Joint Honours in Philosophy at NTU

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1 Joint Honours in Philosophy at NTU Thank you for your interest in Philosophy at NTU. Philosophy is a major subject on the Joint Honours Programme in the Humanities and each year we typically recruit students to the course. As a Joint Honours student you can take Philosophy alongside all the other subjects offered on the Joint Honours Programme. Philosophy is also currently one of the fastest growing subjects at A-level and Philosophy students are increasingly in demand in today s graduate labour market. This is because Philosophy not only provides you with rigorous and systematic problem solving skills, but also because it encourages the forms of critical and imaginative thinking that are now required of today s graduate workforce. As a Philosophy student at NTU, you will be able to study modules in the history of philosophy, logic and practical ethics, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of religion, as well as more specialised modules on the philosophy of film and media, philosophy of science, contemporary French philosophy, world philosophy and the philosophy of everyday life. Philosophy at NTU is itself founded upon a particular philosophy: that philosophy has the power to transform how we think about ourselves and the worlds in which we live. So at NTU, you will examine the ways in which philosophical styles of thinking can improve both personal and professional lives, as well as the way in which Philosophy can help us to make sense of the nature of selves, institutions and societies. You will typically spend around six hours a week studying Philosophy in lectures, seminars and tutorials. There is also a philosophy staff-student seminar series and an NTU Philosophy Society that you will be encouraged to attend. As a philosophy graduate, you will have developed the skills, intellectual qualities and personal attributes required to succeed in variety of different professions. Philosophy graduates typically find work in government, information technology, banking and the voluntary sector (as it is a subject that combines technical and interpretive skills). Philosophy will also provide you with general intellectual abilities and the deep intellectual background knowledge required for many of forms of postgraduate study. Within this booklet you will find brief details on some of the modules on offer at all levels of study.

2 Year One Phil 101: The Basic Problems of Philosophy (40 credits) This module will examine some of the fundamental questions that have defined Philosophy as an academic discipline and have made it particularly relevant to other areas of inquiry in the Humanities. Particular emphasis will given to debates surrounding the nature of rationality and critical thinking; the rhetorical power of language and the issues surrounding its use as a tool of persuasion; the uses of scepticism and the question of whether there are limits to what we can know; the philosophy and politics of freedom; the ethics of animal rights, the philosophical significance environmental crisis and biotechnology; the nature and wider human significance of time; the nature of beauty as well as the question of how we relate to modern technology. Overall, the module will aim to foster a questioning attitude towards contemporary life and to develop an awareness of how philosophical issues lie at the heart some of the most important intellectual, ethical and political controversies of our times. At the end of the module, you should appreciate the way in which philosophy can improve our understanding of ourselves and the wider world in which we live. Phil 102: Philosophy: Ancient and Modern This module aims to understand the development of western philosophy through its 2,800 year history. More specifically, it examines the claims of philosophers whose ideas have helped to shape the moral, intellectual and political contours of the contemporary world. Starting with the ideas of the pre-socratic philosophers in ancient Greece, the module goes on to examine the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, the Roman Stoics, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and Jean- Paul Sartre. The overall aim of the module is to develop an awareness of how the ideas of these philosophers are still positioned at the heart some of the most important in intellectual controversies of our times.

3 Year Two Phil 201: Contemporary Philosophy: Philosophy in the 20 th Century This module will introduce you to the ideas of the key thinkers that have helped to shape the development of 20 th century philosophy. With this aim, the module will examine in detail three issues that have dominated contemporary philosophical discussion: 1. The division of contemporary philosophy into analytic and continental traditions and the reasons behind this. 2. The nature and significance of language; especially the problematic of linguistic meaning and the possibility of clear and transparent communication. 3. The broader question of the nature of what it means to be human, especially when confronted with the emergence of science and technology as significant shapers of modern life. Specific ideas and themes covered will include: the philosophical significance of Darwin s theory of evolution, Nietzsche and the death of God, Husserl and phenomenology, Heidegger on the authentic life as well as work on the nature of language and the mind by contemporary British and American analytic philosophers. At the end of the module, you should appreciate why the three issues above dominated the work of philosophers in the 20 th century and the extent that they remain central to any attempt to understand intellectual life today. Phil 202: Philosophy and Everyday Life Philosophy is often viewed as a remote and highly esoteric discipline that has very little to say to ordinary people in their workaday lives. This module will challenge this view, and examine the ways in which philosophical forms of questioning and analysis can assist us both in our personal and in our working lives. Drawing upon both ancient and modern philosophical sources, the module will also examine the way in which philosophy can provide us with ideas and arguments that point us towards greater self-insight and ultimately better ways of living. These questions will, in part, be addressed in order to show how philosophy has improved the lives of individuals and communities throughout history. Phil 203: Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion This module introduces you to the key debates and themes in contemporary philosophy of religion. The module strives to facilitate an awareness of religion s problematic status in modern philosophy, as well as allowing you to explore the assumptions of key thinkers in an area of philosophical inquiry that also touches on important theological issues. The lectures will examine how religion has been conceived by a variety of modern philosophers, many of whom spoke for and on behalf of an emerging scientific worldview - especially the critiques of religious belief developed by Hume, Marx,

