Postgraduate Course: Advanced Philosophical Methodology (Online) (PHIL11137)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course is aimed at students who either have a strong academic background in philosophy or who have taken the Introduction to Philosophical Methodology course (PHIL11132) or equivalent. |
| Course description |
Its goal is to enhance the student's understanding of philosophical methodology. This will be achieved by studying the structure of philosophical arguments as they appear in a selection of quite demanding cutting-edge philosophical texts, particularly in the core areas of philosophy of epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of mind and cognitive science.
Teaching will commence the week commencing 18th January 2016.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Introduction to Philosophical Methodology (Online) (PHIL11132)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students must have passed Introduction to Philosophical Methodology (PHIL11132) or equivalent during their previous studies at another institution before taking this course. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Online Activities 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
85 %,
Practical Exam
15 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Students will be assessed by one 2500 word essay due at the end of the semester (85%) and successful participation in the on-line activities associated with the course (15%).
Essay deadline: Thursday 21st April 2016 by 12 noon.
Word limit: 2500 words maximum (excluding references)
Return deadline: Friday 13th May 2016
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| Feedback |
Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay by week 6 deadline on Turnitin via Learn. The essay cannot be draft of summative essay but it can be on the same topic.
Formative essay deadline: Thursday 25th February 2016 by 12 noon
Return deadline: Friday 18th March 2016 |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- develop their understanding of the methodology of philosophy, with particular focus on philosophical topics in the fields of epistemology, ethics, philosophy of mind and cognitive science, and philosophy of science.
- develop their skills in critical thinking and in the oral and written presentation of philosophical arguments.
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Reading List
Week 1 of teaching. Reflective Equilibrium.
Daniels, Norman (1980). On Some Methods of Ethics and Linguistics. Philosophical Studies: 21-36.
Week 2 of teaching. The Consequence Argument and 'Begging the Question.'
Kane, Robert (2005). 'Chapter 3.' In A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will. Oxford University Press.
Fischer, John Martin & Pendergraft, Garrett (2013). Does the consequence argument beg the question? Philosophical Studies 166 (3):575-595.
Week 3 of teaching. Kripke I - Externalism in language.
Kripke, Saul (1980). Naming and Necessity. Harvard University Press.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Naming-Necessity-Library-Philosophy-Logic/dp/0631128018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389744654&sr=8-1&keywords=saul+kripke
Week 4 of teaching. Kripke - The necessary a posteriori and rationalist methodology.
Kripke, Saul (1980). Naming and Necessity. Harvard University Press.
Week 5 of teaching. Twin Earth thought experiments: Putnam and Burge.
Putnam, Hilary (1975). The meaning of 'meaning'. Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science 7:131-193. Online: http://philpapers.org/rec/PUTTMO Burge, Tyler 1982. Other Bodies. Chap. 4 In Foundations of Mind. Oxford University Press
Week 6 of teaching. Paper writing workshop.
Class reading: Handouts.
Week 7 of teaching. Experimental critique of semantic externalism.
Machery, E., R. Mallon, S. Nichols and S. Stich. 2004. 'Semantics, Cross-Cultural Style', Cognition 92: B1-B12. Online: http://philpapers.org/rec/MACSCS
Week 8 of teaching. Critique of the experimental critique of semantic externalism.
Ishani Maitra, Brian Weatherson & Jonathan Ichikawa. 'In Defense of a Kripkean
Dogma', forthcoming in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research.
Online: http://philpapers.org/rec/ICHIDO
Week 9 of teaching. Skepticism about intuition.
Weinberg, Jonathan M. (2007). How to challenge intuitions empirically without risking skepticism.
Midwest Studies in Philosophy 31 (1):318-343.
Brown, Jessica (2013). Intuitions, evidence and hopefulness. Synthese 190 (12): 2021-2046.
Week 10 of teaching. Stability of intuitions.
Swain, Stacey; Alexander, Joshua & Weinberg, Jonathan (2008). The instability of philosophical intuitions: Running hot and cold on truetemp. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 76 (1): 138-155.
Wright, Jennifer Cole (2010). On intuitional stability: The clear, the strong, and the paradigmatic.
Cognition 115 (3):491-503.
Week 11 of teaching. Philosophical expertise?
Nado, Jennifer (2014a). Philosophical expertise and scientific expertise. Philosophical Psychology
28 (7):1026-1044.
Further background reading is available on the course Learn page.
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Additional Information
| Course URL |
Please see Learn |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
It is only for online MSc/Dip/Cert Epistemology, Ethics and Mind students.
The course is taught be Dr Mikkel Gerken and Dr Debbie Roberts. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mikkel Gerken
Tel: (0131 6)51 5172
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: |
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