| Unit name | Ethics and Literature |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL30094 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Everett |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit brings together philosophy and literature to explore some of the things that matter most for human lives. Literature has often been seen as a source of moral and philosophical insight. It can teach us important truths about ourselves and the world. Indeed perhaps it can teach us things about ourselves and the world that cannot be taught any other way. Perhaps writing and reading literature is a way of doing philosophy in its own right. Literature has also been a topic of philosophical and moral inquiry. Can works of literature have a moral content and, if so, how? Can literature lead us morally and philosophically astray? How should we respond to the literature produced by immoral individuals? What is the relationship between an author and their work? This unit explores these issues in depth. The precise focus may change from year to year but examples of potential topics include the concept and tradition of tragedy (focusing on its philosophical and existential implications), the question of how we should respond to the work of immoral authors or to literature we deem to have immoral content, or the role of literature in helping us understand and organise our lives.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
1. articulate, compare and critique alternative theoretical accounts of tragedy, moral responsibility, retribution, and forgiveness
2. articulate competing approaches to thinking about tragedy, as proposed in several classic works of literature and philosophy
3. present complex philosophical ideas to an audience (in both verbal and written form) in a clear and concise manner as appropriate to level H/6;
4. analyse both literary and philosophical pieces through close attention to text, compositional structure and rhetoric.
Lectures, small group work, individual exercises, seminars and virtual learning environment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
None
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Preparatory Essay (2000 words) (20%) [ILOs 1-4]
Summative Essay (3000 words) (80%) [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHIL30094).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
