Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 202

POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & ENVIRONMENT

Politics and Philosophy
Overview

Politics and Philosophy at Keele is very popular
programme which will help you to acquire important
analytical skills, thereby providing highly effective
preparation for the graduate careers market. There is
considerable conceptual overlap between philosophy
and politics, and shared concern in a wide range of
contemporary issues such as environmental matters,
genetic engineering, and relationships with the third
world. Both disciplines are interested in issues about
government, social structures, power, justice, and the
relationship between the individual and the state.
The clarity and precision in analysis provided by
studying philosophy complements the wide ranging
scope of political concerns, many of which have
profound ethical implications of the kind dealt with
in moral philosophy.
Keele University has a longstanding reputation as
one of the foremost centres for political studies in the
country.  Many distinguished political scientists have
worked at Keele since the 1950s, making significant
contributions to our understanding of modern
politics; these include Samuel Finer, Jean Blondel,
Hugh Berrington and Jack Hayward. The school itself
was founded by some of the best known political
scientists in the UK and Europe, and its international
reputation continues to attract researchers and
students of the highest calibre. Our current staff have
internationally recognised expertise in the areas of
comparative politics, parties and elections, policy
studies, public policy, environmental politics, and
political and international theory. We also specialise
in the politics of a wide range of countries and
regions of the world, especially Britain, the European
Union, Western and Central Europe, Eurasia, the
Balkans, the USA and the Middle East.
Keele has enjoyed a strong reputation for philosophy
since the 1950s, with well known Keele philosophers
including Antony Flew, Richard Swinburne, Jonathan
Dancy and many others. Today, it remains a strongly
research led programme but with a friendly and
relaxed environment. You will have the opportunity
to engage with cutting edge ideas from universities
all around the UK though our Royal Institute
of Philosophy (RIP) lectures, in which leading
philosophers are regularly invited to Keele to talk
about their latest work, as well as through our annual
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Lecture, annual conference
and various other special research events held
throughout the year.

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Course content

In Politics, teaching covers a wide range of topics,
including international relations and global politics,
political theory, public policy, and comparative
politics. The geographical areas covered include
Europe (Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe and
the European Union), the Americas, Middle-East,
post-Soviet space, and Africa.
Politics provides a challenging treatment of the
ways in which modern political science and political
theory have understood a range of contemporary
issues and debates. We take a global approach
to politics which gives you the opportunity to
analyse the complex events and forces that shape
our world. One crucial feature of the world is
its interconnectedness in geographical, social,
economic, cultural and intellectual matters, and
these connections cannot be understood without
understanding the role of politics.
In the first year you will t