PP2PTA: Philosophy through the Ages: the Minds that Shaped our World

Module code: PP2PTA

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

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Jumbly Grindrod, email: j.grindrod@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: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

From the pre-Socratics in the sixth century BC to the end of the twentieth, the history of philosophy spans a wide and diverse range of ideas and theories about the deepest problems of human existence. Nothing surpasses a close study of a classic text when getting to know a philosopher and their ideas. We will engage in a careful reading of several classic texts that mark key points in the history of philosophy such as: the pre-Socratic period; ancient philosophy from Socrates on (C5th-4th BC); neo-Platonism (C3rd AD); the high point of medieval philosophy (C13th-14th); early modern philosophy (C17th-C18th); and philosophy from the nineteenth century on. We will grapple with some of the most important and influential ideas in intellectual history in the words of the greatest thinkers themselves.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate a deep understanding of several important theories from key periods in the history of philosophy
2. Read and interpret a key philosophical text to extract the central ideas and arguments, while showing sensitivity to alternative interpretations and debates over how a given text should be understood
3. Summarise and explain in your own words a range of key ideas, theories or arguments in the history of philosophy
4. Evaluate arguments and theories found in key philosophical texts from across different periods, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, understanding how a given philosopher addresses objections to their views, and how famous philosophers have debated with each other about a particular topic
5. Explain the significance of a particular thinker, text, theory, or idea in its historical context: why it has been important or influential across the ages
6. Demonstrate effective communication skills by presenting and defending your own views about the text or ideas being studied, whether orally or in writing

Module content

We will examine several classic texts in the history of philosophy, extracting their key ideas, theories, and arguments. Texts will come from the period between the pre-Socratics and the twentieth century. Themes or topics covered will include, but not be restricted to, some of the following:

• The nature of existence
• Scepticism
• Space and time
• Personhood
• The existence of God
• Identity over time
• Empiricism and rationalism as theories of knowledge
• Idealism versus realism about the nature of reality
• The nature and sources of morality
• Free will
• The state and the individual
• The meaning of liberty

Key thinkers examined will include some of the following:

• Zeno
• Parmenides
• Socrates
• Plato
• Aristotle
• St Anselm of Canterbury
• St Thomas Aquinas
• René Descartes
• John Locke
• George Berkeley
• David Hume
• Immanuel Kant
• John Stuart Mill
• Bertrand Russell
• G.E. Moore
• Ludwig Wittgenstein
• Karl Popper
• Jean-Paul Sartre
• Martin Heidegger

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

You will learn through interactive lectures and seminars, which may include working in small groups, to analyse and discuss particular texts, to reflect on set readings and to share ideas with your fellow students. Each week students will be introduced to different texts and the arguments within them.

You are encouraged to be active in all classes, asking questions and trying to answer the questions posed by the module convenor or your fellow students.

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.

Reassessment

Additional costs