History of Philosophy: Ancient to Modern
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL1017 | Philosophy | 1 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- PHIL1017
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
Through considering some of the greatest thinkers who have ever lived, students on this module will become familiar with some of the main philosophical ideas which have shaped philosophy. They will understand how and why these ideas arose and developed across the history of philosophy in response to wider contexts and movements. The historical scope runs from the ancient to the modern period. Typical figures might include: Plato, Aristotle, Ibn-Tufayl, Ibn-Rushd, Montaigne, Locke, Wollstonecraft, Marx, Gandhi, Fanon, Sartre, de Beauvoir, and Murdoch. Typical topics might include: ancient Greek conceptions of the good life, reason and tradition in classical Islamic philosophy, medieval philosophy, existentialism, and Afro-Caribbean philosophy.
Target Students
First year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students, including Liberal Arts students. Also available to subsidiary students from other Schools and exchange students.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
4 hours per week contact time
Assessment
- 50% Coursework: One 2000-word essay
- 50% Exam (2-hour): 2 hour exam
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
The aim of this module is to gain an oversight into the emergence and development of some key themes and ideas in the history of philosophy. By the end of the module, students should have a sense of the evolution of philosophical ideas and their position in a wider intellectual and cultural landscape and sensitivity to historiographical issues (such as the formation of the canon and how context shapes the reception of earlier ideas and traditions).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 and periods 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 debates discussed.
- B2. Analyse the structure of complex and controversial problems, with an understanding of major strategies of reasoning designed to solve such problems.
- B3. Read carefully and interpret texts drawn from a variety of sources and periods, with sensitivity to context.
- B4. Interpret, explain, and understand philosophical issues and ideas in historical context, informed by a critical historiographical sensitivity. B5. Recognise and judge for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of arguments on both sides of each philosophical issue.
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.
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.
Conveners
- ANTONIO Salgado Borge