| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-30023 |
Philosophy of Art |
O |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module provides a critical introduction to fundamental questions in the philosophy of art and to their most influential answers. The module would be of interest to any student who wants to know more about the philosophical approach to arts.
In its first part, the module traces the subject back to its roots in Hume, Kant and Plato. The second part focuses on key questions in the philosophy of art, for instance, the definition of art, objectivity and subjectivity in aesthetic evaluation, the relationships between art and morality, beauty, representation and expression in art, ontology and art, truth and art, as well as questions concerning the role of interpretation and imagination, and questions concerning particular art forms.
The 10 one-hour lectures focus on key questions in aesthetics. Lectures are accompanied by 10 one-hour seminars where tutor-led (small-group combined with group) discussion focuses on specific topics. In the first part of the course, students will be asked to choose a work of art with significance in the history of art. For each of the seminars in the second part of the course, students are asked to prepare typed comments on the relevance of the chosen work fo art for the questions presented in the lectures. Altogether, students will have to write 6 seminar pieces, each of approximately 500 words.
Students will be asked to submit their comments on the WebCT before the seminar and they
will receive prompt feedback from their tutor. Assessment format: 50% 3000-word essay, 50% seminar work. |
|
|
PHI-30023 |
Philosophy of Art |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module provides a critical introduction to fundamental questions in the philosophy of art and to their most influential answers. The module would be of interest to any student who wants to know more about the philosophical approach to arts.
In its first part, the module traces the subject back to its roots in Hume, Kant and Plato. The second part focuses on key questions in the philosophy of art, for instance, the definition of art, objectivity and subjectivity in aesthetic evaluation, the relationships between art and morality, beauty, representation and expression in art, ontology and art, truth and art, as well as questions concerning the role of interpretation and imagination, and questions concerning particular art forms.
The 10 one-hour lectures focus on key questions in aesthetics. Lectures are accompanied by 10 one-hour seminars where tutor-led (small-group combined with group) discussion focuses on specific topics. In the first part of the course, students will be asked to choose a work of art with significance in the history of art. For each of the seminars in the second part of the course, students are asked to prepare typed comments on the relevance of the chosen work fo art for the questions presented in the lectures. Altogether, students will have to write 6 seminar pieces, each of approximately 500 words.
Students will be asked to submit their comments on the WebCT before the seminar and they
will receive prompt feedback from their tutor. Assessment format: 50% 3000-word essay, 50% seminar work. |
|
|
PHI-30024 |
Rorty and the Mirror of Nature |
O |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The course will be an in-depth study of Richard Rorty's Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. This book was intended as an historical deconstruction of philosophy itself, and hence is extremely wide-ranging in its content, allowing the students to critically engage with many of the issues they have learnt over the course of their degree, but in a highly critical, metaphilosophical context. As such, it will provide the perfect opportunity for students to consolidate, assess, and apply much of what they have previously learnt. The course will progress through a combination of lectures and tutorials, with plenty of opportunity for group work, allowing students to discuss their ideas, and critically engage with Rorty&©s ideas, as well as with various interpretations of those ideas. |
|
|
PHI-30024 |
Rorty and the Mirror of Nature |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The course will be an in-depth study of Richard Rorty's Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. This book was intended as an historical deconstruction of philosophy itself, and hence is extremely wide-ranging in its content, allowing the students to critically engage with many of the issues they have learnt over the course of their degree, but in a highly critical, metaphilosophical context. As such, it will provide the perfect opportunity for students to consolidate, assess, and apply much of what they have previously learnt. The course will progress through a combination of lectures and tutorials, with plenty of opportunity for group work, allowing students to discuss their ideas, and critically engage with Rorty&©s ideas, as well as with various interpretations of those ideas. |
|
|
PHI-30027 |
GREAT PHILOSOPHERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY |
O |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
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:
3,000 word essay (75% of module mark)
1,000 word reader's report or book review (25% of module mark).
The module will be taught in 8 2-hour interactive lectures and 7 1-hour seminars
|
|
|
PHI-30027 |
GREAT PHILOSOPHERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
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:
3,000 word essay (75% of module mark)
1,000 word reader's report or book review (25% of module mark).
The module will be taught in 8 2-hour interactive lectures and 7 1-hour seminars
|
|
|
PIR-30126 |
Human Rights: Concepts, Norms and Identities |
O |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The module examines core understandings of human rights as moral and legal norms that protect all persons from serious violations of their freedom and access to decent standards of living. It considers the normative validity of protections afforded by international human rights covenants to freedom of conscience; due process and access to fair trial; entitlements not to be enslaved or tortured; and to be protected from poverty and genocide.
