Introduction to Philosophy

2019/2020

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

3

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Школа философии

Статус:

Курс адаптационный

Когда читается:

1-й курс, 1, 2 модуль

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy.

Learning Objectives

• knows what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists in, and how we come to have it
• understands foundational conceptual issues in scientific research and practice
• understand the nature of our moral judgements and reactions

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Понимает специфику философского знания в сравнении с другими сферами знания и научными дисциплинами
• Понимает различные подходы к определению морали.
• Знает различные критерии истины. Может применять их для оценки истинности научных теорий
• Различает различные подходы к решению вопроса о свободе воли

Course Contents

• What is Philosophy?
  what makes it different from other subjects? What are its distinctive aims and methods? We'll also think about why the questions that philosophers attempt to answer are often thought to be both fundamental and important, and have a look at how philosophy is actually practiced. Finally, we'll briefly touch upon two very influential philosophers' answers to the question of how we can know whether, in any given case, there really is a right way of thinking about things.
• Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?
  We all live with some sense of what is good or bad, some feelings about which ways of conducting ourselves are better or worse. But what is the status of these moral beliefs, senses, or feelings? Should we think of them as reflecting hard, objective facts about our world, of the sort that scientists could uncover and study? Or should we think of moral judgements as mere expressions of personal or cultural preferences? In this module we’ll survey some of the different options that are available when we’re thinking about these issues, and the problems and prospects for each
• Are Scientific Theories True
  In this module we will explore a central and ongoing debate in contemporary philosophy of science: whether or not scientific theories are true. Or better, whether a scientific theory needs to be 'true' to be good at all. The answer to this question comes in two main varieties. Scientific realists believe that theories ought to be true in order to be good. We will analyse their main argument for this claim (which goes under the name of 'no miracles argument'), and some prominent objections to it. Scientific antirealists, on the other hand, defend the view that there is nothing special about 'truth' and that scientific theories and scientific progress can be understood without appeal to it. The aim of this session is to present both views, their main arguments, and prospects
• Do We Have Free Will and Does It Matter?
  We typically feel that the actions that we make are the result of our own free choices. But what if those actions are simply the end result of a long chain of cause and effect? What does this mean for free will? In this module, we'll look at the concept of determinism. In particular, we'll consider the implications that determinism might have for the notion of free will.

Assessment Elements

• домашние задания
• тест

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (2 module)
  0.4 * домашние задания + 0.6 * тест

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Chrisman, M., & Pritchard, D. (2017). Philosophy for Everyone (Vol. Second edition). New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1286862

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Fennell, J. (2019). A Critical Introduction to the Philosophy of Language : Central Themes From Locke to Wittgenstein. New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2031304