Western Culture, Fundamentalism and Secularisation

Course aim

Using a sociology of knowledge approach, to analyse theories of modern western culture, including the privileging of certain conception of science and history and their influence on both fundamentalism and secularisation, in order to explore theories about differences in worldview between East and West, and their implications for international relations and understanding other cultures.

Course content

Theories about: the development of dominant western approaches to science and history; the increasing implausibility of religious belief; the death of God in Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche; the rise of fundamentalism in the West; a comparison of religious and secular epistemologies; counter movements to secularisation in the West; Sartre, Camus, Heidegger, Charles Taylor, Foucault; implications for international relations and understanding, respect and tolerance between cultures.

Textbook(s)

Fopp, Rodney 2008, Enhancing understanding; advancing dialogue , 1st ed, ATF Press, Adelaide

Prerequisite(s)

Admission to Honours or a postgraduate program.

Corequisite(s)

Nil

Teaching method

Component	Duration
INTERNAL, MAGILL
Lecture	2 hours x 13 weeks
Tutorial (Online tutorials)	N/A x 13 weeks
Tutorial (Ten weekly interactive Online )	N/A x 10 weeks
EXTERNAL, MAGILL, ONLINE
External (Ten weekly interactive Online )	N/A x 10 weeks
External (Lectures and Tutorials )	N/A x 13 weeks

Note: These components may or may not be scheduled in every study period. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Assessment

Essay 1, Essay 2, Interactives

Fees

EFTSL*: 0.125
Commonwealth Supported program (Band 1)
To determine the fee for this course as part of a Commonwealth Supported program, go to:
How to determine your Commonwealth Supported course fee. (Opens new window)

Fee-paying program for domestic and international students
International students and students undertaking this course as part of a postgraduate fee paying program must refer to the relevant program home page to determine the cost for undertaking this course.

Non-award enrolment
Non-award tuition fees are set by the university. To determine the cost of this course, go to:
How to determine the relevant non award tuition fee. (Opens new window)

Not all courses are available on all of the above bases, and students must check to ensure that they are permitted to enrol in a particular course.

* Equivalent Full Time Study Load. Please note: all EFTSL values are published and calculated at ten decimal places. Values are displayed to three decimal places for ease of interpretation.