PY111-4-FY-CO:
Introduction to Philosophy

The details
2021/22
Philosophy
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 07 October 2021
Friday 01 July 2022
30
29 September 2021

 

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

 

(none)

Key module for

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 VV53 Philosophy and Art History,
BA VV54 Philosophy and Art History (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV55 Philosophy and Art History (Including Placement Year),
BA VV5H Philosophy and Art History (Including Year Abroad),
BA VVHP Philosophy and Art History (Including Foundation Year and 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 L0V0 Philosophy, Politics and Economics,
BA L0V1 Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Including Placement Year),
BA L0V2 Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L0VA Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Including 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),
LLB MV06 Law with Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MV16 Law with Philosophy,
LLB MV18 Law with Philosophy (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MV19 Law with Philosophy (Including Placement Year),
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)

Module description

Students taking this module will follow the topics described below. Each lecture will be followed by a one-hour discussion class, at which issues covered in the lecture will be discussed in smaller class groups. There will be two revision sessions in the summer term, one for each term.

Autumn Term (Lecturer: Irene McMullin)
In this part of the module, students will explore the nature of knowledge, agency and selfhood. What does it mean to say that we 'know' something? How do our modes of practical interaction with the world and each other shape our ability to know different kinds of object? What does it mean to say that we know ourselves? How should we address questions about selfhood and identity? Is there even a self at all? Students will read both classical and contemporary texts to think through these core philosophical questions.

Spring Term (Lecturer: Matt Burch)

This part of the module introduces students to virtue epistemology and the study of the so-called vices and virtues of the mind. Many aspects of today's media culture seem to undermine our ability to think clearly and to engage in a transparent, productive evaluation of evidence and exchange of reasons. We will study some of the vices of the mind – e.g., close-mindedness, dogmatism, and epistemic insouciance – that make us more vulnerable to forces that cloud our thinking and subvert rational discourse. And we will also discuss some important intellectual virtues – e.g., open-mindedness, intellectual humility, and intellectual perseverance – that can help us flourish as reasoners.

Module aims

By the end of the module students should be able to:
1. explain some of the major approaches to theories of practical knowledge, personhood, virtue epistemology, and the vices and virtues of the mind;
2. analyse critically the debates surrounding them.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students should be able to:

1. articulate certain philosophical problems in the areas studied;
2. expound and critically evaluate some responses to these problems;
3. employ their powers of philosophical argument and analysis in written work.

Module information

Coursework tests the ability to research a topic using, for example, library and internet resources, expound specified texts and enter into detailed argumentation with them. Final exams test the ability to rehearse and assess arguments in relation to specific questions posed within a limited time frame.

There will be two revision sessions in the summer term. There will also be a Reading Week in each term when no teaching will take place, exact weeks TBC.

Learning and teaching methods

1 x one-hour lecture each week. Each lecture will be followed by a one-hour discussion class, at which issues covered in the lecture will be discussed in smaller class groups.

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   Autumn Term Essay (1500 Words)    50% 
Coursework   Spring Term Essay (1500 Words)    50% 
Exam  Main exam: 24hr during Summer (Main Period) 

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
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr David Batho, email: dbatho@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Matthew Burch, email: mburch@essex.ac.uk.
Ashton Wellsbury and Hei T Chan (Eric)
phiquery@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 36 hours, 35 (97.2%) hours available to students:
1 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Philosophy

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