4 Darwin, Nietzsche and Freud. The influence of these thinkers on the New Atheism of Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett will be assessed alongside this discussion. The module will go onto to discuss the so-called theological turn in contemporary philosophy of religion. In this context the ideas of a number philosophers who believe that religion remains essential for human flourishing will be discussed. Particular attention here will be paid to the work of René Girard, the liberation theologians, Alastair Macintyre, Maurice Blondel and Slavoj Zizek. Overall, the aim of the module is to show how religious belief and theological debate continue to provide the context for many of today s most pressing political problems and intellectual concerns. Phil 204: The Philosophy of Mind The overall aim of this module is to introduce you the key concepts involved in contemporary philosophical debates about the nature of the mind. The module examines critically the Cartesian idea that the mind is distinct substance separate from the body, via discussion of the way that psychoanalysis and behaviourism have both posed important challenges to this conception. This examination will form the basis for an extended discussion of the idea, now dominant in many scientific approaches, that the mind is simply a sophisticated computer programme running on the hardware of the brain. Also discussed is the relationship between language and thought, the nature of skilled behaviour, the possibility of animal cognition and also how consciousness and awareness create problems for a scientific understanding of human nature. The module concludes by considering why the debate about the nature of the mind has helped to define the contours and trajectory of modern philosophy. Phil 206: Philosophy and Media This interdisciplinary module aims to view the media philosophically through the lens of everyday life. Its central organising theme is the media s potential to operate as a powerful philosophical tool within an image saturated society, with the capability to transmit, influence and critique dominant ideological norms. Initially, it explores the mediating function of media texts, for example their role in articulating philosophical ideas in ways that are arguably particular to the visual form. It then goes on to unravel the 'deeper issue' of mediation as a philosophical problem, examining the concept of media, and whether reality can only ever be mediated rather than directly perceived? The module then examines the intersection between the reception of such philosophically transmitted ideas and everyday life, considering, for example, the media s potential influence upon contemporary ideologies. What do these everyday ideologies tell us about philosophy, and vice versa? Finally, it considers the status of philosophy in relation to everyday media artefacts. Do populist texts illuminate or instead over-simplify complex philosophical ideas? Ought the processes of democratisation be embraced and philosophical elitism

5 Year Three Phil 301: Dissertation (40 Credits) This module gives you the opportunity to undertake an in-depth, independent, study of a relevant topic of your choice under the supervision of a tutor. It enables you to engage intellectually with key themes and issues of classical and/or contemporary philosophy, and to engage with techniques of philosophical analysis within your investigation. The topic chosen is often catalysed by an area of study that proved of particular interest to you in the second year, and the dissertation represents an opportunity to focus on such a topic at a level of depth that is impracticable on a taught module. Finding a suitable supervisor who is able, and willing, to guide you in your chosen topic is a crucial aspect of undertaking a dissertation, and you are encouraged to begin the process of identifying potential supervisors as early as possible, either by directly approaching tutors, or with guidance from the Philosophy subject leader. Phil 302: Wittgenstein and Heidegger This module introduces you to some of the central problems in contemporary philosophy through an examination of the work of two of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century: Martin Heidegger and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Specific themes covered include the philosophical problem of authenticity and its relationship to modern life; the philosophical problems of technology, art and their relationship to nihilism; the relationship between language, truth and ethics, the relationship between linguistic meaning and everyday life as well as the question of the nature and significance of philosophy in the modern world. The overall aim of the module is to encourage you to question and wonder about your experience of the wider world and to show the extent to which answers to the philosophical questions posed by both these philosophers can change the way we think about ourselves and the world in which we live. Phil 305: Contemporary French Philosophy This module serves to introduce you to some of the highly influential and continuingly fecund schools of thought that emerged in France during the 20 th Century. The module engages with many of the defining concepts of contemporary Continental philosophy, tracking their development out of, and often in problematic relation to, the traditional philosophic discourse within which they arose. At the end of the module you should possess a sophisticated appreciation of the significance of renaissance of western philosophy that began in France in the latter part of the last century. Phil 306: Philosophy of Science and Technology This module introduces you to the core ideas and arguments that have helped to shape contemporary philosophy of science and technology. Particular emphasis is given to scientific claims to truth and knowledge through a discussion of the philosophical significance of the nature of scientific experimentation and large-scale scientific research.

