Dr Nicholas Heron
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
This course studies the movement of ideas across time and space. Students are accordingly introduced to the practice of intellectual history, and encouraged to use its tools to understand politics today. The substantive content of the course is organised around two topics. The first concerns how the intellectual infrastructure of liberal democracy was assembled in Western Europe and then transmitted to Australia, c. 1500-1930. The second topic is reflections on imperialism from the Global South c. 1875-1990.
This course introduces students to the history of political thought (HPT), a sub-discipline of political science.
The course is organised around two topics:ﾠﾠ
PART 1: Assembling the Infrastructure of Liberal Democracy
PART 2: Reflections on Imperialism from the Global South
The logic of the course is as follows:
i. Lectures introduce the primary texts and their contexts
ii. Students read these texts, then submit answers to tutorial exercises
iii. Submissions form the basis of tutorial discussion
iv. Written and oral assessment tasks provide an opportunity to engage with selected texts and issues in depth.ﾠﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
No assumed background
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
POLS1101 or POLS1301
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course consists of 12 lectures (commencing Week 1 and finishing Week 13), and 8 tutorials (commencing Week 2 and finishing Week 10).ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
The course has three aims:
I. To introduce students to the history of political thought
II. To provide students with a historical understanding of liberal democracy and imperialism
III. To enable students to construe a contemporary piece of political thinking in relation to the past
A graduate of Political Science understands the complexity of democratic systems in terms of the ideas, institutions, and policies that define them. They are capable of synthesizing diverse types of evidence and assessing it independently of their own beliefs and interests, communicating their judgements persuasively in written and oral forms. These skills are essential to policy and political leadership that addresses the challenges facing the world’s democracies.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Evaluate political claims with reference to the core institutions of liberal-democratic societies.
LO2.
Contextualise contemporary political debate in relation to the history of political thought.
LO3.
Situate Indigenous political ideas in global perspective.
LO4.
Acquire the ethical ability to quarantine personal beliefs when assessing evidence.
LO5.
Speak and write persuasively in and about different styles of political argument.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set | Tutorial Exercises | 16% Each tutorial exercise = 2 marks |
3/03/2025 - 9/05/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Essay Plan | 10% |
28/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Research Essay | 44% |
23/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Performance |
Oral Assessment
|
30% |
16/06/2025 - 20/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Tutorial Exercises
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 16% Each tutorial exercise = 2 marks
- Due date
3/03/2025 - 9/05/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05
Task description
Tutorial Exercises
Students are required to complete a worksheet in preparation for each week of tutorials. The worksheets consist of four reading comprehension questions and two speculative questions. Answers to the reading comprehension questions should be short (a word to a sentence in length); answers to the speculative questions should be more expansive (a few sentences to a short paragraph). These questions will form the basis of tutorial discussions.
To be awarded the 2 marks for each week's tutorial, you must:
i) upload your responses to Turnitin by Wednesday (5pm) before the tutorials on Thursday and Friday
ii) attend the tutorial and participate in the class discussion in a meaningful way
iii) correctly answer at least 3 of the short answers and produce answers of appropriate length and quality to the longer questions
There will be no part marks, i.e. your mark each week will be either 2 or 0 (for your score will be treated as a proxy for the quality of your participation)
Missed tutorials due to illness will be counted if a doctor's certificate is provided. If you are unable to attend due to technical issues or other unavoidable circumstances, eg. your internet connection, then you may submit summaries of 250 words for each of the required texts, along with answers to the questions. Please note that there will be a limit to the number of summaries that can be submitted in lieu of participation.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Essay Plan
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
28/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05
Task description
Essay Plan
Produce a plan for your research essay (500 words maximum). The plan will observe a prescribed format (see the model essay plan located on Blackboard).
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Research Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 44%
- Due date
23/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05
Task description
Research Essay
This is the major assessment task for this course. It is worth 44% of the overall grade and should be 2000 words in length (+/-10%).
This task asks you to choose one of the following options:
1. Compare in analytical terms a political thinker of your choice with one of the thinkers studied in this course (Hobbes, Hale, Hume, Wollstonecraft, Pateman, X, Sykes, Bonner, Guizot, Fukuzawa, Mao, Gonzalo, Césaire, Nkrumah, Qutb, Dussel).
2. Relate in historical terms, using one of the methods studied in Week 2 of the course, a political thinker of your choice with one of the course thinkers named above.
