Modules
Listing
PH1101E Reason and Persuasion
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-1-6
Preclusions: GEM1004, GEM1004M, PH1102
Cross-listing: GEM1004
The
first six weeks we read Plato (a 5th
Century BC Greek, of whom it has been said, ‘All of Western thought is just
footnotes to Plato’) and Descartes (a 17th Century Frenchman, of ‘I
think therefore I am’ fame.) The second six weeks
concern questions and problems raised by Plato and Descartes. We will mull the
metaphysics of mind and consciousness; ponder the politics of freedom. The
module title hints at a basic question: what sorts of ways of convincing
people, and being convinced by people – about life, about anything – are good
ways?
PH2110
Logic
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Preclusions: GEM2006, GEM2006M, PH1101
Cross-listing: GEM2006
An
introduction to the fundamentals of logic: the study of reasoning. Although
logical reasoning is a characteristically human endeavour,
a reflective grasp of fundamental logical concepts will take a student’s
ability to reason a clear level higher. By the end of the module, students will
have a firm handle on the general process of logical reasoning, various
well-established methods of reasoning, various common pitfalls of reasoning,
and how to critically assess pieces of reasoning they may encounter in everyday
life or in an academic setting.
PH2201 Introduction to
Philosophy of Science
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
An
introduction to a spectrum of philosophical issues concerning modern science. These range from explaining
the development of science, including a
comparison with traditional approaches, to understanding nature in both the West
and the East, to problems of the rationality of science. This will also involve
a historical study of the development of philosophy of science in the Western
tradition, from Bacon and Hume, through Mill, to Popper, Kuhn and Feyerabend.
PH2202
Major Political Philosophers
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This module will introduce students to some of the major political
philosophers in the Western tradition by examining their different views on
such issues as the nature and basis of justice, its relation to equality and
liberty, the justification of the state, and the basis of political obligation.
PH2203
Major Moral Philosophers
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This module provides an introduction to some major theories in moral
philosophy. These include deontological, consequentialist
and contemporary virtue-based theories. Emphasis will be placed on
understanding the arguments used to derive fundamental moral principles and to
justify moral duties. Such study aims to reveal the kinds of issues that are
involved in analyzing what constitutes rational considerations for moral
action. The strengths and weaknesses of the rival theories are discussed as
part of the course.
PH2204
Introduction to Indian Thought
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion: SN2273
Cross-listing: SN2273
This course is designed to survey the history of Indian philosophy both
classical and modern. The course will begin with lectures on the Rig Veda and
the Upanishads. It will proceed with the
presentation of the main metaphysical and epistemological doctrines of some of
the major schools of classical Indian philosophy such as Vedanta, Samkhya, Nyaya, Jainism and
Buddhism. The course will conclude by considering the philosophical
contributions of some of the architects of modern
PH2205
Classical Confucianism and Daoism
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
A critical introduction to Chinese philosophy in the
classical, pre-Qin period, this module will focus
especially on the Confucian and Daoist traditions.
Major philosophical works such as the Analects, Mencius,
Laozi, and Zhuangzi will be
examined, and some attention will be given to the other philosophical schools
that flourished in the Warring States period. The approach is both historical
and analytic. We shall attempt to situate Chinese philosophical discourse in
its context, and bring out its contemporary relevance.
PH2206
Founders of Modern Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This module looks at the beginnings of modern Western
philosophy in the seventeenth century, when philosophers conceived of
themselves as breaking away from authority and tradition. It will deal with
central themes from the thought of Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz and
Spinoza; in particular, the attempt to provide foundations for knowledge and
science.
PH2207
Hume and Kant
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
Two
major philosophers are studied in this module: David Hume, in the first half,
and Immanuel Kant, in the second. We will try to determine what each
philosopher’s fundamental approach to philosophy consists in, and how it gives
rise to his views on the nature of causation, the external world, the self, and
the limits of knowledge. As Kant’s first Critique was a response to Hume’s
philosophical scepticism, we will pay close attention
to his diagnoses of Hume’s difficulties and his proposed solutions.