The first part of the module focuses in particular on theoretical debates surrounding the justification of human rights, inquiring whether interests in rational agency or material wellbeing serve as an adequate source of legitimacy. It examines Rawls&© famous Law of Peoples, which claims that the self-determination of non-liberal peoples must be respected, and that liberals cannot justifiably impose sanctions to secure liberal political rights for all citizens of the world. The controversy over global responsibilities is then examined. Does the human right to live free from poverty and malnutrition entail that citizens of rich countries bear $ùperfect&©, or non-negotiable, duties of justice to alleviate global poverty? Or is this not an absolute duty of justice but a matter of charity? Moreover, do rich governments have a duty to refuse to participate in a world order that systemically violates the rights of the world&©s poor? The later stages of the module pose more specific questions: can historical human rights abuses of apartheid regimes ever be forgiven, and do the formerly oppressed have a duty to relinquish just claims against their oppressors in the name of peace? Finally, the moral individualism presupposed by the concept of human rights is questioned from non-western, post-modern and feminist perspectives.
|
|
|
PIR-30126 |
Human Rights: Concepts, Norms and Identities |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The module examines core understandings of human rights as moral and legal norms that protect all persons from serious violations of their freedom and access to decent standards of living. It considers the normative validity of protections afforded by international human rights covenants to freedom of conscience; due process and access to fair trial; entitlements not to be enslaved or tortured; and to be protected from poverty and genocide.
The first part of the module focuses in particular on theoretical debates surrounding the justification of human rights, inquiring whether interests in rational agency or material wellbeing serve as an adequate source of legitimacy. It examines Rawls&© famous Law of Peoples, which claims that the self-determination of non-liberal peoples must be respected, and that liberals cannot justifiably impose sanctions to secure liberal political rights for all citizens of the world. The controversy over global responsibilities is then examined. Does the human right to live free from poverty and malnutrition entail that citizens of rich countries bear $ùperfect&©, or non-negotiable, duties of justice to alleviate global poverty? Or is this not an absolute duty of justice but a matter of charity? Moreover, do rich governments have a duty to refuse to participate in a world order that systemically violates the rights of the world&©s poor? The later stages of the module pose more specific questions: can historical human rights abuses of apartheid regimes ever be forgiven, and do the formerly oppressed have a duty to relinquish just claims against their oppressors in the name of peace? Finally, the moral individualism presupposed by the concept of human rights is questioned from non-western, post-modern and feminist perspectives.
|
| Semester 1 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-10010 |
10 Problems of Philosophy |
C |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module will introduce students to ten of the most fundamental philosophical problems, and the distinctive way that philosophers approach these problems. Students will acquire a basic understanding of the problems themselves, and the views taken on them by major philosophers. Students will learn to critically assess the various philosophical positions and arguments, and will be encouraged to develop their own personal views. The course incorporates metaphysical problems concerning Free Will and Determinism, Personal Identity, Time, Universals, and Consciousness, as well as epistemological problems concerning Knowledge, Scepticism, and Induction, and problems of philosophical logic concerning Existence.
The ten topic-based lectures are accompanied by ten weekly meetings of small seminar groups. Six of the seminars are devoted to discussion of the topics covered by the module, with quizzes and small group presentations incorporated for the development of oral presentation and team-work skills, all of which are either formatively self- or peer-assessed or summatively assessed through the portfolio. Two of the seminars are dedicated to University-level study such as library and research skills, planning and writing an essay, and two of the seminars are devoted to group exercises, namely tutor-assessed group presenations, and peer-assessment of portfolios. |
|
|
PHI-10013 |
Moral Philosophy |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module introduces students to fundamental questions in moral philosophy and to their most influential answers by taking into account also the topical issue of religious belief and its relevance for our moral lives.
The module would be of interest to all beginning students, whether or not registered in a Philosophy programme or with previous philosophical training.
In its first part, the module explores issues in philosophical ethics, such as whether there are moral truths or whether we have reasons to be moral. The second part focuses on classical positions in normative ethics, for instance, hedonism and discourse ethics. Finally, by reflecting on the relevance of religion for our moral lives, the module explores the relationship between morality and religion by considering several key problems in the philosophy of religion: divine power and human freedom, divine goodness and the nature of evil, or the existence of God and the nature of moral values.
The 12 one-hour lectures focus on key problems in moral philosophy and philosophy of religion. Lectures are accompanied by 8 one-hour seminars where tutor-led (small-group combined with group) discussion focuses on specific topics. For seminars students are asked to prepare a portfolio consisting of short, one-page typed answers to seminar questions posted in advance on the KLE. Typed answers will be submitted on the KLE before each seminar and tutors will use these to organise seminar discussion.
Assessment format: 25% portfolio, 75% essay and a formatively (tutor- and peer-)assessed bibliographic exercise.
|
| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-10011 |
How To Think |
C |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module is designed to develop and improve skills to enable students to understand and respond appropriately to arguments in general, by focussing on the formal features of arguments such as deductive validity, inductive force and various forms of fallacies. This is crucial preparation for all other courses in the Philosophy Programme, but is also excellent preparation for academic work generally or any endeavour that involves an attempt to convince someone of something. |
|
|
PIR-10045 |
Justice, Authority and Power |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module introduces students to the central debates in the history of Western political thought concerning justice and related concepts of political authority, power, liberty and the social contract. By posing critical questions concerning the nature and limits of state power, it provides a stimulating and enlightening opportunity for students in a wide range of disciplines, whether or not taking a principal degree in Politics, Philosophy and International Relations, to become familiar with the origin and development of the most influential ideas that have shaped modern states and societies.
