ATS2961 Political ideas
Faculty of Arts
ATS2961 Political ideas is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2961
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2961
No unit lists ATS2961 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units. It is highly recommended that you only take this unit after you have completed two gateway units in Politics.
Prohibition: ATS1354
Overview
The unit surveys a broad spectrum of political thinkers and explores their ideas and the historical contexts in which these ideas emerge. It aims to give you an understanding of key concepts and arguments in political philosophy concerning order and disorder, power and authority, tradition and change. The thinkers studied, Socrates, Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Burke, and Marx, are discussed with reference to both the contexts in which they lived and the significance of their ideas both within and beyond those contexts. Learning activities will include lectures, large and small group discussions, short (500 word) and longer (2000 word) written exercises.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Presentation15%
- EssayWritten45%
- Take home final assessmentWritten40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Describe and compare ideas from different strands of political thought.
- 2
Recognise and evaluate the role of cultural and social contexts in the formulation of political ideas.
- 3
Critically discuss political theories concerning nature and reason, power and morality, tradition and revolution.
- 4
Effectively research the signification and significance of terms, ideas and arguments in political theory.
- 5
Communicate perceptively the key ideas, arguments and contexts of political theories.
- 6
Explain explicit or implicit ethical values and assumption/s in various political theories.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
ATS2961 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Michael Ure
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Michael Ure
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2961?
ATS2961 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2961 offered?
In 2026, ATS2961 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2961?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2961 have an exam?
No. ATS2961 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2961?
ATS2961 is part of Politics; and Politics and governance.