Rationality, Preference, Wellbeing, and Fairness: Concepts in the Philosophy of Politics and Economics

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• philosophically evaluate the grounds for government decision-making
• recognise connections between philosophy, politics, and economics
• articulate and defend your own views about preference, wellbeing, and justifiable decision-making

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• take notes from talks and written materials
• work effectively to deadlines
• undertake, with adequate supervision, independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• possible limitations of the relevance of preferences and wellbeing for government decision-making
• practical applications of the questions about preference and wellbeing considered in this module
• key issues about preferences and wellbeing as they bear on government decision-making

Topics vary from year to year, but may include:

• Questions about the nature and existence of preferences
• Questions about rationality in preference
• Questions about the nature and measurement of wellbeing
• Questions about the relevance of wellbeing measures for government decision-making
• Questions about how considerations of fairness should feature in government decision-making

Teaching methods include

• Lectures
• In-class discussion
• One-on-one consultation with module co-ordinator

Learning activities include

• Attending classes
• Contribution to class discussion
• Doing independent research for and writing assessed work

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Essay proposal

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Written feedback will be provided. Further oral feedback can be acquired by request.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No
• Percentage contribution: 100%

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.