Philosophy

This course offer a close reading of Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, with a focus on appreciating the aims and coherence of the work as a whole. Topics specifically addressed may include: Locke's arguments against innate ideas and innate knowledge, the nature of ideas, the primary-secondary quality distinction, our ideas of substance and of natural kinds, personal identity, language and meaning, the nature of knowledge, mathematical knowledge, perceptual knowledge, action and the will, knowledge of moral truths, probable judgment and the nature of probability, and, finally, Locke's contributions to political philosophy and their connection to his metaphysics and epistemology.
 

This course examines various philosophical issues related to empirical sciences. What are the goals of science? What methods do scientists use to achieve them? Does scientific activity help attain truths about the world? Does science progress? Is scientific activity rational as often suggested? Is science value-neutral? How can we draw the line between science and pseudo-science?

This course provides an introduction to Mao Zedong thought and the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It examines how the Chinese Communist Party uses the theoretical results of the Sinicization of Marxism to solve the problems of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform at various stages. The course also covers the guiding position of Marxism in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and focuses on the theory and practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. A social survey, completed outside of class, is an integral part of the course.

This course provides two separate grades, one for the theory portion of the course and the other for the practice component.

What is cultural inquiry? How do you approach a cultural object scientifically? How do you generate scientifically-sound and reliable knowledge?  In this course, students learn the tools to identify, navigate, and ultimately apply complex, versatile, and cutting-edge philosophies in cultural studies.  The course links philosophical perspectives to current social and political themes.  Political, organic, economic, and technological environments influence the production of scientific knowledge and that knowledge in turn has effects on its contexts. Students learn to relate positionality as a researcher in a responsible way to contexts and environments and consider the ‘ecology’ cultural phenomena embedded in them.

Many of the topics of public debate in contemporary South Africa raise intriguing philosophical questions: Morally speaking, does most of the Western Cape actually belong to the Khoisan? Does being indigenous give one certain moral rights? Has the achievement of legal equality liberated black people, or would true liberation require the rediscovery of a distinctive identity? What special responsibilities (if any) do formerly advantaged groups have today? This course brings the tools of philosophical argument and analysis to bear on such problems, making use of, e.g., contemporary theories of moral ownership rights and the phenomenon of “epistemic injustice". In addition, it traces the intellectual ancestry of ideas such as those of Black Consciousness, critically examining the attempts of theorists such as Hegel, Fanon, Césaire, and Biko to theorize about oppression, identity, empowerment, and the predicament of colonized peoples. 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%; one three-hour examination in October/November counts 60%. Course entry requirements: At least second-year status.