Module Directory

This module will focus on Islamic philosophy. In particular, we will look at some of the ways in which medieval Muslim thinkers have characterised human reason, and the relationship between this and religious faith.

The focus on the characterisation of human reason and the human intellect has a direct bearing on the way in which philosophy is seen to relate (or not) to religion and theology: What are the goals of each of these disciplines or practices? How do they differ in terms of the questions they seek to answer and the type of knowledge they promise to yield? Is philosophy compatible with religion?

The aims of this module are:

• To introduce students to some of the major philosophical debates about the nature of religion.


• To provoke critical reflection on the relationships of religion and philosophy, faith and reason.


• To advance understanding of modern European philosophy, especially German Idealism and its critics.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Define the task in which they are engaged and exclude what is irrelevant


2. Seek and organise the most relevant discussions and sources of information


3. Process a large volume of diverse and sometimes conflicting arguments


4. Compare and evaluate different arguments and assess the limitations of their own position or procedure


5. Write and present verbally a succinct and precise account of positions, arguments, and their presuppositions and implications


6. Be sensitive to the positions of others and communicate their own views in ways that are accessible to them


7. Think 'laterally' and creatively - see interesting connections and possibilities and present these clearly rather than as vague hunches


8. Maintain intellectual flexibility and revise their own position if shown wrong


9. Think critically and constructively

Study Abroad students should have already taken two philosophy modules at their home institution.

The aim of this module is to approach some of these very general and fundamental questions, and to do so through a close study of developments in Islamic philosophy from the ninth century onward. We will also draw on the thinkers covered in the course in order to discuss the treatment in Islamic philosophy of key ethical and political issues, such as the role of women, the good or virtuous life, and the limits of legitimate interference with the conduct of the individual.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour combined lecture and seminar per week.
• One 1-hour class per week.

Week 21 is Reading Week.