The module firstly examines core issues in classical political thought through a study of Plato and Aristotle. Their writings present controversial but significant arguments for the universality of justice, the common good and the justification of elite power. The second part focuses on modern approaches to justice that focus principally on individual liberty, the social contract and the difference between wielding power and possessing legitimate authority to rule. The theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau contrast with those of the classical world, and are generally considered to have inaugurated the widespread defence of representative government and democracy around the world today.
Ten lectures introduce the main concepts and thinkers covered in the module, and are accompanied by a corresponding number of weekly meetings of small one-hour tutorial groups. In these tutorials, students have the opportunity to debate specific themes and questions. Students are also asked to undertake self-assessed, summative multiple choice tests during the course of the module, and are encouraged to seek their tutors' advice with respect to any gaps in their knowledge that emerge as a result of these examinations. Students also receive prompt formative feedback on an essay-plan, which they are then asked to develop into a polished piece of written work, which is summatively assessed. |
Philosophy Major - Level 2 Modules
| Semester 1 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-20008 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad I |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20009 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad II |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20016 |
Epistemology and Metaphysics I |
C |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module introduces students to fundamental issues in epistemology and metaphysics through the study of key thinkers in the history of philosophy such as Descartes, Locke and Berkeley. We will consider the fundamental assumtpions which govern rationalism and empiricism as well as the debate between realism and idealism in its early modern form. Individual topics include: Descartes and external world scepticism, Locke's critique of innatism, Berkeley's argument for immaterialism.
The module consists of 15 one-hour lectures and 5 one hour seminars. The seminars will be student led and consist of group presentations.
The final module mark is based upon the following: group presentation (25%); essay (75%) |
|
|
PHI-20018 |
Philosophy of Mind |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module will introduce students to one of the most fundamental problems of philosophy, which many would argue is the most fundamental philosophical problem of all: the problem of how we are to understand the connection between the subjective mind (thoughts, feelings, emotions) and the objective world (the human body, and especially, the brain). This is a contemporary course, and so students will be introduced to the five main positions on the mind-brain connection that are held in the present day. Students will then be introduced to five of the most important problems that arise for all theories of mind, namely problems concerning mental causation, subjectivity, consciousness, intentionality and externalism, and will then revisit the five positions they were introduced to in the first part of the course in light of these problems. By the end of this module, students will have a thorough understanding of the mind-body problem as it is understood at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and will have been encouraged to develop their own opinion about the nature of mind.
There will be ten topic-based lectures, one per week, with an extra lecture every fortnight which will sometimes be used in part for group activities, such as debates, quizzes, and revision exercises. Small group seminars will be held every fortnight, which will incorporate small group presentations for the development of oral presentation and team-work skills, all of which are either formatively self- or peer-assessed. The seminars will provide the basis for portfolio assignments. Assessment format: 50% portfolio, 50% unseen exam (2 hours).
|
|
|
PIR-20082 |
Work Experience in Politics, International Relations and Philosophy |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
In a competitive job market, understanding how the professional work place functions, and knowing how to identify and demonstrate the kinds of attributes and skills needed for a chosen field, are keys to securing desirable employment after graduation. Enhancing ‘employability’ is a major focus of the Keele Distinctive Curriculum, and SPIRE has always provided excellent support for our students’ career planning. This module is designed to enable students to gain work-based experience in a professional context and to reflect, in an academically informed and discipline-specific way, on their own capabilities, attributes and career plans.
The module consists of five taught workshops in Semester 1, where students are introduced to the theory behind work-based learning and given practical instruction on finding, carrying out and reflecting on a work-based learning experience. Students must find a suitable organisation or company that is willing to take them on for a 75 hour 'placement' which must be completed before the start of the examination period in Semester 2. The terms of the students' time with the organisation/company are to be negotiated and formalised in a 'work-based learning agreement' signed by the student, work supervisor, and Head of School for SPIRE.
Students must meet with their work experience tutor for discussion of the work-based learning and progress on assessments; two (compulsory) half-hour one-to-one sessions are scheduled over the course of the module. Students' completion of the 75 hour work experience period will be monitored and verified by the participating work supervisor in the institution/company where the work experience is undertaken.
The module is assessed though a 2,000 word academic essay which brings together the theoretical and practical dimensions of the work experience (worth 35%, due in Semester 1) and a portfolio comprising 6 documents (a skills audit, a CV, a covering letter, a learning agreement, a work-based learning report, and an evaluation of the student's work by the work supervisor in the organisation/company) (worth 65%, due in Semester 2).
|
| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-20012 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad III |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20013 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad IV |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20017 |
Philosophy of Religion |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module will introduce students to a range of philosophical issues that concern all monotheistic religions. The first set of issues centres around the divine nature, who is typically held to be an omnipotent, omniscient, beneficent, immutable spirit, who is perfectly rational, perfectly good, and perfectly free. We aim to see whether there could be such a being, by looking at difficulties with some of these concepts and also by examining whether they could be jointly instantiated. The second issue that will be explored is the evidence for the existence of God. We will look at some of the traditional arguments for and against his existence: arguments from the design of the universe, the nature of religious experience, the occurrence of miracles, the prevalence of suffering. The third issue we shall look at concerns the nature of religious faith and its relation to reason.
