TRS5412 - Modern Philosophy: Mind, Self and World

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate detailed and specific knowledge of the methodologies and concepts of philosophical attempts to understand the person;
Enter into deep critical and exegetical dialogue with primary philosophical texts and to identify key texts in the history of Western philosophy that explore the self;
Critically analyse philosophical arguments, concepts and ideas in a sophisticated way;
Construct and defend philosophical arguments and positions on the nature of the person, understanding the implications of these positions for a range of related issues;
Formulate philosophical questions about the human person, for example: questions about lived experience, the mind, free will, identity, etc.

Content:

The module covers philosophical understandings of and questions about the person, particularly relating to the nature of the mind, self and personal knowledge. It includes:
• Engagements with these topics in contemporary analytical philosophy, examining philosophical arguments and positions relating to the mind-body problem, the nature of the mind, personal identity and epistemology
• Alternative approaches to the person from continental and non-western philosophy, including phenomenology, existentialism, poststructuralism and critical theory as well as eastern conceptions of the person.

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 sumitted work.

Lecture
Contact hours: 20

Seminar, group work, tutorial, etc
Contact hours: 20

Guided Independent Learning
(including preparatory reading for sessions, portfolio/essay research and writing, online activities and/or examination revision).
Hours :160

Further details relating to assessment
The portfolio will consist of 6 portfolio entries, each of 300-400 words in length (not to exceed the maximum allowed in the final submission). These will be assessed throughout the module, with a submission due approximately every two weeks, and submitted together as a pack at the end of the module.

Assessment:

001 Portfolio 1 x 2000 words equiv. end of semester 50%
002 Essay 1 x 2000 words end of semester 50%


Click here to go back to previous page