PP2GP: Global Philosophies

Module code: PP2GP

Module provider: Philosophy; School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Michela Bariselli, email: michela.bariselli@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 2 October 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will engage in a cross-cultural discussion of issues of global relevance related to gender, race, social identities, as well as to the ethics of voluntary dying. You will be introduced to a variety of conceptions of personal and social identities, including Buddhist conceptions, Jaina conceptions, African-American critical theories, performative theories, and phenomenological theories. You will learn to critically assess these conceptions, and to apply them to discussions on the nature of gender and race, and on whether race and gender categories could be empowering or are doomed to be oppressive. You will learn how different conceptions of identities are linked to different conceptions of freedom and death, and how these conceptions affect the ethics of different practices of voluntary dying (such as euthanasia, suicide, self-immolation).

This module provides with skills that are essential in a cosmopolitan society: it promotes your ability to engage with pressing contemporary and sensitive issues by taking in account the philosophical perspective of a variety of cultures and religions, and diverse gender and racial groups.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify key views on personal and social identities
2. Explain how these views affect conceptions and evaluations of gender and race categories
3. Explain how views on identity affect conceptions of death and the ethics of different forms of voluntary dying
4. Use the insight from a philosophical perspective to analyse and assess other philosophical perspectives
5. Assess and evaluate arguments produced by a variety of philosophical perspectives
6. Present and communicate one’s own view clearly, precisely, and effectively

Module content

Topics covered in the module include the following:

1. Buddhist perspectives on the construction of persons and the self
2. Constructionist, performativist and phenomenological perspectives on gender and sex
3. Skeptic, naturalist and social constructionist approaches to race
4. Conservationist or eliminativist positions on race and gender
5. Self-immolation as political resistance
6. Jaina meditative dying
7. Suicide and euthanasia

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is taught by a mixture of lectures and seminars. Seminar sessions are entirely dedicated to students’ discussion and peer learning. Students will be given questions to discuss and task to complete to strengthen their understanding of the weekly topic and to provide them with an opportunity to exercise their critical and communicative skills. Lecture sessions will be a mixture of taught content and students’ discussion. Students are encouraged to be active in all classes, asking questions and trying to answer the questions posed by others. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Active participation in class discussion, small group work, online activities such as quizzes. Pre-submission feedback on their written assignement. Students will be able to receive feedback on their essay plan.

Reassessment

Additional costs