Continental Philosophy
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL2053 | Philosophy | 2 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- PHIL2053
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module will introduce the European tradition of philosophical thinking prevalent over the past two centuries. It will begin with an introduction to the influence of Kant and Hegel and recurrent characteristics of European thought, before turning to focus on representative texts by key thinkers. Texts for more in depth study will include: Henri Bergson’s Creative Evolution, Friedrich Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols, Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time, and Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition. Emphasis will be placed on the different images of thought at work in European philosophical texts, as well as on how differing approaches to metaphysics, ethics and politics are grounded in newly-created perspectives.
Target Students
Second year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students and exchange students. Also available to second year Liberal Arts students who have either done PHIL1012 or PHIL1013; or are doing PHIL1012 or PHIL1013 (co-requisite). Also available to single honours Philosophy and joint honours Music and Philosophy students in their final year taking 20 credits of Level 2 modules.
Co-requisites
Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 2000 word essay
- 50% Portfolio 1: one portfolio of 4 discussions, maximum 600 words each
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
- To explore how European philosophers have discovered new tasks for philosophical thinking.- To explore how the approaches to metaphysics, ethics and politics of a thinker are grounded in their underlying perspective or orientation in thought.Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge and Understanding.
By the end of this module you should be able to understand, and demonstrate a clear grasp of, the main positions in the philosophical debates covered by the module.
B. Intellectual skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to:
- B1. Identify the underlying issues in the texts discussed.
- B3. Read carefully and interpret texts drawn from a variety of traditions, with sensitivity to context.
- B6. Appreciate and articulate how historical context shapes philosophical thought and practice.
C. Practical Skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- C1. Identify textually-based arguments and subject their structure and implications to rigorous assessment.
- C2. Understand any relevant specialist philosophical terminology and be able to use it properly.
- C3. Review unfamiliar ideas with an open mind and a willingness to change one’s mind when appropriate.
- C4. Locate ideas and concerns within their historical and cultural context and explain this to others.
D. Transferable skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- D1. Express views on (abstract) issues clearly and concisely in writing.
- D2. Participate effectively and appropriately in constructive debate on relevant issues.
- D3. Work autonomously and manage one’s own work to time limits.
- D4. Marshal a complex body of information, construct cogent arguments in the evaluation of this material, and present a clear and well-structured assessment of relevant considerations.
- D5. Think creatively, self-critically and independently about new and unfamiliar problems.