Prof Paul Kelly

This course is available on the 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. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

Students to apply in course choice and offer a brief rationale.

The course aims to critically examine the ideas of a selection of twentieth century European Liberal thinkers – Isaiah Berlin, Karl Popper, F.A. Hayek and Michael Oakeshott. The seminars will proceed by the close reading and discussion of a series of major texts from each of the relevant thinkers. Each thinker provides an account of some of the main tenets and methods of contemporary liberal thought. All thinkers differ in style and perspective but each one shares a rejection of the idea of the common good. We will explore why that important idea is thought to be untenable. Alongside that we will examine four main issues:

1. What are liberalism’s core values?

2. Are these liberal values of universal validity?

3. What is the appropriate relationship between the market and the state?

4. What do these thinkers contribute to ‘conservatism’ – is modern conservatism merely a version of neoliberalism?

20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

The course will be taught in weekly two-hour seminars, with a break for reading week. There will be personal advisory tutorials for the summative assessment, which will be in addition to the standard course hours and will take place from Week 7 of term.

Essay plan (1500 words) in Autumn Term Week 7.

A 1,500-word formative essay plan for the summative essay.

• Paul Kelly, Liberalism, Polity Press, 2005.
• John Gray, Two Faces of Liberalism, Polity Press, 2000.
• Samuel Moyn, Liberalism Against Itself, Yale 2023. 
• Isaiah Berlin, Two Concepts of Liberty.
• Karl Popper, Open Society and Its Enemies and Conjectures and Refutations.
• F.A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty.
• Michael Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics and On Human Conduct.

Essay (100%, 5000 words) in Winter Term Week 1.

A 5,000-word summative essay following a tutorial and oral discussion of the formative plan.

Candidates should be aware that an oral exam (viva) may be required of candidates following assessment of written work.