The final module mark is based upon the following: a portfolio collection of 5 exercises (50%); a 2-hour unseen written exam (50%). |
|
|
PHI-20019 |
Pursuit of the Good |
C |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module discusses two of the most important and influential moral theories in the history of philosophy. The module would be of interest to all students who would like to acquire a more detailed knowledge of Aristotle's virtue ethics and of Kant's deontology.
The module presents the ethical views of Aristotle and Kant by focusing on the fundamental question of normative ethics: How can we judge in a certain situation what the right thing to do is? The module will examine key issues of our moral experience and will explore Aristotle&©s and Kant&©s answers to them. Possible topics include: the difficulty of moral choice, the role of circumstances and luck in our moral lives, emotions and the development of moral dispositions, how to lead a good life, the role of philosophical reflection in our moral lives, the actual performance of moral actions, the possibility of freedom or how to reconcile virtue and happiness.
The 15 one-hour lectures focus on the topics mentioned above. Lectures are accompanied by 5 one-hour fortnightly seminars, where tutor-led (small-group combine with group) discussion focuses on specific questions. Questions will be posted ahead of the seminars on the KLE. For each seminar students will have one task for which they will need to prepare 1-page types answers. Each such answer will be included in the student's portfolio.
Assessment format:
- summative: 50% 2000-word essay and 50% portfolio
|
|
|
PIR-20066 |
Freedom and Equality |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module provides an introduction to two of the most widely debated concepts in contemporary political theory. Freedom and equality are amongst the central values of modern political life, and inform many campaigns for justice around the world today. The module focuses on current thinking about the meaning, justification and political application of these concepts. Through examining the ideas of leading contemporary political theorists and philosophers, students gain a better understanding of two of the most interesting and important concepts in contemporary political thought and practice.
The module firstly examines Isaiah Berlin's famous distinction between 'negative' and 'positive' freedom. We ask whether justice involves ensuring citizens' freedom from physical harm or other forms of danger; or whether freedom is a matter of achieving goals that one sets for oneself - i.e., autonomy. The distinction between 'positive' and 'negative' freedom is applied to the topical debate about free speech in liberal societies. The second part of the module focuses on equality. Why is equality valuable? Is it more valuable than freedom? Should egalitarians be committed to securing equal opportunities or equal outcomes? Pressing issues of equality between present and future generations and between different nations are also considered.
Fifteen lectures introduce the main concepts and thinkers covered in the module, and are accompanied by seven meetings of small one-hour tutorial groups. In the tutorials students have an opportunity to engage in structured discussions about particular themes and questions. The assessment for this course comprises an essay plan, to be written in the middle of the semester, followed by an essay and unseen examination at the end of the course. |
Philosophy Major - Level 3 Modules
| Semester 1 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-30021 |
Metaphysics |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
Metaphysics is the attempt to describe the fundamental nature of reality; for example, idealist metaphysics holds that reality is fundamentally related to the human mind, while physicalist metaphysics holds that reality is fully described by physical science. This module will survey and assess some of the great systems of metaphysics, from the ancient greeks to the present day. |
|
|
PHI-30026 |
Epistemology &Metaphysics ll |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
Kant is probably one of most influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. He argued that in order to be possible metaphysics had to drastically be reformed. The change he advocated was from a conception of metaphysics as an enquiry into the ultimate structures of reality to a conception of metaphysics as a second-order enquiry into the structures of knowledge (transcendental philosophy). In this module we will study three philosophers: Leibniz, Hume and Kant. Leibniz practiced the very kind of metaphysics which Kant claimed to be bankrupt. Hume was a critic of Leibniz who claimed that metaphysical treatises of the kind written by Leibniz should be "committed to the flames". Kant on the other hand believed that far from being abandoned, as Hume claimed, metaphysics ought to be reformed. His transcendental philosophy is an attempt to rescue metaphysics from the Humean critique. But, and this is the important question raised by this module: does our hero succeed in the task of reforming metaphysics? And does the metaphysics Kant defends bear any resemblance to what is ordinarily understood by metaphysics?
The module is assessed as follows:
3,000 word essay (75% of module mark)
1,000 quotation based essay (25% of module mark)
The module will be taught in eight 2-hour informal lectures and 7 one-hour seminars. |
| Semester 1-2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-30025 |
PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION - ISP |
C |
C
|
15 |
30 |
|
|
The "Philosophy Dissertation" module will enable you carry out independent research on either a philosopher or a philosophical problem of your choice. You will learn how to set your own title, devise your own research questions and how to write an extended research essay.