6 The focus, here, will be largely on the history of science with special attention paid to the philosophical significance of Darwinian and Einsteinian modes of contemporary scientific thought. The module will also encourage you to reflect upon the precise nature of the relationship between science and technology, and to appreciate why the future of modern societies is typically conceived/imagined as a technological future. The overall aim of the module is to get you to question the philosophical meaning of modern science and technology through a discussion of the nature and wider significance of modern scientific practices and technological innovations. At the end of the module, you should possess a critical awareness of the - increasingly prominent - role played by science and technology in all forms of contemporary life and appreciate the way in which scientific discoveries and technological innovations pose profound challenges to our received ideas of reality, property, power, identity and the nature of the good life. Phil 308: Philosophy and Everyday Life II: Melancholy and Happiness The overall aim of this module is to show how philosophy can make sense of a number of experiences and ways of being that have become central to everyday life in western societies today. In part 1 of the module, you will explore the relationship between emotion and everyday life, especially the phenomenon of melancholia. You will also explore everyday life s relationship to the past and examine the historicity of everyday life and its relationship to wider social and cultural trends. In part 2 you will examine the ways in which ancient philosophy can be deployed in order to make sense of contemporary forms of everyday living. You will also assess why in the ancient world philosophy was viewed as much more than a body systematic knowledge but as a way of life concerned with attaining happiness via an understanding of the good and the virtuous. The lectures in this section will address this often neglected dimension of philosophy in detail, with specific reference to classical texts and sources, and examine whether happiness is in fact possible to attain in everyday life today. This section will also examine why philosophy is experiencing something of revival today. However, it also will show the way in which modern scientific ideas about human nature pose significant challenges the classical ideals of philosophy, and in the concluding lectures will address the relationship between classical philosophy, psychoanalysis and popular psychotherapy. At the end of the course you should appreciate the significance of philosophy as an intellectual tool capable of prising open the nature of everyday life and as a guide for living. Phil 310: World Philosophy Globalisation has radically transformed the world s cultural landscape. In this module, you will examine the impact of globalisation on contemporary philosophical discourse and the way in which it seems to call into question the Greek origins of philosophical ways of understanding the world.

7 Particular emphasis will be given to the issue of the Indian Vedic and Egyptian (African) origins of philosophy and the way in which a number of western philosophers, especially German philosophers in the 19 th century, have borrowed heavily from socalled eastern philosophies especially Hinduism and Zen Buddhism. The module will also examine the philosophical status and significance of Chinese, Japanese and Islamic philosophies as well as the relationship between Athens and Jerusalem in contemporary western philosophical discourse. At the end of the module you should fully appreciate the way in which contemporary globalisation has problematised the distinction between western and eastern philosophies - creating the need for new philosophical discourses and approaches that take us beyond the philosophical discourse of modernity. Phil 311: Philosophy and Film This module aims to view film-philosophy via two interconnected perspectives. The first strand begins by distinguishing between film and philosophy and philosophy of film. It approaches film as the bearer of philosophical content, and analyses the ways in which film articulates and sometimes interrogates philosophical ideas in a way which is arguably particular to the moving image. Themes for consideration include ethics; ideology; justice; politics; emotion, and the ways in which these intersect with lived experience via the ubiquitous medium of film. The emphasis then shifts to philosophy of film, taking film as a philosophical, aesthetic object in its own right, one which creates its own unique film world. This strand begins by considering the philosophical problem of mediation in relation to film texts: is reality inevitably mediated or can it be directly perceived? What can the mediating process of film viewing tell us about viewer perception? It then turns to recent developments in the academic field of film-philosophy, such as the death of Grand Theory, oppositions between continental Philosophy, analytical approaches, deconstruction, and phenomenology, and how these theories might be applied to a wide spectrum of film texts. The overall aim of the module is to highlight the specificity of the film medium and its relationship with philosophy in terms of mediating processes, transmitter of philosophical material and also as an aesthetic object which has a perhaps unique contribution to make to current debates in philosophy and everyday life.

8 Phil 312: Social and Political Philosophy This module will introduce you to some of key issues in contemporary social and political philosophy. Its central focus is on the question of how we are to understand the nature and dynamics of contemporary society in philosophical terms. In this regard, specific reference will be made to the nature of the social bond and the processes underlying human history; the origins of socialism and the idea of class struggle; the rise of fascism and its wider intellectual consequences; the nature of contemporary political processes; the recent emergence of religious fundamentalisms; the relationship globalisation and cosmopolitanism; the philosophical status of eastern philosophy as well as the increasing role that science and new technologies play in shaping the contours of the contemporary social world. At the end of the module, you will understand why contemporary social and cultural change has been a central concern to recent social philosophers and appreciate why a new generation of philosophers have claimed that such changes herald the emergence of a new, postmodern, form of society. Phil 313: Philosophy and Childhood This module will introduce you to some of the key debates in contemporary philosophy about the nature and wider significance of childhood, with particular emphasis given to the philosophical significance of childhood thought, language and emotion. The module will explore these issues through the ideas of the philosophers of the Enlightenment as well as the ideas of 20 th century novelists and developmental psychologists. Topics covered include: childhood as a historical construction; childhood as an irrational phase of life and its relation to the philosophical concept of rational maturity ; the desirability and possibility of children s rights; the imagination of the child and its role in creativity; the childhood foundations of scientific and moral reasoning and the rise of developmentalist conceptions of the mind and its critics.