Study information

Enlightenment and the Age of Reason

Module titleEnlightenment and the Age of Reason
Module codeHUC2010
Academic year2020/1
Credits15
Module staff

Dr Martha Vandrei (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Module description

Today we take for granted that scientific rationality, universal human rights, and notions of “progress” are key features of the modern world, but how did this happen? This module explores the social, cultural, and political conditions in Britain, Europe, and the wider world in the period c. 1650-1800 within the context of the birth of the “modern world”. Each week you will examine key works, people, and institutions that contributed to the cultural and social discourses of this crucial period of flux, which has had long-lasting and world-wide consequences, some of which you will explore during the course of the module. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to give you in-depth knowledge of a crucial period in history and to engage you in critical reading and thinking. Primary source texts and secondary literature will present you with ample material to develop critical and analytical skills, as well as hone your discursive and communication skills in the seminar discussions which will be a key component of this module. Lectures will provide key background information, especially biographical and historical context and introduce key themes and questions for discussion. You will have the opportunity to undertake independent research and to present their work in a supportive environment. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate understanding of the broad chronology and key events of the period c. 1650-1800
  • 2. Demonstrate understanding of the major intellectual discourses of the period and the manner in which they developed

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 3. Develop critical vocabulary for engaging with ideas and discourses
  • 4. Develop close reading and the ability to engage with primary source texts in depth
  • 5. Develop the ability to understand and critique complex historical arguments

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 6. Display independent critical thinking and research skills
  • 7. Employ successful presentation, IT, and communication skills

Syllabus plan

Topics studied in this module may include some of the following:

  • selfhood and rationality
  • religious scepticism, scientific rationalism
  • deism, atheism, and secularism
  • political freedom and human rights
  • economic growth, colonialism and global exchange

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching 11Lecture: 1 hour weekly
Scheduled Learning and Teaching 11Seminar: 1 hour weekly
Guided Independent Study128Private study and preparation

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Recorded Presentation on Independent Research Project5-10 mins1-7Oral feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
90010

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Engagement10Continuous1-7Written feedback with opportunity for office hours follow-up
Primary source analysis35700 words1-6Written feedback. Oral feedback upon request.
Independent Research Project552000 words1-6Written feedback. Oral feedback upon request

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
ParticipationParticipation1-6N/a
Source analysisSource analysis1-6Referral/deferral period
Independent Research ProjectIndependent Research Project1-6Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

  • D. Outram, The Enlightenment
  • J. Israel, Radical Enlightenment
  • J.G.A. Pocock, Barbarism and religion
  • S. Kow, China in early Enlightenment Political Thought
  • T. Chico, The experimental imagination: literary knowledge and science in the British enlightenment
  • D.T. Gies, C. Wall, The eighteenth centuries: global networks of enlightenment
  • S. Conrad, “Enlightenment in global history”, American Historical Review
  • T. Jones, R. Boyson (eds), The poetic Enlightenment: poetry and human science, 1650-1820
  • N. O’Flaherty, Utilitarianism in the age of Enlightenment
  • G. Burgess, The politics of the ancient constitution: an introduction in English political thought, 1600-1642 (London, 1992)
  • H.T. Roper, History and Enlightenment (Yale, 2010)
  • E. Cassirer, The philosophy of the Enlightenment
Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

5

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

18/02/2020

Last revision date

11/03/2020