Module PHIL1021: Knowledge, Minds and Reality

Department: Philosophy

PHIL1021: Knowledge, Minds and Reality

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• At least one other 'Year 1' module in Philosophy; PHIL1011 Ethics and Values, PHIL1041 Reading Philosophy, PHIL1091 The Philosophical Traditions, PHIL1101 Being Human: An Introduction to Post Kantian Philosophy; PHIL1111 Science, Medicine and Society.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide an introduction to philosophical problems in major areas of philosophy that could include epistemology, the study of knowledge; metaphysics, the study of reality; philosophy of mind, the study of our minds and mental states; and philosophy of language, the study of language and meaning.
• Subsequent modules to which it will relate are: Early Modern Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology, Feminist Philosophy, Fundamentals of Logics, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, World Philosophies, and Language, Logic and Reality.

Content

• The module introduces a broad range of problems in epistemology metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. At least two of these areas will be covered each year – precise areas and topics covered may vary from year to year.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module, students will have knowledge and understanding of key philosophical theories in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and/or philosophy of language.
• The precise list of topics and authors studied may vary from year to year. Topics will be taken from a list including:
• knowledge and scepticism
• theories of justification
• sources of knowledge
• knowledge and society
• minds and bodies
• change and persistence
• time
• free will and determinism
• composition
• personal identity
• meaning
• truth
• communication
• action
• perception

• correctly utilise specialist vocabulary
• grasp, analyse, evaluate and deploy subject-specific concepts and arguments
• locate, understand, assess and utilise pertinent philosophical (and, where appropriate, other academic) sources

• expressing oneself clearly and succinctly in writing
• comprehending complex ideas, propositions and theories
• defending opinions by reasoned argument
• seeking out and identifying appropriate sources of evidence and information
• tackling problems in a clear-sighted and logical fashion.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• How these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module:
• Lectures deliver basic module-specific information, and provide a framework for further study.
• Discussion classes provide opportunities for students to test their own understanding of the material studies, and defend and debate different opinions.
• Guided reading provides a structure within which students exercise and extend their abilities to make use of available learning resources.
• The formative exercise will provide the opportunity for students to test their knowledge and understanding of the module content, and their ability to present and defend relevant arguments and theories, uninhibited by the need for summative assessment.
• The summative essay tests knowledge and understanding of the course material, and the ability to identify and explain issues covered in the module, and, using relevant research material, to present different approaches to those issues, and make reasoned judgement on the merits and demerits of such approaches.
• The unseen summative examination tests students' overall knowledge and understanding of the module content at the end of the module, and their ability to bring it to bear on new problems under pressure of time.
• Lectures will be recorded, unless the lecturer judges that lecture capture is inappropriate, in line with the official university lecture capture policy

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

There will be an opportunity for formative feedback.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.