The Critical Imagination

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

Total of 170 hours

Students enrolling in this subject must have completed a Bachelor of arts degree or equivalent.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject explores the three currents that social and critical theorising grows out of: the Enlightenment, revolutionary tradition and romanticism. It critically assesses these currents through an examination of the works of key classical critical and social theorists. Students completing this subject should have developed an understanding of the central ideas of key thinkers in the social and critical theory tradition among them, Kant, Schiller, Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche, and developed an understanding of some of the key issues and theories including their critiques of modernity.

Students who successfully complete this course should:

• develop skills in written and oral communication;

• conduct independent research;

• make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources in mounting an argument;

• form defensible judgements based on a critical evaluation of conflicting arguments;

A class paper of 1000 words (45%) due during the semester and a research essay of 4000 words (55%) due during the examination period.

Hurdle Requirement: As this is an Intensively-taught subject, seminar attendance is compulsory on all days. Regular participation in class is required.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

• The Imaginery Institution of Society. (C. Castoriadis)

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.