Students

PHL 356 – Work and the Good Life

2016 – S2 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Associate Professor
Jean-Philippe Deranty
Contact via 9850 6773
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
39cp or admission to GDipArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
What value should we attach to work? Is it something we do just for the wages? Or does work have a value beyond that? How does work affect our identity? Should the availability and quality of work be left to the job market? Or does the state have responsibilities to provide decent work? In the first half of the unit we look at how some of the great philosophers of the past answered such questions, including Plato, Aristotle, Adam Smith, Hegel and Marx. Using these philosophical models, in the second half of the unit we look at the worries people have about work from a contemporary perspective. With a focus on issues such as the fear of unemployment, precarious work, disrespect at work and meaningless work, we ask how things can go well or badly with work and what might be done about it.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Multiple Choice/Short Answers 30% Week 3-12
Essay Preparation Portfolio 20% Week 10
Essay 50% 11/11/16

Multiple Choice/Short Answers

Due: Week 3-12
Weighting: 30%

Weekly exercises in the form of multiple choice questions and short answer questions. These short exercises (3-5 questions per exercise) will be prepared on the online forum specifically dedicated to external students. The aim of these exercises is to test students' understanding of key concepts and ideas.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Essay Preparation Portfolio

Due: Week 10
Weighting: 20%

The essay preparation portfolio will document the different stages of preparation towards the final essay. The portfolio will include the following sections:

1. Essay question devised by the student, with a short reflective text (max. 200 words) outlining the philosophical significance and personal interest in the question.

2. Essay outline, with a short summary (a few lines) for the main arguments in each section.

3. Core annotated bibliography: primary readings and secondary literature, with short descriptions (a few lines) of why these texts were chosen to answer the question.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Essay

Due: 11/11/16
Weighting: 50%

2,000-2,500 word essay on a topic devised by the student in consultation with the lecturer.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Delivery and Resources

The unit will be delivered by way of weekly lectures and tutorials.

Recorded lectures, lecture slides, readings, and other information can be accessed from the PHL356 i-learn site.

List of Required readings (all available on iLearn):

Weeks 2-3:

Plato, extract from The Republic, (Book 2, chs VI-VII).

Adam Smith, extract from The Wealth of Nations, Volume 1, Book 1, chs 1-2. 

G.W.F. Hegel, extracts from Elements of the Philosophy of Right, §189-198, §207, §243-246.

Weeks 4-6:

Aristotle, extracts from Metaphysics and Nichomachean Ethics.

Marx, extracts from Grundrisse and Capital, vol.3.

Christophe Dejours, "Subjectivity, Work and Action".

Hannah Arendt, 'Labor, Work, Action'in J. Bernauer ed, Amor Mundi, Martinus Nijhoff, 1987, pp. 29-42.

Weeks 7-9:

Adina Schwartz, "Meaningful Work", Ethics, 1982, vol.92, 634-646.

Beate Roessler, "Meaningful Work: Arguments from Autonomy", Journal of Political Philosophy, 2011, vol.20, 71–93. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9760.2011.00408.x 

Marx, extracts from Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts and Capital.

Alex Gourevitch. 2013. "Labor Republicanism and the Transformation of Work", Political Theory 41(4)591-617.

Kathi Weeks, extracts from The Problem with Work (Duke University Press, 2011).

Weeks 10-12:

Locke,Second Treatise of Government, chapter 5.

Robert Castel, extracts from The Transformations of the Social Question.

Philippe Van Parisj, extracts from Real Freedom for All.

Pascale Molinier, "Care as Work", in Smith and Deranty (eds) New Philosophies of Labour (Brill, 2010), 251-272.

Sabine Gürtler. 2005. "The Ethical Dimension of Work: A Feminist Perspective", Hypathia 20(2), 119-134.

Andrea Veltman. 2010. "Simone de Beauvoir and Hannah Arendt on Labor", Hypathia 25(1), 55-78.

John Rawls, extracts from A Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism.

Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2002), chapter 5.

Unit Schedule

Week 1

Introduction to the Philosophy of Work

 

 

Part I

The Place of work in human life

 

 

 

Work in human society

Week 2

Society as a division of labour (Plato, Smith)

Week 3

Work, the market and political representation (Hegel)

 

 

 

Work and the self

Week 4

The activity of work: praxis and poiesis (Aristotle, Arendt)

Week 5

Work and personal development (Marx, Dejours)

 

 

Part II

Questions of freedom and justice

 

 

 

Work and freedom

Week 6

The impact of work on autonomy? (Schwartz, Roessler)

Week 7

Work and social domination (Marx, Gourevitch)

Week 8-9

Modern work as alienation (Weber, Weeks)

 

 

 

Work and justice

Week 10

Right to work and duty to work (Locke, Castel, Van Parisj)

Week 11

Work ethics versus ethics of care (Molinier, Gürtler, Veltman)

Week 12

What place for work in the just society? (Rawls, Kymlicka)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

New Assessment Policy in effect from Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html. For more information visit http://students.mq.edu.au/events/2016/07/19/new_assessment_policy_in_place_from_session_2/

Assessment Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay Preparation Portfolio
  • Essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay Preparation Portfolio
  • Essay

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • Multiple Choice/Short Answers
  • Essay Preparation Portfolio
  • Essay

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • Multiple Choice/Short Answers
  • Essay Preparation Portfolio
  • Essay

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • Multiple Choice/Short Answers
  • Essay Preparation Portfolio
  • Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • Multiple Choice/Short Answers
  • Essay

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment task

  • Essay

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate clearly and coherently philosophical arguments about the meaning of work.
  • Acquire knowledge of the history of the philosophy of work.
  • Develop a philosophical understanding of contemporary social issues around work.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments.

Assessment task

  • Essay

Changes since First Published

Date Description
20/07/2016 Lectures times added.
10/07/2016 Added list of required readings.