The module is assessed as follows:
After a number of seminars on how to design and implement an extended research project, you will have regular meetings with your Dissertation Supervisor. You will submit a 1,500 word portfolio consisting of a research proposal and annotated bibilography as part of the development of your project and finally a 7,500 word dissertation.
|
| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-30023 |
Philosophy of Art |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module provides a critical introduction to fundamental questions in the philosophy of art and to their most influential answers. The module would be of interest to any student who wants to know more about the philosophical approach to arts.
In its first part, the module traces the subject back to its roots in Hume, Kant and Plato. The second part focuses on key questions in the philosophy of art, for instance, the definition of art, objectivity and subjectivity in aesthetic evaluation, the relationships between art and morality, beauty, representation and expression in art, ontology and art, truth and art, as well as questions concerning the role of interpretation and imagination, and questions concerning particular art forms.
The 10 one-hour lectures focus on key questions in aesthetics. Lectures are accompanied by 10 one-hour seminars where tutor-led (small-group combined with group) discussion focuses on specific topics. In the first part of the course, students will be asked to choose a work of art with significance in the history of art. For each of the seminars in the second part of the course, students are asked to prepare typed comments on the relevance of the chosen work fo art for the questions presented in the lectures. Altogether, students will have to write 6 seminar pieces, each of approximately 500 words.
Students will be asked to submit their comments on the WebCT before the seminar and they
will receive prompt feedback from their tutor. Assessment format: 50% 3000-word essay, 50% seminar work. |
|
|
PHI-30024 |
Rorty and the Mirror of Nature |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The course will be an in-depth study of Richard Rorty's Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. This book was intended as an historical deconstruction of philosophy itself, and hence is extremely wide-ranging in its content, allowing the students to critically engage with many of the issues they have learnt over the course of their degree, but in a highly critical, metaphilosophical context. As such, it will provide the perfect opportunity for students to consolidate, assess, and apply much of what they have previously learnt. The course will progress through a combination of lectures and tutorials, with plenty of opportunity for group work, allowing students to discuss their ideas, and critically engage with Rorty&©s ideas, as well as with various interpretations of those ideas. |
|
|
PHI-30027 |
GREAT PHILOSOPHERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
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:
3,000 word essay (75% of module mark)
1,000 word reader's report or book review (25% of module mark).
The module will be taught in 8 2-hour interactive lectures and 7 1-hour seminars
|
|
|
PIR-30126 |
Human Rights: Concepts, Norms and Identities |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The module examines core understandings of human rights as moral and legal norms that protect all persons from serious violations of their freedom and access to decent standards of living. It considers the normative validity of protections afforded by international human rights covenants to freedom of conscience; due process and access to fair trial; entitlements not to be enslaved or tortured; and to be protected from poverty and genocide.
The first part of the module focuses in particular on theoretical debates surrounding the justification of human rights, inquiring whether interests in rational agency or material wellbeing serve as an adequate source of legitimacy. It examines Rawls&© famous Law of Peoples, which claims that the self-determination of non-liberal peoples must be respected, and that liberals cannot justifiably impose sanctions to secure liberal political rights for all citizens of the world. The controversy over global responsibilities is then examined. Does the human right to live free from poverty and malnutrition entail that citizens of rich countries bear $ùperfect&©, or non-negotiable, duties of justice to alleviate global poverty? Or is this not an absolute duty of justice but a matter of charity? Moreover, do rich governments have a duty to refuse to participate in a world order that systemically violates the rights of the world&©s poor? The later stages of the module pose more specific questions: can historical human rights abuses of apartheid regimes ever be forgiven, and do the formerly oppressed have a duty to relinquish just claims against their oppressors in the name of peace? Finally, the moral individualism presupposed by the concept of human rights is questioned from non-western, post-modern and feminist perspectives.
|
Philosophy Minor - Level 1 Modules
| Semester 1 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-10010 |
10 Problems of Philosophy |
C |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module will introduce students to ten of the most fundamental philosophical problems, and the distinctive way that philosophers approach these problems. Students will acquire a basic understanding of the problems themselves, and the views taken on them by major philosophers. Students will learn to critically assess the various philosophical positions and arguments, and will be encouraged to develop their own personal views. The course incorporates metaphysical problems concerning Free Will and Determinism, Personal Identity, Time, Universals, and Consciousness, as well as epistemological problems concerning Knowledge, Scepticism, and Induction, and problems of philosophical logic concerning Existence.
The ten topic-based lectures are accompanied by ten weekly meetings of small seminar groups. Six of the seminars are devoted to discussion of the topics covered by the module, with quizzes and small group presentations incorporated for the development of oral presentation and team-work skills, all of which are either formatively self- or peer-assessed or summatively assessed through the portfolio. Two of the seminars are dedicated to University-level study such as library and research skills, planning and writing an essay, and two of the seminars are devoted to group exercises, namely tutor-assessed group presenations, and peer-assessment of portfolios. |
|
|
PHI-10013 |
Moral Philosophy |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module introduces students to fundamental questions in moral philosophy and to their most influential answers by taking into account also the topical issue of religious belief and its relevance for our moral lives.
The module would be of interest to all beginning students, whether or not registered in a Philosophy programme or with previous philosophical training.
