TRS5412 - Mind, Self and World

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Detailed knowledge of the concepts and methodologies used to characterise and analyse the person;
The ability to enter into critical and exegetical dialogue with a selected philosophical text that centrally defines the nature of personhood;
The capacity to select and deploy appropriate methods and techniques in the analysis of philosophical arguments, concepts and ideas;
The ability to construct and defend philosophical arguments on the nature of the person, understanding the implications of these positions for a range of related issues.

Content:

This module follows the chronological development of debates about the nature of mind, self and personal knowledge in the modern era. It traces the formulation, development and critique of the epistemological self through philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Kant.

The module will focus on developing a capacity for close philosophical analysis, tracing the way questions about the person are constructed critically and coherently within particular key texts. Students will also contextualise these arguments in relation to wider contexts, such as: the critical interaction between texts (the history of the philosophy of the self); in relation to the wider philosophical developments (the broader history of philosophy); and in relation to wider social and cultural fields: the self-portrait, spiritual exercises, and literary self-fashioning.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The module will be taught in plenary sessions which will make use of a blend of teaching and learning methods. These will normally include: lecture-style presentations by the tutor or visiting lecturers; seminar-style discussion of a particular topic; prepared presentations by students, followed by discussion; other exercises as appropriate to material and group. Guidance on reading in preparation for each session and activity will be given and learning will be supported where appropriate by VLE and other electronic resources. Guidance on research and essay-writing will be embedded in the learning and teaching process throughout the module and may also be supported by tutorial guidance on essay plans and feedback on submitted work.

Seminars
Contact hours: 34

Guided Independent Study
Hours :166

Further details relating to assessment
The portfolio will comprise 4 individual elements (not to exceed the maximum allowed in the final submission). Elements will be expected to cover: overview history of the epistemological self; analyses of key concepts; book review of key secondary text; close analysis of a selected passage. Guidance on these topics will be provided in class and informal feedback will be provided. The pieces will be submitted as a single item.

Students may also negotiate their assessment topic with the lecturer.

Assessment:

001 Portfolio; 2000 words equiv; mid-semester 1 50%
002 Essay; 2,000 words; end of semester 1 50%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Shyane Siriwardena
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S1

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