PH2208
Applied Ethics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This module considers some of the significant
normative ethical theories in the history of moral philosophy and examines how
their principles may be applied to ethical issues of practical concern. There
is a wide range of topics that are typically understood to come under the
category of applied ethics. These include ethical issues pertaining to
information technology, medical care and research, professional conduct in
general, and so on. The specific topics to be dealt with may vary from semester
to semester, and the selection will be announced at the start of the semester
in which the module is offered.
PH2209
Art & Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Preclusions: GEK2002, GEM2002K
Cross-listing: GEK2002
This module seeks to introduce students to some
fundamental assumptions about art which underlie how we create, experience and
talk about art by means of examples from the various arts. To show that these
assumptions emerge from cultural contexts which shape the processes of artistic
production and reception. To encourage students to
reflect on how and whether theories of art fit their experience of works we
examine during lectures. The themes running through the course will be
"What is Art? What are the functions of art?"
PH2211
God, Mind and Matter
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
A central concern of philosophy is the nature of man and
his place in the universe. Is man special, even unique? Does our mind (our
consciousness, ability to reason, and so on) set us apart from the rest of
nature? Is there a God and do we enjoy a special relationship with it? Or are
we just a natural outcome of the blind, impersonal processes that science calls
‘evolution’? This module examines the clash between the modern scientific view
of man and opposing views (religious or philosophical), thus focusing on issues
in the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of mind and problems concerning
the meaning of life.
PH2212 Introduction to
Continental Philosophy
Modular
credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion:
EU2214
Cross-listing:
EU2214
An introduction to some
of the main figures and movements of Continental European Philosophy. The purpose is to provide a
broad synoptic view of the Continental tradition with special attention paid to
historical development.
PH2213 Metaphysics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
Broadly
speaking, Metaphysics is the study of fundamental conceptual categories,
including that of space and time, appearance and reality, mind and body,
substance and existence, objects and their properties, and God. These concepts
pertain to the structure of “ultimate reality” and generate perplexing
philosophical issues, a sample of which will be discussed in this course. Some
topics: the problem of universals, paradoxes of the infinite, the concept of
God, paradoxes of time travel, problems of cause and effect, free will,
fatalism and determinism, the mind-body problem, realism and idealism,
existence, identity, and individuation, essentialism, the relation between
logic and metaphysics.
PH2214 Philosophical Logic
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
A
close study of some finer points underlying analytic philosophic reasoning.
What is meaning and reference? What is truth? What is the relation between
necessity and truth? How many kinds of entailment are there? Are the laws of
logic knowable a priori or are they open to empirical refutation? Are there
really such things as possible worlds? How else can we make sense of
counterfactual talk? What is it to make a judgment of probability? A careful
examination of these issues, among others, will solidify a general appreciation
of both philosophy and logic.
PH2215 Pragmatism
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-4-3
Preclusions: GEM2009K, GEK2009
This
module looks at pragmatism as a distinctive philosophical perspective, examining
the development of pragmatist philosophy from a critique of traditional
philosophy, and its influence in contemporary philosophical discourse. The
module, intended for students in their second or third year, will introduce the
selected works of major pragmatist philosophers such as C.S. Peirce, Josiah Royce, William James, and John Dewey. Each
session will cover one or more areas in which pragmatism has contributed new
theories and approaches, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, social and political philosophy.
PH2216 Environmental Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module explores the concepts of nature in different philosophical traditions, and
human beings’ relation with nature. We will examine environmental problems from
a philosophical perspective and consider different philosophical approaches to
environmental issues of the day. The module will focus on one or more of the
following issues:
1.
Environmental ethics.
2.
Environmentalism and science.
3.
Nature and aesthetics.
PH2217 Computerisation
and Ethics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module will examine certain ethical issues that arise from the impact of
computerization on human life and society. In any given semester, questions
that are relevant to this module will be selected from the wide range of those
that are confronted by computer professionals, users, policy-makers, and generally
the person on the street whose quality of life may either be enhanced or
diminished as a result of wide-scale computerisation
in a local or global context. Examples of topics that may be confronted are
those pertaining to the moral obligations of the computer professional, the
justification of intellectual property rights, and issues concerning hacking.