In its first part, the module explores issues in philosophical ethics, such as whether there are moral truths or whether we have reasons to be moral. The second part focuses on classical positions in normative ethics, for instance, hedonism and discourse ethics. Finally, by reflecting on the relevance of religion for our moral lives, the module explores the relationship between morality and religion by considering several key problems in the philosophy of religion: divine power and human freedom, divine goodness and the nature of evil, or the existence of God and the nature of moral values.
The 12 one-hour lectures focus on key problems in moral philosophy and philosophy of religion. Lectures are accompanied by 8 one-hour seminars where tutor-led (small-group combined with group) discussion focuses on specific topics. For seminars students are asked to prepare a portfolio consisting of short, one-page typed answers to seminar questions posted in advance on the KLE. Typed answers will be submitted on the KLE before each seminar and tutors will use these to organise seminar discussion.
Assessment format: 25% portfolio, 75% essay and a formatively (tutor- and peer-)assessed bibliographic exercise.
|
| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-10011 |
How To Think |
C |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module is designed to develop and improve skills to enable students to understand and respond appropriately to arguments in general, by focussing on the formal features of arguments such as deductive validity, inductive force and various forms of fallacies. This is crucial preparation for all other courses in the Philosophy Programme, but is also excellent preparation for academic work generally or any endeavour that involves an attempt to convince someone of something. |
|
|
PIR-10045 |
Justice, Authority and Power |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module introduces students to the central debates in the history of Western political thought concerning justice and related concepts of political authority, power, liberty and the social contract. By posing critical questions concerning the nature and limits of state power, it provides a stimulating and enlightening opportunity for students in a wide range of disciplines, whether or not taking a principal degree in Politics, Philosophy and International Relations, to become familiar with the origin and development of the most influential ideas that have shaped modern states and societies.
The module firstly examines core issues in classical political thought through a study of Plato and Aristotle. Their writings present controversial but significant arguments for the universality of justice, the common good and the justification of elite power. The second part focuses on modern approaches to justice that focus principally on individual liberty, the social contract and the difference between wielding power and possessing legitimate authority to rule. The theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau contrast with those of the classical world, and are generally considered to have inaugurated the widespread defence of representative government and democracy around the world today.
Ten lectures introduce the main concepts and thinkers covered in the module, and are accompanied by a corresponding number of weekly meetings of small one-hour tutorial groups. In these tutorials, students have the opportunity to debate specific themes and questions. Students are also asked to undertake self-assessed, summative multiple choice tests during the course of the module, and are encouraged to seek their tutors' advice with respect to any gaps in their knowledge that emerge as a result of these examinations. Students also receive prompt formative feedback on an essay-plan, which they are then asked to develop into a polished piece of written work, which is summatively assessed. |
Philosophy Minor - Level 2 Modules
| Semester 1 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-20008 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad I |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20009 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad II |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20016 |
Epistemology and Metaphysics I |
C |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module introduces students to fundamental issues in epistemology and metaphysics through the study of key thinkers in the history of philosophy such as Descartes, Locke and Berkeley. We will consider the fundamental assumtpions which govern rationalism and empiricism as well as the debate between realism and idealism in its early modern form. Individual topics include: Descartes and external world scepticism, Locke's critique of innatism, Berkeley's argument for immaterialism.
The module consists of 15 one-hour lectures and 5 one hour seminars. The seminars will be student led and consist of group presentations.
The final module mark is based upon the following: group presentation (25%); essay (75%) |
|
|
PHI-20018 |
Philosophy of Mind |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module will introduce students to one of the most fundamental problems of philosophy, which many would argue is the most fundamental philosophical problem of all: the problem of how we are to understand the connection between the subjective mind (thoughts, feelings, emotions) and the objective world (the human body, and especially, the brain). This is a contemporary course, and so students will be introduced to the five main positions on the mind-brain connection that are held in the present day. Students will then be introduced to five of the most important problems that arise for all theories of mind, namely problems concerning mental causation, subjectivity, consciousness, intentionality and externalism, and will then revisit the five positions they were introduced to in the first part of the course in light of these problems. By the end of this module, students will have a thorough understanding of the mind-body problem as it is understood at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and will have been encouraged to develop their own opinion about the nature of mind.
There will be ten topic-based lectures, one per week, with an extra lecture every fortnight which will sometimes be used in part for group activities, such as debates, quizzes, and revision exercises. Small group seminars will be held every fortnight, which will incorporate small group presentations for the development of oral presentation and team-work skills, all of which are either formatively self- or peer-assessed. The seminars will provide the basis for portfolio assignments. Assessment format: 50% portfolio, 50% unseen exam (2 hours).
|
|
|
PIR-20082 |
Work Experience in Politics, International Relations and Philosophy |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
In a competitive job market, understanding how the professional work place functions, and knowing how to identify and demonstrate the kinds of attributes and skills needed for a chosen field, are keys to securing desirable employment after graduation. Enhancing ‘employability’ is a major focus of the Keele Distinctive Curriculum, and SPIRE has always provided excellent support for our students’ career planning. This module is designed to enable students to gain work-based experience in a professional context and to reflect, in an academically informed and discipline-specific way, on their own capabilities, attributes and career plans.
