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Reason and Existence: An Introduction to French Thought

Module description

You’ll be introduced to French thought through four major philosophers: Montaigne, Descartes, Rousseau and Beauvoir. Montaigne's essay on the cannibals of Brazil raises key questions about human nature and society. Descartes’s Discours recounts how he revolutionised Western philosophy. Rousseau's revolutionary work argues that inequality is at the root of human society and unhappiness. The module closes with a questioning of philosophical and other modes of thought from a feminist perspective, in the work of Beauvoir. By studying this module, you'll gain an insight into philosophical works that have changed the course of intellectual and social history.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce you to a wide range of French philosophy and some of its key ideas and figures. You will examine the development of French thought and be introduced to the historical context in which the works studied were written. You will critically engage with sophisticated philosophical arguments.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate familiarity with the key arguments and ideas of the texts studied

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 2. Describe and evaluate, under guidance from the course tutor(s), key critical responses to the topic and apply standard critical approaches to the material
• 3. Mount an argument in sound written English using basic textual or other evidence
• 4. Read and analyse passages from texts in French, relating them to specified aspects of their cultural / historical / philosophical context
• 5. Use a reading list to identify material relevant to a given aspect of the subject, and report findings in writing
• 6. Show ability to give bibliographical information accurately and consistently, following established guidelines

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Assimilate, select and organise material in order to produce, to a deadline, a written argument
• 8. Present a simple but cogent argument in writing, in English, on a specified topic and following guidelines provided
• 9. Plan and write an essay to a specified length and deadline on a given theme

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• An introductory lecture
• At least two lectures on each of the 4 main texts studies
• At least two seminars on Descartes and 1 each on the other main texts

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

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

Basic reading:

• Montaigne: ’On the Cannibals’, Essays, I, 31 [available via ELE].
• Descartes: A Discourse on the Method, trans. by Ian Maclean (Oxford World’s Classics).
• Rousseau: Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, trans. by Maurice Cranston (Penguin)
• Beauvoir: The Second Sex, trans. by Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier (Vintage) (Selections)

Secondary reading: introductions to philosophy

• Russell, Bertrand, Problems of Philosophy (1912, and subsequent editions)
• Blackburn, Simon, Think (1999)
• Nagel, Thomas, What Does It All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy (1987)
• Craig, Edward, Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (2002)
• Scruton, Roger, From Descartes to Wittgenstein: A Short History of Modern Philosophy (1981)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11017
• Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Key words search

Philosophy; Montaigne; Descartes; Rousseau; Beauvoir