721A56 · 7.5 credits · Advanced level (A1N) · Tillämpad etik
The Philosophy of Policymaking
Active · next start HT 2026
100%
passed the latest ordinary exam
EXA2 · 18 Sep 2026 · 15 students
86%
passed the ordinary exams, all sittings over the last 5 years
EXA2 · 35 students
Unusually easy in 2026/27
100% passed the ordinary exam in 2026/27 (15 students), against 73% on average in earlier years (20 students).
Part of 1 programme
Exam
EXA2 Individual written assignment
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- FX
- F
Ordinary exams
86% passed · 35 students
- 100%15
- 83%12
- 63%8
Re-exams
No sittings with at least 5 students.
- Get B or A: 49% (35 students)
Show small sittings (4)
Sittings with fewer than 5 students, often credit transfers or special sittings. They are not part of any figure on this page.
- 100%1
- 100%1
- 100%1
- 100%1
Other modules
Partial exams, hand-ins and labs. They are not part of the figures at the top.
Exam
EXA1 Seminars
- G
Ordinary exams
100% passed · 33 students
- 100%14
- 100%11
- 100%8
Re-exams
No sittings with at least 5 students.
Show small sittings (1)
Sittings with fewer than 5 students, often credit transfers or special sittings. They are not part of any figure on this page.
- 100%1
Other module
OBL1 Workshops
- D
Main rounds
100% passed · 33 students
- 100%14
- 100%12
- 100%7
Later rounds
No sittings with at least 5 students.
Show small sittings (1)
Sittings with fewer than 5 students, often credit transfers or special sittings. They are not part of any figure on this page.
- 100%1
About the course
Aim
On completion of the course, the students should on an advanced level be able to:
- analyse concepts, theories, and problems in the field of the philosophy of policymaking
- develop theory-based arguments on specific policy-related philosophical issues
- formulate theory-based descriptions of a policy problem, based on theory from the philosophy of science
- formulate theory-based descriptions of a policy problem, based on theory from applied ethics
- apply a critical approach to positions and arguments in policymaking
Content
The course addresses philosophical questions within policy work. The research area of the philosophy of policymaking is introduced through case studies in policy areas where philosophical questions are central. Fundamental ethical theory and questions of the philosophy of science are covered in the course. Theories from these research areas are applied to practical problems. The course assumes that policy design requires an understanding of how a practical problem should be conceptualized and a normative view on how the same problem should be solved.
- Examiner
- Lars Lindblom, Elin Palm
- Main field of study
- Tillämpad etik