The module consists of five taught workshops in Semester 1, where students are introduced to the theory behind work-based learning and given practical instruction on finding, carrying out and reflecting on a work-based learning experience. Students must find a suitable organisation or company that is willing to take them on for a 75 hour 'placement' which must be completed before the start of the examination period in Semester 2. The terms of the students' time with the organisation/company are to be negotiated and formalised in a 'work-based learning agreement' signed by the student, work supervisor, and Head of School for SPIRE.
Students must meet with their work experience tutor for discussion of the work-based learning and progress on assessments; two (compulsory) half-hour one-to-one sessions are scheduled over the course of the module. Students' completion of the 75 hour work experience period will be monitored and verified by the participating work supervisor in the institution/company where the work experience is undertaken.
The module is assessed though a 2,000 word academic essay which brings together the theoretical and practical dimensions of the work experience (worth 35%, due in Semester 1) and a portfolio comprising 6 documents (a skills audit, a CV, a covering letter, a learning agreement, a work-based learning report, and an evaluation of the student's work by the work supervisor in the organisation/company) (worth 65%, due in Semester 2).
|
| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-20012 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad III |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20013 |
Philosophy - Study Abroad IV |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This is a module that is automatically allocated to the records our Keele level II students who are going to Study Abroad at a partner University for a semester of their second year and cannot be selected by any other level II students. |
|
|
PHI-20017 |
Philosophy of Religion |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module will introduce students to a range of philosophical issues that concern all monotheistic religions. The first set of issues centres around the divine nature, who is typically held to be an omnipotent, omniscient, beneficent, immutable spirit, who is perfectly rational, perfectly good, and perfectly free. We aim to see whether there could be such a being, by looking at difficulties with some of these concepts and also by examining whether they could be jointly instantiated. The second issue that will be explored is the evidence for the existence of God. We will look at some of the traditional arguments for and against his existence: arguments from the design of the universe, the nature of religious experience, the occurrence of miracles, the prevalence of suffering. The third issue we shall look at concerns the nature of religious faith and its relation to reason.
The final module mark is based upon the following: a portfolio collection of 5 exercises (50%); a 2-hour unseen written exam (50%). |
|
|
PHI-20019 |
Pursuit of the Good |
C |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module discusses two of the most important and influential moral theories in the history of philosophy. The module would be of interest to all students who would like to acquire a more detailed knowledge of Aristotle's virtue ethics and of Kant's deontology.
The module presents the ethical views of Aristotle and Kant by focusing on the fundamental question of normative ethics: How can we judge in a certain situation what the right thing to do is? The module will examine key issues of our moral experience and will explore Aristotle&©s and Kant&©s answers to them. Possible topics include: the difficulty of moral choice, the role of circumstances and luck in our moral lives, emotions and the development of moral dispositions, how to lead a good life, the role of philosophical reflection in our moral lives, the actual performance of moral actions, the possibility of freedom or how to reconcile virtue and happiness.
The 15 one-hour lectures focus on the topics mentioned above. Lectures are accompanied by 5 one-hour fortnightly seminars, where tutor-led (small-group combine with group) discussion focuses on specific questions. Questions will be posted ahead of the seminars on the KLE. For each seminar students will have one task for which they will need to prepare 1-page types answers. Each such answer will be included in the student's portfolio.
Assessment format:
- summative: 50% 2000-word essay and 50% portfolio
|
|
|
PIR-20066 |
Freedom and Equality |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module provides an introduction to two of the most widely debated concepts in contemporary political theory. Freedom and equality are amongst the central values of modern political life, and inform many campaigns for justice around the world today. The module focuses on current thinking about the meaning, justification and political application of these concepts. Through examining the ideas of leading contemporary political theorists and philosophers, students gain a better understanding of two of the most interesting and important concepts in contemporary political thought and practice.
The module firstly examines Isaiah Berlin's famous distinction between 'negative' and 'positive' freedom. We ask whether justice involves ensuring citizens' freedom from physical harm or other forms of danger; or whether freedom is a matter of achieving goals that one sets for oneself - i.e., autonomy. The distinction between 'positive' and 'negative' freedom is applied to the topical debate about free speech in liberal societies. The second part of the module focuses on equality. Why is equality valuable? Is it more valuable than freedom? Should egalitarians be committed to securing equal opportunities or equal outcomes? Pressing issues of equality between present and future generations and between different nations are also considered.