PH2218 Business and Ethics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
The
content for this module will be made up of selected ethical issues that arise
in the context of business. Ethical questions that arise from various points of
view may be raised, for example, those of the corporate employee, the corporate
entity itself, the business professional or, generally, members of the
community. The specific questions to be examined may differ from semester to
semester. Examples of relevant issues include the moral status of business
bluffing, stakeholder analysis, and work and family issues.
PH2219 Philosophy and Film
Modular
credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-2-1-4
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
“Philosophy
and Film” means, in part, philosophy of film, in part, philosophy in
film. Philosophy of film is a sub-branch of aesthetics; many questions
and puzzles about the nature and value of art have filmic analogues. (Plato’s
parable of the cave is, in effect, the world’s first philosophy of film.)
Philosophy in film concerns films that may be said to express abstract
ideas, even arguments. (Certain films may even be thought-experiments, in
effect.) Questions: are philosophical films good films? Are they good
philosophy? The module is intended for majors but – film being a popular medium
– will predictably appeal to non-majors as well. (This module is offered as
special topics only)
PH3201
Philosophy of Social Science
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
The
founding of social science as a special discipline for the study of social phenomena
in the late nineteenth century and its development through the twentieth
century will be examined in this module. The critique of the physical science
model, which was originally used to ground the theory of social science
research, will be considered. This course guides students through the various
philosophical debates, which shaped the development of modern social science.
Attention will also be given to how social science research bears, directly or
indirectly, on social practices.
PH3202
Philosophy of Law
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Preclusion: LL4639E or an equivalent course
This module examines the relationship between law and morality. Is there
a necessary connection between law and morality? Must a valid law, or legal
system, satisfy certain minimal moral requirements? Is there a moral obligation
to obey a valid law, irrespective of its content, or is there a significant
difference between moral obligation and legal obligation? How should a judge
decide hard cases where no legal rule applies? Should these decisions be based
on sound moral considerations? The module will discuss these issues in the
light of contemporary debates in legal and political theory, and in the context
of some important texts.
PH3203
Moral Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This module is concerned with an area in Moral
Philosophy called ‘meta-ethics’. Meta-ethics is a discussion of the nature of
ethics. It is a second-order, reflective activity about ethics, and not a
first-order discussion of the rights and wrongs of particular issues within
ethics. Beginning with non-naturalism, the module proceeds to discuss emotivism, prescriptivism, descriptivism or naturalism,
culminating in current discussion of moral realism.
PH3204
Issues in Indian Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Preclusion: SN3272
Cross-listing:
SN3272
This
course is designed to survey developments in Indian Philosophy in
post-independence
PH3205
Chinese Philosophy: Continuity and Change
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s): Nil
Major
movements and issues in the history of Chinese philosophy from the Han period
onwards will be examined in this module. In particular, because of its
importance in shaping Chinese culture and thought, emphasis will be placed on
Neo-Confucian philosophy. To understand the rise of Neo-Confucianism, however,
it is necessary to consider the contributions of Neo-Taoist and Buddhist
philosophy. Attention will also be given to the earlier development of
Confucian thought in the Han period, to bring out both the continuity and
change in the development of Chinese philosophy.
PH3207
Continental European Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-1-6
Preclusion: EU3227
Cross-listing:
EU3227
Using
Existentialism as a springboard, the module discusses recent movements in
Continental Philosophy. Objectives: (1) Introduce major movements in
Continental Philosophy, (2) Promote understanding of the characteristics of
Continental Philosophy, (3) Encourage further study in Continental Philosophy.
Topics include existentialism, structuralism and post-structuralism. Target
students include all those wanting to major in philosophy and those wanting to
have some knowledge of European philosophy.
PH3208
Buddhist Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
As Buddhist philosophical issues and logic were only
established in the course of Mahayanic development,
we will study Mahayanic issues such as icchantika and the Mahayanic
theory of knowledge. Under the latter, topics such as the concept of Buddha
nature, reality, sources of knowledge, sensations, reflexes, conceptions, judgement, inferences, etc. will be examined.
PH3209
Greek Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module looks at the beginnings of western philosophy in ancient
PH3210
Philosophy of Language
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
Philosophers have studied language for its intrinsic interest. We may
also understand thought and reality better by studying language, since language
is an expression of thought and a representation of reality. Studying language
also helps dissolve various philosophical problems. The core concepts in the
philosophy of language are meaning, reference and truth. We will grapple with
the problems of meaning and truth, the nature of reference, the relation of
language, thought and reality, the significance of language for philosophy, as
well as the semantics of various ordinary expressions, such as names,
descriptions, conditionals, quantifiers and attitude-ascriptions.
PH3211
Theory of Knowledge
Modular credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module concentrates on issues in epistemology in the last ten years. It
attempts to answer the following questions: What arguments can the sceptic produce that knowledge, justified belief and
understanding are impossible? To what extent should we accept these arguments?
What is the correct definition of knowledge? What constitutes adequate
justification for beliefs? Is this justification to be found in the form of
fundamental beliefs about sense-experience? Or is our picture of the world
justified by its degree of internal coherence? What is truth? Can there be
knowledge of the future? Can perception, memory and induction give us
knowledge?
PH3212
Philosophy of Mind
Modular credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
What is the nature of mind and its relation to physical
body? The mental realm is among the last great unknowns in the modern view of
sentient beings and their place in the Universe and is a fertile field of
philosophical inquiry. This module examines central conceptual issues
surrounding the idea of mind and its relation to physical body. These include
the distinction between the mental and the physical, the nature of
consciousness, personal identity, disembodied existence, mental representation,
and the attempt to tame the mental in purely physical terms.
PH3213 Knowledge, Modernity and
Global Change
Modular credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module focuses on the ways in which modern science and technology impact on the
forms-of-life which cultures and societies have built up for their collective
self-understanding and biological survival. Issues in epistemology and how
changes in the concept of “reason” have contributed to the project of modernity
will be explored. The role of technology in its simultaneous creation and
destruction of social-material wealth will also be considered. This discussion
will be tied to an examination of certain key issues in environmental ethics,
social theory, and cultural studies.
PH3214 Philosophy and
Literature
Modular
credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
The
course will consider, side by side, certain `philosophical’ works of literature
and more orthodox philosophical works.
The idea is to explore the ways and degrees to which it makes sense –
also, the ways and degrees to which it does not make sense – to say that this
work of fiction (a novel, say) is really about the same thing that this
philosophical text is about. Turning the
point around: when philosophers – like
Plato or Nietzsche – employ literary techniques more characteristic of fiction,
what philosophical work is hereby done?
PH3215 Philosophy and
Anthropology
Modular
credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module surveys (and, to some degree, criticizes) contemporary anthropological
styles of explaining human behavior. We will approach this
unmanageably large topics by mean of a case-study: the recent, much-publicised debate between two anthropologists, Marshall Sahlins and Gananath Obeysekere, concerning how to understand a particular
historical event: the murder of Captain Cook in
Philosophical
readings will be brought in to buttress and/or erode Sahlins’
and Obeysekere’s respective interpretive positions.
PH3216 Ethics and the Family
Modular credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite(s)/Preclusion(s)/Cross-listing(s):
Nil
This
module deals with selected ethical issues that can be drawn from the theme of
morally privileged relationships, as discussed in the Anglo-American analytic
tradition. While the actual topic to be dealt with may differ from semester to
semester, they all revolve around the concern to analyze the nature of the
relationship in question, to assess critically the theoretical claims about the
obligations and rights of the moral agent as a party to specified types of
relationships within the family, as well as to examine claims about the nature
of the relationship between family and community.
PH3217 Women in Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite: One PH module
This module deals with philosophy by
women and philosophy about
women. It aims to encourage students to think critically
about how women’s experience may challenge philosophical theories that neglect
women, and to explore how these challenges may be met. Students will read the
works of some well-known male thinkers but, more important, will also introduce
the works of women philosophers – e.g. Christine de Pisan,
Hildegaard von Bingen, Mary
Wollstonecraft, Ban Zhao, Iris Murdoch, Martha Nussbaum – and other women
thinkers who have philosophically significant views relevant to the issues.
PH3218 Introduction to
Comparative Philosophy
Modular
credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite:
PH2205 or PH3205 and PH2206 or
PH2207 or PH3209
This
module, designed for students with some philosophical training in both western
and non-western philosophy, brings together traditions of philosophy that have
developed in relative isolation from one another for the purpose of comparing
how different cultures have approached and thematized
major issues such as knowledge, truth, values (ethical, religious, social,
political and aesthetic) and the practices they inform, language and the place
of the human. It aims to elucidate the assumptions implicit in different ways
of thinking about these issues and investigate how issues may be related in the
light of these assumptions.
