Reality, Existence and Change
| Module title | Reality, Existence and Change |
|---|---|
| Module code | PHL2116 |
| Academic year | 2022/3 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Jonathan Davies (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
The module is concerned with the basic categories with which we understand the world. This is often expressed as the metaphysical question, “what kinds of stuff is the world is made of”? The course is partly historical and the students’ engagement with metaphysical questions will be through a range of canonical philosophical texts. We will start with the problems of change and stability in Ancient Greek philosophy, which sets the stage for many of the most important ontological theories (atomism, materialism, idealism).
A significant portion of the course will be dedicated to the debate between monists and pluralists (of varying kinds). Many students will be familiar with Cartesian Dualism (one form of pluralism). The motivations for, and the responses to, this theory will be explored and the notion of “substance” (which is probably the most important in philosophical understandings of the nature of the world) will be critically engaged with. This section of the course will also explore two dominant monisms (materialism and idealism).
The latter part of the course will relate this philosophical tradition of asking questions about the fundamental nature of the world to modern science (in particular, physics), and consider the ontological assumptions that underlie our current scientific understanding. This section of the course will investigate physicalism and the place of philosophy in thinking about fundamental questions of ontology.
It is expected (but not required) that students should have some familiarity with basic questions of metaphysics (e.g. Cartesian Dualism).
Module aims - intentions of the module
What is the world made of? Philosophical attempts to address this question form the core of this module. We aim to explore a range of attempts to explain the nature of the world around us, in terms of its most basic constituents. Notions such as “substance”, “process”, “atoms”, “ideas” have all been central in questions of fundamental ontology and we will aim to develop a critical understanding of their place in our attempts to understand the world. We also aim to explore related questions concerning the number of types of “stuff” (i.e. the debates between pluralists and monists) - and the problem of change and stability. Is change an illusion? What features of the world (if any) are constant? Is the world simply material? We aim to critically engage with philosophical attempts to answer these questions as well as question the place of philosophy in addressing them.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Develop an understanding of the problems of fundamental ontology and a range of philosophical attempts to address these problems
- 2. Analyse and critically engage with a range of ontological theories, developing an understanding of issues at stake in some key metaphysical disputes over the fundamental nature of the world
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Reveal the ontological assumptions underlying of a range of areas of philosophy (e.g. mind, science)
- 4. Understand how metaphysical questions relate to wider philosophical understanding of the world (e.g. substance as a fundamental philosophical category)
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Grasp, and be able to articulate, the problematic nature of many of our basic assumptions about the world
- 6. Explain a range of problems and theories of varying degrees of abstractness, and present coherent clear arguments in response to these problems and theories.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
The problem of change in ancient Greek philosophy – Zeno, Parmenides, Heraclitus, Democritus, Plato
Aristotle on substance – Aristotle
Cartesian dualism and responses – Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz
Process and the critique of substance – Whitehead
Physicalism and the place of philosophy – Sandra Mitchell, Quine, Carnapp
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 22 | Weekly 2-hour lectures / seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar |
| Guided independent study | 33 | Assigned reading associated with lecture and tutorials |
| Guided independent study | 10 | Preparation for in-class discussion |
| Guided independent study | 35 | Preparation for assigned essay |
| Guided independent study | 50 | Exam Revision and private study |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 80 | 3000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Report | 20 | 750 words | 1-6 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay, 3000 words (80%) | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Report | Report, 750 words (20%) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Lloyd, G.E.R. (1970) Early Greek Science: Thales to Aristotle. Norton (New York, London)
Collingwood, R.G. (1945) The Idea of Nature OUP (Oxford)
Woolhouse, R.S. (1993), Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz: The Concept of Substance in Seventeenth Century Metaphysics. Routledge (London, New York)
Rescher, N. (2000), Process Philosophy: A survey of Basic Issues. University of Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh)
Selections from…
Spinoza’ Ethics (1996) Penguin Classics translated by Edwin Curley
Leibniz (1992) Discourse on Metaphysics and Other Essays: Translated and Edited by Garber, D. and Ariew, R. Hackett (Indianapolis)
Whitehead, A.N. (1946) Science and the Modern World, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge)
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 15/03/2021 |
| Last revision date | 01/01/2022 |
