GV4H5 Half Unit
The Political Philosophy of Environmental Change
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Kai Spiekermann
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Culture, Justice, and Environment, MSc in Environment and Development, MSc in Environmental Economics and Climate Change, MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation, MSc in Environmental Policy, Technology and Health (Environmental Policy and Regulation) (LSE and Peking University) and MSc in Political Theory. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: to apply for a place on this course, please write a short statement of 200 words (max) outlining the specific reasons for applying and how the course will benefit your academic/career goals. Priority will be given to MSc in Political Theory students, and then students on the other programmes listed in the 'availability' section of the course guide. You should check that you meet any pre-requisites in the course guide before applying (where applicable). Places on capped courses cannot be guaranteed.
Deadline for application: The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 26 September 2025. You can expect to be informed of the outcome of your application by 12:00 noon on Monday 29 September 2025. Any places remaining after this date will be allocated based on priority and written statement - up until course selection closes.
For queries contact: gov.msc@lse.ac.uk
This course has a limited number of places (it is controlled access) and priority is given to students on the MSc Political Theory.
Requisites
Additional requisites:
Some prior training in political theory, ethics, or related fields is highly recommended.
Course content
This course considers the problem of climate change from a political-philosophical perspective, drawing primarily on contemporary analytical political philosophy, political theory, and environmental ethics, but with cross-disciplinary input from the natural and social sciences. Some key questions will be abstract and theoretical, including: What kind of problem is climate change? How do we value nature? How ought we to distribute the costs of climate? How are the injustices of climate change related to other historical injustice? What do we owe future generations? At the same time, the course also challenges us to think about the application of theories from philosophy and the social sciences, leading to questions like: How can we improve the knowledge about climate change? How do we motivate citizens and states to reduce emissions? How do we decide what to preserve for future generations? Is civil or uncivil disobedience a promising route to bring about social change? Which democratic institutions might support effective climate policies?
Teaching
15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
Formative assessment
Essay (1500 words)
Students will submit a short formative essay (up to 1,500 words) and will be given feedback on this before submitting their assessed coursework.
Indicative reading
John Broome (2012) Climate Matters: Ethics in a Warming World, New York (W.W. Norton);
Stephen Gardiner, Simon Caney, Dale Jamieson and Henry Shue, eds. (2010) Climate Ethics: Essential Readings, Oxford (Oxford University Press);
Denis G. Arnold, ed. (2011) The ethics of global climate change, Cambridge (Cambridge University Press);
Stephen M. Gardiner (2011) A Perfect Moral Storm: The Ethical Tragedy of Climate Change, Oxford (OUP);
Jeremy Moss, ed. (2015). Climate Change and Justice, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press;
Simon Caney (2020). “Climate Justice”, in: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice-climate/;
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2021-2) Sixth Assessment Report, Available at www.ipcc.ch.
Assessment
Essay (100%, 4000 words) in Spring Term Week 3
Key facts
Department: Government
Course Study Period: Winter Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Keywords: political theory, political philosophy, climate change, environment
Total students 2024/25: 32
Average class size 2024/25: 16
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication