PHI-30027 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

completion of level 5 philosophy core modules or permission of the module convener

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Imagine you were Wittgenstein, or Quine, or Davidson, or Collingwood, or Heidegger or any other great philosopher of the twentieth century. What is your point of view on the debates that have shaped the concerns of twentieth century philosophy? What is it that you would have to say about philosophers whose work you have not actually read because they happened to write after your death? In this module you will be asked to engage with twentieth century philosophy through the eyes of a particular philosopher. You will be asked to reconstruct the history of twentieth century philosophy from their particular point view and assess the strength of their philosophical position in relation to their philosophical predecessors and successors. In some cases the debates will be historical debates that have actually taken place between the philosopher studied and other great philosophical figures; in other cases you will be asked to imagine what views a philosopher might have defended had he or she lived to witness later philosophical developments or what he or she might have had to say about his/her successors.

The module is assessed as follows:
1,000 word quotation-based essay (30% of module mark).
2,000 word essay (70% of module mark)

The module will be taught in 16 one-hour lectures and 7 one-hour seminars

To enable students to view the history of twentieth century philosophy form the perspective of a thinker whose work engages with themes/concerns at the forefront of philosophical investigation in the twentieth century.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2

Study hours

The module lasts for a semester and is comprised of:
16 x 1 hour lectures
7 x 1 hour seminars
Seminars will lag one week behind the lectures and end in the same week as the lectures.
Breakdown of study hours:
Interactive lectures: 16 hours
seminars: 7 hours
Private study: 40 hours
seminar preparation: 35 hours
preparation for essay: 35 hours
preparation for quotation-based essay 17 hours

School Rules

EITHER successful completion of the core Level 2 modules in Philosophy OR by permission of the module convenor.

Description of Module Assessment