3. Compare two of the methods studied in Week 2 of this course.
This is a research essay focused on primary textual evidence and analysis. It is expected that no less than 10% of your essay should be direct quotes from appropriate primary sources with page numbers included (approximately 5 quotes per thinker). There is also the expectation that you will situate your argument in relation to the relevant secondary literature. No fewer than five secondary sources should be included.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Oral Assessment
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Performance
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
16/06/2025 - 20/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Oral Assessment
This task (5 mins + question time) focuses on the responses to imperialism studied in Part II of the course.
At the beginning of the oral assessment, the student will nominate two texts from Part II of the course (Guizot, Fukuzawa, Mao, Gonzalo, Césaire, Nkrumah, Qutb, Dussel). The course coordinator will pose the question to be answered. The question will be in the following form:
“What would the author of text A make of the arguments in text B?” OR “What would the author of text B make of the arguments in text A?”
Students will formulate their response using a specific template. Evidence will be drawn primarily from the set course readings (with some use of the lecture materials also permitted). No additional research is required. Following the presentation, two additional questions will be asked that will be intended to allow the student to amplify/clarify their answer and demonstrate their mastery of the texts. None of the questions will be intended to trick or intimidate.
Please note that both text’s authors must be different to the one that was the topic of your research essay.
Presentations will be recorded (audio only).
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students must receive a pass in the ‘Oral Assessment’ to pass this course. Students who do not receive a pass on the oral response task can only receive an overall grade of 3 or less for the course. Students who receive an overall score of 3 in the Course are eligible to apply for a supplementary assessment (my.uq Supplementary Assessment).Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Extension will only be available where there are extenuating circumstances
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: None of the above criteria will have been met. This student will not have addressed the question, shown no or very little evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: None of the above criteria will have been met. This student will not have addressed the question, shown no or very little evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. The student will have demonstrated a minimal grasp of the chosen topic and will have made an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay. The student will have employed some research which correlated with the argument and will have made a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flow should appear throughout the assignment. This student will have addressed the question, showing evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated an adequate grasp of the chosen topic and will have made a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument. The student will have employed an adequate research base to support the argument and will have achieved a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow should be sustained throughout the essay. This student will have answered the question, showing evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated a sound grasp of the chosen topic and will have addressed the argument by providing suitable evidence to support an argument. The student will have employed a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic though it may not completely support the argument and will have achieved decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. This student will have answered the question in a direct, well supported fashion, showing evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated a very good grasp of the chosen topic and will have addressed the argument by providing a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student will have employed a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and will have achieved a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. This student will have answered the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employing wide research and showing a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and will have succeeded in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument.ﾠThe student will have employed an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and will have achieved impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow.ﾠThis student will have answered the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employing significant research and showing a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
1.ﾠFailﾠ 1 - 19%
2. Failﾠ 20 - 44%
3. Failﾠ 45 ﾖ 49%
4. Passﾠ 50 - 64 %
5. Creditﾠ 65 - 74 %
6. Distinctionﾠ 75 - 84 %
7. High Distinctionﾠ 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length and Referencing
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the lower/upper word limit.
Essays should be referenced in the Chicago Style, either using the ‘Notes and Bibliography’ mode OR the ‘Author-Date’ mode (Chicago allows for both). See the the Chicago Manual of Style’s Quick Citation Guide for an overview of how to use this system.
Please note:
• References in the notes in the ‘Notes and Biobliography’ mode will not count toward the word length. Any discursive footnotes beyond the specific text reference, however, will count towards the word length.
• In-text citations using the ‘Author-Date’ mode will count toward the word length.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder on the Blackboard site for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 1. Introduction Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 2. Four Methods For Studying Ideas Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1. Methods Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
|
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 3. Sovereignty: Malmesbury to Waitangi to Uluru Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2. Hobbes, Waitangi and Uluru Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 4. Common Law: England to Australia Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3. Hale and Mabo Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 5. Corruption: Florence to Scotland to Australia Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4. Hume and Convention Debates Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
|
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 6. Women: London to Sydney Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5. Wollstonecraft and Pateman Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 7. Black Power: United States to Australia Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6. Malcolm X and Sykes/Bonner Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
READING WEEK No lecture/tutorials this week |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 8. Civilization: France to Japan Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 7. Guizot and Fukuzawa Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 9. Imperialism: China to Peru Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 8. Mao and Gonzalo Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 10. Colonialism: France and Ghana Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 11. Against Western Modernity: Egypt and Argentina Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Lecture 12. Course Review Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.