Philosophical Reading 1
| Module title | Philosophical Reading 1 |
|---|---|
| Module code | PHL1007 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Jonathan Davies (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
This module will familiarise you with the fundamental techniques required to read, understand and criticise a philosophical text. In particular, you will look at texts that deal with problems of epistemology (the philosophical theory of knowledge) and metaphysics (the philosophical study of being and knowing). You will get the opportunity to study a substantial work of philosophy in depth to familiarise yourself with its mode of presentation (form) and arguments (content), two interrelated aspects of every philosophical work.
Texts chosen will not require any specific background philosophical knowledge but will combine high philosophical quality with historical relevance and clarity of presentation. This will be a foundation module for the single honours degree programme in Philosophy, and for the modular degree pathway in philosophy. It is also available to students from other schools and departments as an optional course in philosophy.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module you will learn and practise the most important basic skill for philosophy students, namely to read a philosophical text. Close reading is crucial for philosophical analysis, understanding and interpretation.
Because of the nature of this module, its syllabus varies from year to year, depending on the text(s) selected.
This year it will be Plato’s Republic.
This will be a foundation module for the SH degree programme in Philosophy, and for the modular degree pathway in philosophy. It will also be available to students from other schools and departments as an optional course in philosophy. This course will familiarise the student with the fundamental techniques required to read, understand, criticize, a philosophical text. It will proceed by in-depth reading and analysis of one or more philosophical texts. Given the introductory nature of this module, we will focus on texts that require no specific background philosophical knowledge and combine high philosophical quality with historical relevance and clarity of presentation.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. engage in in-depth analysis of a text, and reasoning about abstract matters
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 2. analyse arguments, understand the historical and social context of production of a philosophical text, criticise it, and write well-argued essays.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. construct and evaluate arguments, to formulate and express ideas at different levels of abstraction, to assess and criticise the views of others.
Syllabus plan
Because of the nature of this module, its syllabus varies from year to year, depending on the text(s) selected.
This year it will be Plato’s Republic.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | 123 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 hours | Weekly 2-hour lectures / seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar |
| Guided independent study | 123 hours | Independent study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written discussion summary | 250 words | 1-3 | Written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 40 | 1,500 words | 1-3 | Written feedback |
| Examination | 60 | 1 hour | 1-3 | Written feedback |
| 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 1,500 words | 1-3 | August/September reassessment period |
| Examination | Examination (1 hour) | 1-3 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
You can use any edition that contains the full text. Recommended edition: Plato’s Republic, Trans. Desmond Lee with Intro by Melissa Lane, Penguin Classic (2007).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE - http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
Key words search
Philosophical, Readings, Philosophy
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2008 |
| Last revision date | 07/03/2022 |