Fifteen lectures introduce the main concepts and thinkers covered in the module, and are accompanied by seven meetings of small one-hour tutorial groups. In the tutorials students have an opportunity to engage in structured discussions about particular themes and questions. The assessment for this course comprises an essay plan, to be written in the middle of the semester, followed by an essay and unseen examination at the end of the course. |
Philosophy Minor - Level 3 Modules
| Semester 1 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-30021 |
Metaphysics |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
Metaphysics is the attempt to describe the fundamental nature of reality; for example, idealist metaphysics holds that reality is fundamentally related to the human mind, while physicalist metaphysics holds that reality is fully described by physical science. This module will survey and assess some of the great systems of metaphysics, from the ancient greeks to the present day. |
|
|
PHI-30026 |
Epistemology &Metaphysics ll |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
Kant is probably one of most influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. He argued that in order to be possible metaphysics had to drastically be reformed. The change he advocated was from a conception of metaphysics as an enquiry into the ultimate structures of reality to a conception of metaphysics as a second-order enquiry into the structures of knowledge (transcendental philosophy). In this module we will study three philosophers: Leibniz, Hume and Kant. Leibniz practiced the very kind of metaphysics which Kant claimed to be bankrupt. Hume was a critic of Leibniz who claimed that metaphysical treatises of the kind written by Leibniz should be "committed to the flames". Kant on the other hand believed that far from being abandoned, as Hume claimed, metaphysics ought to be reformed. His transcendental philosophy is an attempt to rescue metaphysics from the Humean critique. But, and this is the important question raised by this module: does our hero succeed in the task of reforming metaphysics? And does the metaphysics Kant defends bear any resemblance to what is ordinarily understood by metaphysics?
The module is assessed as follows:
3,000 word essay (75% of module mark)
1,000 quotation based essay (25% of module mark)
The module will be taught in eight 2-hour informal lectures and 7 one-hour seminars. |
| Semester 2 |
C/O |
TYP |
ECTS | CATS |
|
|
PHI-30023 |
Philosophy of Art |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
This module provides a critical introduction to fundamental questions in the philosophy of art and to their most influential answers. The module would be of interest to any student who wants to know more about the philosophical approach to arts.
In its first part, the module traces the subject back to its roots in Hume, Kant and Plato. The second part focuses on key questions in the philosophy of art, for instance, the definition of art, objectivity and subjectivity in aesthetic evaluation, the relationships between art and morality, beauty, representation and expression in art, ontology and art, truth and art, as well as questions concerning the role of interpretation and imagination, and questions concerning particular art forms.
The 10 one-hour lectures focus on key questions in aesthetics. Lectures are accompanied by 10 one-hour seminars where tutor-led (small-group combined with group) discussion focuses on specific topics. In the first part of the course, students will be asked to choose a work of art with significance in the history of art. For each of the seminars in the second part of the course, students are asked to prepare typed comments on the relevance of the chosen work fo art for the questions presented in the lectures. Altogether, students will have to write 6 seminar pieces, each of approximately 500 words.
Students will be asked to submit their comments on the WebCT before the seminar and they
will receive prompt feedback from their tutor. Assessment format: 50% 3000-word essay, 50% seminar work. |
|
|
PHI-30024 |
Rorty and the Mirror of Nature |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The course will be an in-depth study of Richard Rorty's Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. This book was intended as an historical deconstruction of philosophy itself, and hence is extremely wide-ranging in its content, allowing the students to critically engage with many of the issues they have learnt over the course of their degree, but in a highly critical, metaphilosophical context. As such, it will provide the perfect opportunity for students to consolidate, assess, and apply much of what they have previously learnt. The course will progress through a combination of lectures and tutorials, with plenty of opportunity for group work, allowing students to discuss their ideas, and critically engage with Rorty&©s ideas, as well as with various interpretations of those ideas. |
|
|
PHI-30027 |
GREAT PHILOSOPHERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY |
EP |
C
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
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:
3,000 word essay (75% of module mark)
1,000 word reader's report or book review (25% of module mark).
The module will be taught in 8 2-hour interactive lectures and 7 1-hour seminars
|
|
|
PIR-30126 |
Human Rights: Concepts, Norms and Identities |
EP |
M
|
7.5 |
15 |
|
|
The module examines core understandings of human rights as moral and legal norms that protect all persons from serious violations of their freedom and access to decent standards of living. It considers the normative validity of protections afforded by international human rights covenants to freedom of conscience; due process and access to fair trial; entitlements not to be enslaved or tortured; and to be protected from poverty and genocide.
The first part of the module focuses in particular on theoretical debates surrounding the justification of human rights, inquiring whether interests in rational agency or material wellbeing serve as an adequate source of legitimacy. It examines Rawls&© famous Law of Peoples, which claims that the self-determination of non-liberal peoples must be respected, and that liberals cannot justifiably impose sanctions to secure liberal political rights for all citizens of the world. The controversy over global responsibilities is then examined. Does the human right to live free from poverty and malnutrition entail that citizens of rich countries bear $ùperfect&©, or non-negotiable, duties of justice to alleviate global poverty? Or is this not an absolute duty of justice but a matter of charity? Moreover, do rich governments have a duty to refuse to participate in a world order that systemically violates the rights of the world&©s poor? The later stages of the module pose more specific questions: can historical human rights abuses of apartheid regimes ever be forgiven, and do the formerly oppressed have a duty to relinquish just claims against their oppressors in the name of peace? Finally, the moral individualism presupposed by the concept of human rights is questioned from non-western, post-modern and feminist perspectives.
|
