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PHIL41920

Academic Year 2025/2026

Love & Friendship in Early Modern Philosophy (PHIL41920)

Subject:
Philosophy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Philosophy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Ruth Boeker
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

What is love? Is there just one type of love or are there different types of love? Do, can, or should we love ourselves in the same way as we love other fellow human beings? Do, can, or should we love God in the same way as we love fellow human beings? Can or should love be explained in terms of pleasure or passionate desire? Does love create a union between individuals that love each other? If so, what type of union is it? Is love a matter of caring for oneself or others? Does self-love entail selfishness? Can we love others and focus on their good without expecting anything in return? What is friendship? Can friendships be cultivated and, if so, how? What, if any, role do friends play in one’s personal and moral development? Is it possible to have many friends or can one only have a small number of genuine friends? What distinguishes friendship from other social interactions that we have with others? Does friendship involve mutual care or concern for each other?

Questions like these will be the main focus of the seminar. We will begin by considering ancient Greek debates on this topic and will then primarily focus on philosophical debates that took place during the seventeenth and eighteenth-centuries. We will discuss selected texts by Plato, Aristotle, Mary Astell, John Norris, Damaris Masham, Mary Lee Chudleigh, Bernard Mandeville, Francis Hutcheson, David Hume, Adam Smith, Sophie de Grouchy, and others. Through a close study of their writings we will examine issues concerning love and friendship that continue to be relevant in philosophical debates in ethics, social philosophy, moral psychology, social ontology, and related areas.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module should be able to
• REFLECT critically upon philosophical questions concerning love and friendship and the broader moral and metaphysical debates that took place during the early modern period and how they build on views in prior centuries and continue to influence present-day debates.
• IDENTIFY and analyse philosophical arguments in historical texts.
• INTERPRET philosophical texts that were written in the 17th and 18th century, show awareness of different possible interpretations and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different interpretations
• WRITE well-structured and well-argued research essays that explain and critically assess philosophical views and critically position your interpretation in relation to other interpretations in the literature
• ARTICULATE your own response to philosophical views, support them by reasons, and defend them in light of criticism

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Autonomous Student Learning

226
Total

250

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module is an interactive, discussion-focused seminar. The module coordinator will prepare handouts that contain relevant background information, highlight main issues in the philosophical debates, and include suggestions for topics that can be discussed in class or developed in essays. Students are asked to prepare one short presentation each, which they can use to develop ideas for essays. The module coordinator will provide guidance on how to prepare and write good research essays in philosophy throughout the term.

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
Assignment(Including Essay): Short Essay Week 7 Graded No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Final Research Essay Week 14 Graded No
70
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Outline of Final Research Essay Week 9 Graded No
5
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Presentation Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
5
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer 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?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 10:00 - 11:50
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