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EUST20010

Academic Year 2026/2027

Discourses of Freedom (EUST20010)

Subject:
European Studies
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Pascale Baker
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Where does freedom begin? In this team-taught module on the Enlightenment and its legacies, we will examine some of the discourses of freedom that emerged on the European continent in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Freedom can mean freedom of thought, and can go hand in hand with calls for religious tolerance or freedom from persecution, or for an end to the oppression of women and to the inclusion of female voices in the cultural sphere. Freedom can sometimes translate into action, with the French Revolution being one example. But alongside the hopes for freedom and the promise of equality, the Enlightenment did not prevent or reverse colonialism. Did the Enlightenment, we might ask, achieve its aims? Did it do too little or too much? In this module, we will approach the Enlightenment, its legacy and some of its controversies through examples from different languages, genre and traditions. Case studies will also show how literary and aesthetic discourse intertwine with political thought. The format for our classes will be a lecture with an accompanying tutorial each week, focusing on discussion, analysis and close readings of shorter texts or extracts from longer writings.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module, students will have:
engaged with a variety of primary texts; analysed key ideas introduced; shown insight into the relationship between the text and its cultural context.

Indicative Module Content:

Enlightenment discourse on individual freedom; freedom of speech and toleration in the European Enlightenment; Cosmopolitanism; Legacies of Enlightenment and their consequences for Freedom: Examples include case studies in such areas as: Colonialism and Postcolonialism (case studies) - contradictions and anomalies in the discourses of freedom; legacies and contemporary relevance of debates on freedom.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Not addressed

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Novice

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

56
Autonomous Student Learning

30
Total

110

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Classes will be twice-weekly, with the first class of the week normally a lecture, and the second class taking a seminar-style approach, i.e. discussion-based. Students will be expected to have read materials made available in advance on Brightspace and to have prepared any questions set in advance as homework. Reflective writing will help you to consolidate your understanding of the different topics, and one reflective writing task will be set to correspond to each teaching 'block'. These blocks, each with a different thematic perspective on the discourses of freedom, will be taught by staff members of the different language subjects of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): End-of-trimester 2 hour examination. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
60
 No
Reflective Assignment: Learning Journal.
This team-taught module will be taught in individual 'units'. At the end of each, students will be required to submit a piece of reflective writing (Learning Journal) on a task set.		 Week 4, Week 7, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students are welcome to contact the member of the teaching team who has assessed a particular topic and request a meeting (normally in the staff member's designated office hours) to discuss their work. Please note that email cannot normally be used for feedback purposes. Feedback on the individual learning journal entries will be provided on Brightspace. The journal writing is intended to allow you to deepen your understanding of your chosen topic and its historical context, but also to continue to develop your critical writing and analytical skills.

Name Role
Dr Pascale Baker Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Bianca Cataldi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Derval Conroy Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Angélique Ibáñez Aristondo Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Mara Josi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Jeanne Riou Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
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