PH4201
Philosophy of Science
Modular credits: 4
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
This module addresses important issues concerning the structure
and development of scientific knowledge. These involve questions regarding the
character of scientific method, the demarcation of scientific theories from
other types of theories, whether the growth of science can be characterised as cumulative and progressive, the role of
socio-cultural factors in shaping the content of scientific theories, the
criteria deployed to determine which of a number of competing theories are
scientifically acceptable, and the extent to which scientific theories can be said
to give a realistic description of the world.
PH4202
Political Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
This
module will discuss some of the central issues in political philosophy such as
the basis and limits of toleration and individual liberty, the importance of a
shared morality, and the role of the state in meeting the claims of different
conceptions of what a worthwhile life should be. In plural societies, with a
diversity of different values, what would be a fair basis for social
co-operation?
PH4203
Issues in Moral Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
The focus of this module will be on Information
Ethics. There is a consensus emerging according to which Information Ethics
should be treated as a particular case of Environmental Ethics. The latter deals with the physical environment, the former with the
information environment, or the "infosphere."
Just as there are objects in the physical environment that call for a certain
ethical stance towards them, by virtue of having certain properties, there are
objects in the infosphere (websites, etc.) that have
certain properties that call for a certain ethical stance towards them.
PH4204
Topics in Indian Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
An in-depth study of a major topic in Indian
philosophy. We may study a particular philosopher such
as Sankara or Nagarjuna. We
may concentrate on a particular
PH4205
Topics in East Asian Philosophy
Modular
credits: 4
Workload:
2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites: Completed
80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
Specific areas of the rich philosophical traditions of
PH4206 A
Major Philosopher
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
A study of the work of a
major figure in philosophy. The
philosopher studied may be from the Asian or Western tradition, from any period
up to the present day. The philosopher selected may be someone important who
has not been given much coverage in other courses.
PH4207
Phenomenology
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites: Completed 80 MC, of which at least
28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
For EU students only: Completed 80 MC and 4 MC in
philosophy.
This course will deal with the thought of
the four major classical phenomenologists: Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty
and Jean Paul Sartre.
PH4208
Topics in Buddhism
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
A study of the work of a
major figure in philosophy. The
philosopher studied may be from the Asian or Western tradition, from any period
up to the present day. The philosopher selected may be someone important who
has not been given much coverage in other courses. This module deals with
specific Buddhist thinkers and philosophical schools. Topics chosen vary from
year to year, and could include the philosophy of Madhyamaka,
Zen Buddhism, the
PH4209
Greek Thinkers
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
An examination of selected texts from the pre-Socratic
philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, as well as philosophers of the Stoic, Epicurean
and Sceptic schools of thought.
The emphasis may vary from year to year, and may focus on ethics, epistemology,
metaphysics, logic, or philosophy of mind.
PH4210 Topics
in Western Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
This module deals with specific topics of current
interest and controversy in Western philosophy. The topics to be discussed may
be in, but are not limited to, philosophy of science, philosophy of language,
philosophy of psychology, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, or social and
political philosophy.
PH4211
Epistemology and Metaphysics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
The epistemological part of this module deals with
topics such as the problem of stating the conditions for propositional
knowledge, foundationalism and the coherence theory
as an alternative, and scepticism and the responses
to the sceptical problem. The part on metaphysics
addresses the question of what it is to be a realist or an anti-realist with
respect to a given subject-matter. The debate is followed across a range of
topics such as meaning, truth, mind, the external world, universals, the past
and future, modality, mathematics, conditionals and causes, and ethics. This
course assumes some knowledge of formal and philosophical logic.
PH4212
Philosophy of Mind and Action
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
This
module deals with recent and ongoing debates in contemporary philosophy
that pertain to the nature of human thought and action. Philosophy of
mind and action are closely related and both have important implications for
ethical theory. This module deals with the question of whether subjective human
consciousness can be explained in terms of brain functions without invoking
non-material existences. The module also examines the nature of intention and
its role in intentional action.
