Philosophy and Psychedelics
| Module title | Philosophy and Psychedelics |
|---|---|
| Module code | PHL3117 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Christine Hauskeller (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
The so-called psychedelic renaissance is in full swing, a renaissance that itself raises fundamental philosophical questions relating to ethics and politics such as policies of prohibition and medicalization, patent laws and financial investment, personal safety and cognitive liberty. In addition to this, the experiences occasioned by psychedelic substances provoke deep questions of philosophy regarding the nature of the self in relation to the world, the essence of time, the problems of consciousness and human nature, to understandings of mysticism and religion. This module will be the first to address such fundamental issues emanating from the psychedelic advance, looking at how philosophers are again attempting to make sense of it.
Apart from a good general understanding of the disciplinary order of philosophy, this module has no pre-requisites. In fact, we use the topic of psychedelics as a lens through which various philosophic fields can be introduced and their correspondence or different perspectives more thoroughly understood.
Module aims - intentions of the module
By considering the multifaceted aspects of psychedelics, we will bridge across the major subareas of philosophy – exploring how they speak to one another and what we can understand about contested practices. [PB1] Contested in this case are the effects of psychedelic substance use on individuals and society, as well as the practices to regulate/prohibit their production. Adopting different philosophic perspectives on psychedelic substances, experiences, and discourses concerning knowledge and science, including current clinical trials, will provide you with insight into a very topical debate. Furthermore, it will provide you with an understanding of the ways in which philosophy organizes knowledge, and how this separation of areas fosters and hinders integrative understandings of phenomena in our lifeworld.
The focus on psychedelics allows teaching core philosophical themes in some depth and clarity about their interconnectedness, i.e. aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of cognition, cultures, and mind, but also philosophy of nature, ecology, and the philosophy of psychiatry and medicine more generally.
This module aims to teach you about a very hot topic in contemporary society and how philosophers engage with it. It invites you to partake in exciting discussions, preparing and giving a joint presentation and writing a substantive essay on a topic of your choice in this subject area.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the theories and texts (readings) for the course
- 2. Demonstrable understanding of the methodological and conceptual problems of a philosophy of psychedelics
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the structure of the discipline and the interrelation between its subdisciplines
- 4. Demonstrate deep knowledge of the philosophical inquiry and dimensions of a specific topic
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate ability to critically analyse and present texts, and discuss complex problems
- 6. Demonstrate excellent the ability to research independently and write a critical philosophical essay on a module theme.
Syllabus plan
(Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics.)
We begin with a couple of sessions introducing the History and Philosophy of Psychedelics
The Philosophy of Psychedelics is a new field, yet concerns a long history. We begin with an overview of the multifarious philosophic facets of this subject, to gain a comprehensive perspective on the current psychedelic renaissance.
We then discuss in more detail, over the following eight weeks:
- Philosophy of mind, consciousness, and psychedelics
- The biopolitics and bioeconomy of psychedelics
- Creativity and aesthetics vis-à-vis psychedelics
- Perennialism and Contextualism: Western mysticism and Non-Western Indigenous approaches
- Metaphysics and psychedelics: Interpreting psychedelic experience through metaphysical systems
- Transpersonal and environmental ethics and psychedelics
The module will close with an overall discussion about the cross-cutting nature of the topic across philosophical sub-disciplines and how a comprehensive philosophy of psychedelics might be possible.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
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 studies | 48 | Reading and Research |
| Guided independent study | 20 | Preparation and recording of presentation |
| Guided independent study | 38 | Preparation and Writing of Essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay outline | 500 words | 1-6 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Review | 30 | 800 words | 1-6 | Oral |
| Essay | 70 | 2000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Review (800 words) | Reading Review (800 words) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Essay (2000 words) | Essay (2000 words) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
We will read chapters from Sjöstedt-Hughes, P. & Hauskeller, C. (eds.), Philosophy and Psychedelics, Bloomsbury 2022
And supplement it with texts such as:
Baier, K. (2022) High Mysticism: On the interplay between the psychedelic movement and academic study of mysticism
Benjamin, W. (1927–34) On Hashish
Foucault, M. (1970) Theatrum Philosophicum
Gibson, L. (2013) A Whiteheadian Perspective on Psychedelic Experience and Research: An Update
Hofmann, A. (1979) LSD: My Problem Child
Huxley, A. (1954) The Doors of Perception
James, W. (1902) The Varieties of Religious Experience
Jay, M. (2019) Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic
Lundborg, P. (2014) Note Towards a Definition of a Psychedelic Philosophy
Partridge, C. (2018) High Culture: Drugs, Mysticism, and the Pursuit of Transcendence in the Modern World
Pollan, M. (2018) How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics
Russell, B. (1910) Mysticism and Logic
Thompson, S. J. (2014) From ‘Rausch’ to Rebellion: Walter Benjamin’s On Hashish and the Aesthetic Dimensions of Prohibitionist Realism
Ward, R. H. (1957) A Drug-Taker's Notes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
TEDx Talk 'Psychedelics and Consciousness' by Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes: https://youtu.be/tV8PSevhd_M
Erowid: 60 000 pages of online information about psychoactive drugs, plants, chemicals, etc.:
Philosophy and Psychedelics conference (Exeter): www.philosophyofpsychedelics.com
Breaking Convention, conference videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/BreakingConvention/videos
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 15/01/2021 |
| Last revision date | 27/01/2022 |
