Violence, War and Terrorism

This subject is not offered in 2016.

170 hours

Admission to a relevant Masters degree

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 Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Today, war is still a salient feature of international relations, while terrorism takes on ever more international character and scope. The subject will explore the philosophical - conceptual and moral - issues to do with violence, war, and terrorism. The central part of the subject will examine the main approaches to war: realism, consequentialism, just war theory, and pacifism. The subject will also discuss both the concept and the morality of terrorism, including state terrorism.

Students who successfully complete this subject will

• have developed an understanding of the fundamentals of philosophical argumentation and theory.
• be able to demonstrate a substantial knowledge of the area of Violence, War and Terrorism.
• understand the theoretical sources of the key concepts in this area of study.
• understand the application of these concepts to their professional field or study area.

• A 5000-word research essay, due at the end of semester (100%)

Hurdle requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

To be advised

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• have improved their ability to integrate abstract moral and conceptual considerations with relevant empirical data;
• have developed research and analysis skills to enable further study in the area of international justice at a higher academic level.