PH4213
Comparative Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements.
This module identifies and compares the philosophical
traditions generally labelled Eastern and Western.
Aspects of comparative analysis include philosophical reasoning, linguistic
style, logic of arguments, and substantive content. Comparison between
traditions is cross-cultural and can result in dialogues across boundaries of
space and time, and can also provide a forum to demonstrate the universality of
human thought. Possible topics include, for example, Wittgenstein and Daoist philosophy, Nietzsche and Buddhism.
PH4214 Recent Continental European
Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7 PH
Pre-requisites:
Completed 80 MC, of which at least 28 MC are PH shared major requirements
Preclusion: EU4223
Cross-listing:
EU4223
The
module examines at least one recent movement in Continental European
Philosophy. Recently, the module has been concerned with Philosophical
Hermeneutics. Objectives: (1) Promote understanding of the main arguments in
one or more of the recent movements in Continental Philosophy, (2) Familiarize
students with the main debates, (3) Encourage further work in Continental
Philosophy. Topics covered include hermeneutics, Critical Theory and
post-structuralism.
PH4401 Honours Thesis
Modular credits: 12
Workload: 0-1-0-0-29
Pre-requisites: Completed 100 MC (including
3 Level-4000 PH modules) with a minimum CAP of 4.00
For EU students only: Completed 100 MC with
a minimum CAP of 4.00
A dissertation on an approved
research topic not exceeding twelve thousand words.
PH5430 Ethics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
at least 120 MC in
Philosophy
The
module will focus on the sustained study of ethical theory involving one or
more of the following four theoretical approaches to ethics: Utilitarianism,
Deontology, Virtue Theory and Contractarianism. If
necessary, the module may additionally study applications of the
theory/theories to a variety of applied issues.
PH5650 Topics in
Continental Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
at least 120 MC in
Philosophy
The
module will intensively study a major movement in twentieth century Continental
Philosophy. The module will consider
phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction or postmodernism. Other topics from the Continental tradition
or a combination of more than one topic may also be considered under
exceptional circumstances. Focus will be
on the historical development and contemporary uses of the movement under
consideration.
PH6210 Topics in History of
Western Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites: at least 120 MC in Philosophy
The
module will intensively examine a historical period in Western Philosophy.
Historical traditions that may be studied may include (but is not restricted
to) Greek Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy, Twentieth
Century Analytic Philosophy, and Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy. The
module will especially attend to the major philosophical problems that define
each of these historical frameworks. The relations between the major thinkers
of the period under consideration will be profiled.
PH6320 Traditions in Asian Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites: at least 120 MC in Philosophy
The module will intensively examine philosophical
traditions from the histories of Chinese or
Indian Philosophy. Traditions may include (but is not restricted to)
Confucianism, Taoism, neo-Confucianism, Legalism from Chinese Philosophy and Vedanta, Indian Buddhism, Nyaya, modern Indian philosophy from the Indian tradition. The
emphasis will be on the building of a solid foundation in the philosophical
grammar of a non-Western philosophical tradition.
PH6540 Topics in Analytic
Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisite:
at least 120 MC in
Philosophy
The module is designed to provide an intensive
grounding in one of the major areas in contemporary Analytic Philosophy. The
module will consider philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, epistemology, or metaphysics. Other topics from the
analytic tradition or a combination of more than one topic may also be
considered under exceptional circumstances. Focus will be on contemporary
issues and problems currently engaging the philosophers belonging to the
analytic tradition.
PH 6760 Philosophical Topics
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
at least 120 MC in
Philosophy
The
module will study a topic in various areas of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics,
epistemology, aesthetics, political philosophy, a topic that crosses area
boundaries. An example might be “Theories of Human Nature.” The module might
approach the topic from within the perspective of one philosophical school or
from a comparative perspective that examines the views of more than one
philosophical school, eastern or western.
PH6870 Special Topics in
Philosophy
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-7
Pre-requisites:
at least 120 MC in
Philosophy
This
module allows the student to arrange with a lecturer to intensively study under
her/his supervision a special topic in philosophy. Topics may include an
important philosopher or a philosophical text from the Western (Analytic or
Continental), Chinese or Indian traditions. Lecturer’s permission is required.