50% (due mid-semester) and a 2-hour examination 50% (during the examination period).

This subject deals with three major areas of indigenous discourse. These are indigenous occupation and land relations, indigenous heritage (cultural property) rights, and indigenous land justice before and after Mabo. The subject focuses on the nature and extent of indigenous occupation, which is used to examine how indigenous land relations reflect themselves in rights arising form prior occupation. It analyses the origins of indigenous rights, and assesses the extent to which indigenous entitlements to land and heritage has been delivered by Australian politico-legal systems. Students who complete this subject will develop an understanding of the inherent rights that indigenous peoples are asserting, and the major barriers to achieving justice and racial equality within Australian politico-legal processes. A significant part of the subject will focus on the indigenous struggle for the ownership and control of cultural heritage and land in South East Australia with particular emphasis on Victorian Kooris. Students will acquire indigenous perspectives on contemporary issues through interaction with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in lectures and tutorials, through audiovisual materials and through the writings of indigenous people in the reading pack. At the end of the subject, a 'cultural camp' will be held in Yorta Yorta country for interested students.

A take-home exam of 1500 words 40% (due mid-semester) and a research essay of 2500 words 60% (during the examination period).

A subject reader will be available.

Completion of 50 points of Political Science subjects.

This subject focuses on the ideas, methods and strategies which contribute to political analysis to outline a variety ways of thinking politically and engaging in political research. It examines the major ideas and concepts which underpin different understandings of the nature of politics and their relationship to different political practices and policy debates. This gives rise to a critical approach to contemporary politics in which we will challenge many of the dominant assumptions and practices which characterize understandings of the political. From this basis the subject goes on to examine new understandings of the spaces of politics to demonstrate the multiplicity of spheres of political debate beyond the formal realms of government and representation. In so doing the subject will demonstrate the vibrancy and complexity of contemporary politics and the fresh ideas and strategies that provide dynamism in political analysis.

An essay of 2000 words worth 50% (due mid-semester) and a 2 hour examination worth 50% (at the end of semester).

A subject reader will be available for purchase from the University Bookstore.

Usually a first-year politics subject.

This subject examines the key concepts in political theory and the ways in which they are employed in different political ideologies and movements. It identifies the main principles which are invoked to support the political structures of different societies. In so doing the subject analyses concepts such as freedom, equality and rights and their implications for the nature of democracy and the organisation of the state and civil society. It will also explain the different forms of political agency that exist in politics from the nation to the community and the individual. Lastly the subject examines case studies to demonstrate the difficulties that can arise in the practical enactment of political concepts and political theory more generally.

A 2000-word essay 50% (due mid-semester) and a 2-hour examination 50% (during the examination period).

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in political science or development or postgraduate coursework programs in political science.

This subject provides students with an opportunity to think about some of the major issues in contemporary international politics. An underlying theme is the extent to which contemporary international politics can be seen in terms of the emergence of a new pattern of order or not. This theme is approached through an examination of various debates and issues which have been important in the post-Cold War era, for example mainstream and alternative theoretical approaches; the 'clash of civilizations' and the role of Islam; the role of major powers or regions; new security agendas; human rights and democracy; global inequality; and global governance (including the role of the United Nations). The impact of new developments such as September 11 and the Iraq conflict is an important focus. Students who complete this subject should have an understanding of a range of issues or themes in contemporary international politics; have written an in-depth analysis of at least one of those themes or issues; and be able to reflect more broadly on the range of themes and issues which have been raised.

A written essay of 3500 words 70% (due late in semester) and a critical review of 1500 words 30% (due during the examination period).

A subject reader will be available for purchase.

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in political science or public policy and management or postgraduate coursework programs in public policy or political science.

This subject provides a critical examination of contemporary debates about ideas of justice, democracy and the politics of difference. The subject critically explores both the major liberal approaches to justice alongside critiques of liberal approaches by communitarian, socialist, feminist, postmodern and radical ecological theorists. Students will be introduced to the different perspectives on justice in terms of their linkages and, in some cases, increasing convergence with different approaches to dealing with democracy and difference. Particular emphasis is given to the tensions between cosmopolitan versus communitarian approaches to ordering political life and the tensions between arguments for individual versus group/communal rights. The different perspectives on justice, democracy and difference are analysed and applied in relation to a range of contemporary political conflicts concerning race, ethnicity, class, gender, the environmental justice movement and the multicultural state. Examples include political claims for the recognition of ethnic minority rights; the political recognition of religious, ethnic and/or gender difference; the special or weighted political representation or veto rights of ethnic minorities; the different political interpretations of, and priorities accorded to, the human rights agenda; and claims for self-determination by indigenous peoples and national minorities.

An essay of 5000 words 100% (due at the end of semester) or an essay of 2500 words 50% (due mid-semester) and an essay of 2500 words 50% (due at the end of semester).

A subject reader will be provided.