2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

IDEA2001 Love: Ethical, Social and Political Issues

10 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Dr Natasha McKeever
Email: n.mckeever@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

Module replaces

None

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Love and relationships and, in particular romantic and sexual relationships, are some of the most important things in many people’s lives. Indeed, people die for romantic love. Yet few people take the time to try to really understand the fundamental questions surrounding love: what it is, why we want it, why we love particular people in particular ways and not others. Furthermore, few people question the norms around love, some of which have huge social and political implications. For example, are there good reasons for not legalising polygamy? Do romantic relationships have implications for how we view gender? Why, exactly, is adultery wrong? And is there anything wrong with having a sex robot as a girlfriend? This module will give students a chance to address these questions, both by considering arguments philosophers have put forward in response to them, but also by reflecting on their own views. The module is in three parts: 1) What is love and where does it come from? 2) What is the nature and value of love and relationships? 3) What ethical and political issues do love and relationships give rise to? Students will read philosophical literature on love, but will also be encouraged to draw on examples from popular culture and their own experiences where applicable. We will look at how ideas about love and relationships have changed throughout history, and will finish the module by considering what the future might hold for love.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able ...
- To gain an understanding of some of the ethical, social and political issues and arguments relating to love and relationships and the implications they have for people’s personal lives, but also for society more generally.
- To develop critical awareness of the norms governing our relationships and to consider if, and how, they should be changed.
- To develop skills in analysis and argumentation, both orally and in writing.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
- Explain different philosophical positions about the reasons, or lack of reasons, for love, and why it is important to consider whether love has reasons.
- Articulate their ideas about the differences and similarities between friendship and romantic relationships, and the importance of this question, e.g. its relevance to the question of whether friends should be able to marry.
- Critically reflect on their own society’s norms with relation to relationships and consider whether any of the norms should be changed.
- Formulate arguments both orally and in writing on topics relating to the philosophy of love and relationships.

Skills outcomes
Effective argumentation, both orally and in writing, including: providing sound justification and reasoning for one’s position, and being able to explain one’s objections to counter-positions.

Syllabus

Part 1. What is love and where does it come from?
Including: are there reasons for love, and if so what are they?
Part 2. What is the nature and value of love and relationships?
Including: the difference between different kinds of love, and the relationship between sex and love.
Part 3. What ethical, social and political issues do love and romantic relationships give rise to?
Including: feminist critiques of love, monogamy, polyamory, adultery, marriage, the future of love.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	6	1.00	6.00
Private study hours			83.00
Total Contact hours			17.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

83

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

In the lectures (which will be interactive), seminars (which will be discussion-based), feedback on essay plans, and through discussions with students (e.g. during office hours).

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 Essay - 2500 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Resit arrangements for essay component: students to submit a 2500 word essay (i.e. as with ‘original’ assessment).

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 09/07/2019

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