Philosophy

After completing this course students are able to:

1. identify the key arguments in a primary philosophy text by key thinkers in Western philosophy. (Assessment: final exam, class participation, reading questions).
2. critically assess the arguments in a primary philosophy text by key thinkers in Western philosophy. (Assessment: final exam, class discussion, essays).
3. represent their critical, cogent assessments of arguments from the main themes of Western philosophy in an essay. (Assessment: essays, final exam).
4. express their cogent philosophical arguments in class discussions and beyond. (Assessment: class discussion).
5. Main goal: After completing this course students have a solid, if basic knowledge of the main figures and main themes (e.g. epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, mind, language, science) in the Western philosophical tradition, from the Ancient world to the 20th Century. (Assessment: final exam).

Content

Philosophy is neither a science nor an art, yet it is the mother of many arts and sciences, which have achieved independence from it by developing methods and techniques of their own. This course is an introduction to the discipline of philosophy, its authors, its history, its methods, and last but not least, its arguments.

Philosophy comprises a wide range of subjects and a long history of human thought relying on nothing but itself. Its problems and arguments have for two an a half millennia helped to articulate religious and political movements, to inspire art and literature, and so to shape societies and civilizations.

            The course is an invitation to hear western philosophers from twenty-four centuries reflecting on such large questions as (1) What, basically, is there? (2) Do we really know what we think we know? (3) How should we act and who should we choose to be? These are theoretical questions, but many of them have enormous practical implications. The questions are tied up with each other: our view on what there is, is related both to our view on what insures reliable knowledge, and to our view on how to derive evaluation from description, or how to get from ‘is’ to ‘ought’. By tracing the connections between these questions, philosophy helps to articulate a consistent and coherent world-view.
            Designed as a self-contained first presentation of the subject that, at the same time, provides a basis for more advanced work, our course introduces participants both to the major areas of philosophy as it is currently conceived and to significant stages in its two and a half millennia long development. We study the philosophers themselves primarily in brief extracts from their own works, and try to put human thought in systematic and historical perspectives. In the process we exercise and develop our capacity for analysis and argument, as well as our reading comprehension and our ability to communicate these in writing.

This courses offers a survey of the history, doctrines and practices of Buddhism, with particular focus on Indian, Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism. The course seeks to gain an understanding of what Buddhists believe and practice; how Buddhism has changed and adapted itself to different eras and cultural contexts, as well as the characteristics of the various schools of Buddhism and the differences among them. 

This course introduces students to the epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues that arise when science is considered from a philosophical perspective. Through the study of philosophers such as Popper, Kuhn, and Feyerabend, among others, the questions discussed include: Do scientists employ a special method that sets them apart from non-scientists and give their claims greater authority? Do electrons, genes, and other entities that we can't see or touch really exist? Are scientists inevitably influenced by political and moral agendas or can pure science be value-free? DP requirements: Regular attendance at lectures and tutorials; completion of all tests, submission of all essays and assignments by due dates, and an average mark of at least 35% for the coursework. Assessment: Coursework counts 40%; November examination 3 hours 60%. Course entry requirements: At least second-year status.

This course provides a critical examination of various moral problems raised when considering environmental issues. It explores such questions as the moral status of animals, future generations, and the environment as a whole, as well as the moral aspects of famine relief, population control, and resource use.

The course focuses on the philosophy of contemporary language. This course includes an introduction to contemporary philosophy of language and focuses on truth and relativism and logical reasoning and rational argumentation on the topic of post-truth. The course includes lectures, quizzes on the e-learning materials, and peer instruction based on the Kahoot model. Assessment is based on a final research paper on a pre-approved topic and an oral exam on class lectures, required readings, and special materials.