Module description
This module is specifically designed for postgraduate students converting to philosophy. It introduces core concepts in philosophical discourse and argument, such as the distinctions between validity and soundness, necessary and sufficient conditions, thought experiments, etc. It also teaches students to reconstruct arguments from close readings of philosophical texts and how to submit those arguments to critical analysis. It does this primarily through the examination of classic and recent papers or book chapters across four main subareas of philosophy, viz., ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and political philosophy. There will be a general introduction in the first session, and then two sessions will be devoted to each subarea for discussing a selective topic. The last session will be devoted to the practice of philosophical writing.
Assessment details
Summative: 1 x 3,500 word essay.
Formative: 2 x 2,000 word essay
Teaching pattern
One one-hour weekly lecture and one one-hour weekly seminar over ten weeks.