PY455-6-SU-CO:
Philosophy Capstone Module

The details
2024/25
Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Summer
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Tuesday 22 April 2025
Friday 27 June 2025
30
15 March 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

DIPLV50009 Philosophy,
BA V530 Continental Philosophy,
BA V531 Continental Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
BA V532 Continental Philosophy (Including Placement Year),
BA V533 Continental Philosophy (Including Year Abroad),
BA V500 Philosophy,
BA V501 Philosophy (Including Year Abroad),
BA V502 Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
BA V503 Philosophy (including Placement Year),
BA V508 Philosophy (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
MPHIV599 Philosophy,
MPHIVA98 Philosophy (Including Placement Year),
MPHIVA99 Philosophy (Including Year Abroad),
BA VV15 Philosophy and History,
BA VV16 Philosophy and History (Including Placement Year),
BA VV51 Philosophy and History (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV5C Philosophy and History (Including Year Abroad),
BA VV5X Philosophy and History (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA MVC5 Philosophy and Law,
BA MVC6 Philosophy and Law (Including Placement Year),
BA MVC8 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year),
BA VM51 Philosophy and Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA VM58 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA QV25 Philosophy and Literature,
BA QV26 Philosophy and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA VQ52 Philosophy and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA VQ58 Philosophy and Literature (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VQ5F Philosophy and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV25 Philosophy and Politics,
BA LV26 Philosophy and Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA LV2H Philosophy and Politics (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LV2M Philosophy and Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV8M Philosophy and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV35 Philosophy and Sociology,
BA LV36 Philosophy and Sociology (Including Placement Year),
BA LV83 Philosophy and Sociology (Including Foundation Year),
BA VL53 Philosophy and Sociology (Including Year Abroad),
BA VL58 Philosophy and Sociology (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA V5M8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5M9 Philosophy with Human Rights,
BA V5MX Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V6M9 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA VLM8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VV56 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics,
BA VV57 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Placement Year),
BA VV58 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV59 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VV5P Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Year Abroad),
BA VV20 Philosophy with Business Management,
BA VV21 Philosophy with Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV22 Philosophy with Business Management (Including Placement Year),
BA VV23 Philosophy with Business Management (Including Year Abroad),
BA V5L5 Philosophy, Ethics and Sustainability,
BA V5L6 Philosophy, Ethics and Sustainability (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5L7 Philosophy, Ethics and Sustainability (Including Placement Year),
BA V5L8 Philosophy, Ethics and Sustainability (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This is an intensive final-year module running over five weeks during the summer term. It is the default capstone project for all Philosophy students and involves a guided and structured approach to support students in completing a research project of their own.


The theme for Summer Term 2025 is Practical Wisdom and Judgment. In this module we will consider the nature of non-formal reason in developing problem-solving skills. Students will learn theories of problem-solving and practice working together on case studies in which they apply the theories of judgment developed in the first part of the module. Students will also be expected to pursue an independent research project on a problem of their choice, developing a response that is sensitive to the non-formalizability of the problem context. The emphasis will be on in-person learning.

Module aims

The aim of this module is:



  • To provide students with a guided and structured approach to support them in completing a research project of their own.

Module learning outcomes

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



  1. Develop relevant research skills such as independence of thought, the capacity to organise and structure a project report, the ability to explore the secondary literature on a particular topic in a more autonomous way, and to develop their own ideas and arguments in pursuing a self-defined project.

  2. Deepened their knowledge in the area relevant to the topic they have selected.

  3. Develop transferable skills such as time management and communication skills.

Module information

The theme for Summer Term 2025 is Practical Wisdom and Judgment. In this module we will consider the nature of non-formal reason in developing problem-solving skills. Students will learn theories of problem-solving and practice working together on case studies in which they apply the theories of judgment developed in the first part of the module. Students will also be expected to pursue an independent research project on a problem of their choice, developing a response that is sensitive to the non-formalizability of the problem context. The emphasis will be on in-person learning.


A good preparation for this module would be to read the following book:


Re-reasoning Ethics


Barry Hoffmaster and Clifford Alan Hooker, The MIT Press, 2018

Learning and teaching methods

This is an intensively taught module held over the first five weeks of the summer term.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Reading quizzes TOTALS    25% 
Coursework   Annotated Bibliography (1800 words)    25% 
Coursework   Research Project Report (2500 words)    50% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Matthew Burch, email: mburch@essex.ac.uk.
Prof Irene McMullin, email: i.mcmullin@essex.ac.uk.
PHAIS General Office - 6.130; pyugadmin@essex.ac.uk.

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Dr Josiah Saunders
Durham University
Associate Professor
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 228 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
228 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 


Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.