| Unit name | Introduction to Philosophy B |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL10006 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Alan Wilson |
| 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 provides students with an introduction to some of the central debates and issues in practical philosophy, in particular in moral philosophy and political philosophy. The main aims are to give students a basic understanding of the issues in question, as well as to help them acquire and sharpen the necessary critical skills in reading, writing and argument to engage with the debates, and develop their own views in dialogue with them. The unit will take the form of an introduction to moral theory and applied ethics as well as some of the central concepts of political philosophy. These will be approached through the reading of a number of important articles and extracts, including extracts from some of the central texts in the history of moral and political philosophy. Study is primarily theme-based. This unit will provide a foundation for specialized units in applied ethics, normative ethics, meta-ethics, political and social philosophy. It also introduces students to the basics of academic and philosophical work, research and writing as well as group discussion.
Overview of content:
Applied ethics (e.g. duties of aid, animal ethics, climate ethics)
Normative ethics (e.g. Consequentialism, Kantian ethics, virtue ethics)
Political philosophy (e.g. equality, justice, liberalism)
At the end of the unit, students should have a clear grasp of the nature of the divisions of contemporary ethics, their relationship to one another, and their philosophical grounding. They should also have
an understanding of the way in which moral philosophers apply the principles and conclusions that are derived from moral theories to particular contemporary moral problems, in order to yield practical conclusions about what we should and shouldn’t do.
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
(1) critically appraise key texts covered in the unit and asses the positions and arguments covered
(2) critically engage with key secondary literature on these texts
(3) summarise and appraise key issues in moral and political philosophy
(4) apply skills in writing
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)
Essay (1500 words) (20%) [ILOs 1-4]
In person examination (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. PHIL10006).
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.
