2017/8 - PPLP4063B MODERN READINGS IN PHILOSOPHY
Spring Semester, Level 4 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Jeremy Goodenough
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination with Coursework or Project
Timetable Slot:E4*D4,D2,U
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
This module introduces students to the history of modern philosophy by studying the work of
a number of major philosophers from the period 1650 to 1950. Philosophers such as
Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Sartre and de Beauvoir may be
studied. We look at the different answers they give to a common set of problems, beginning
with problems in epistemology, i.e. problems about the nature and limits of human
knowledge, about what we can know and how we can know it. These problems connect with
questions about what the world must be like in order for us to know it and what we (our
minds) must be like in order to know the world, what sort of properties we possess and what
this means for our freedom and actions. The module is taught through a detailed reading of
original texts by these philosophers, and close reading of texts is developed in the formative
exercises and the summative essay work; there is also an examination. The module is suitable
for students with little or no prior experience of philosophy, and can be taken by students on
other degrees, as your first or sole philosophy module.
2017/8 - PPLP4064B REASONING AND LOGIC
Spring Semester, Level 4 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Fiona Roxburgh
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination with Coursework or Project
Timetable Slot:C5*B7,B8,U
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
Consider this argument: 'If two equals one, then, since you and the Pope are two, you and the
Pope are one'. This is admittedly odd, but at the same time it feels compelling. The
impression is that the argument includes bizarre or false claims, but that these are used in a
somewhat consistent manner. What does this mean, exactly? The key to an answer is to draw
a distinction between arguments that have true premises and arguments that do not but are
nonetheless correct. In this module we shall study this distinction and focus in particular on
learning easy ways of finding out whether an argument is correct or not. Since there are
simple rules to do so, this module will not only enable you to spot an incorrect argument
whenever you see it, but also offer you an especially straightforward way into the study of
logic. Moreover, this is one of the few modules in the humanities where you can get a full
100% mark on all of your coursework, if you just know the basic ideas and the way to apply
them.
2017/8 - PPLP4065B RADICAL PHILOSOPHY
Spring Semester, Level 4 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Davide Rizza
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Coursework
Timetable Slot:D6*A6,B6,U
This module revolves around the close reading of four classic texts from the distant or the
recent past, which offer profoundly original perspectives on problems that must constantly be
faced and reflected upon by mankind. The specific problem we shall focus on in Spring 2017
is the opposition of liberty and oppression, seen in particular from the point of view of the
relation between freedom and revolution. Our main task will be to explore a genealogy of the
idea of revolution and then devote ourselves to philosophically central conceptions of
revolution, beginning with Marx (and looking at his influence on thinkers and political
figures such as Lenin or Rosa Luxemburg) and continuing with critics of Marx who made an
effort to reconceive the very idea of revolution, notably the French philosopher and mystic
Simone Weil and the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. These figures and their ideas will
naturally attract a number of other texts, some philosophical and some literary (authors may
include Homer, LaBoetie, Landauer, Levi, Melville, Todorov), which will be discussed to
broaden the context in which our four classics can be situated and explore their theoretical
resonance with other classics.
2017/8 - PPLP4067B FOUNDATIONAL TEXTS OF THE GREAT CIVILISATIONS
Spring Semester, Level 4 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Professor Catherine Rowett
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Coursework
Timetable Slot:B4*A4,C4,U
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
In this module we explore the ways in which human beings have, from time immemorial,
used narratives and poetry to create their models of the universe, and to think about issues
relating to mankind’s place within it. It focuses on ancient texts from a variety of major
civilisations over the last four millenia, many of them still treated as living sources of wisdom
and insight, spiritual guidance and moral vision. It has become customary in modern
philosophy to privilege rational discourse in prose as the acceptable way of doing philosophy,
and to imagine that to be human is to be rational. But is it irrational to explore our world and
discover the deeper truths through narrative? Is that even non-rational enquiry? Might it
actually be one of the key ways in which philosophy can reach and engage every human
being? And might that be why all civilisations have stories and poetry as their foundational
texts, not philosophical arguments? Students will acquire a basic knowledge of some key
texts (including Homer, key parts of the King James Bible and the Quran) that any citizen of
the world should know.
2017/8 - PPLP5083B ETHICS FOR LIFE
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Oskari Kuusela
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination
Timetable Slot:C3*D4,E3/D7,A4
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PPLP6113B
Moral problems impinge directly on our lives. These may be either issues pertaining to
oneself and to people close to one, or they may be connected with public policies, the law and
issues of global justice. Though we shall discuss classic topics of practical ethics such as
justice, equality, death and civil disobedience, our main interest will be in discerning the
underlying patterns in our thinking about such problems. Another focus will be issues relating
to philosophy's practical role. How exactly might philosophy help us in thinking about real
moral problems and how best to live our lives? Are there ways in which literature might help
us in thinking about morality and life? Using examples from literature and life we seek to
expose over-simplifications in moral theory, develop sensitivities to the complexity of
situations, and explore how tragedy, may, in the end, be a fundamental and unavoidable
aspect of the human condition. This module is offered biennially.
2017/8 - PPLP5089B FILM AS PHILOSOPHY
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Rupert Read
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination
Timetable Slot:C6*C7,A9*A10*EY,B6,B4/B5
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
The module will present and evaluate the thesis that film not only exemplifies particular
philosophical problems, but also provides its own distinctive style of answer to those
problems. Students will be encouraged to develop their skills in distinguishing between
genres. They will, for example, examine the differences and overlap between film, literature,
and drama, and explore the implications of these differences. A range of different kinds of
film and different themes in film will be studied.
2017/8 - PPLP5091B AESTHETICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF ART
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Thomas Greaves
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Coursework
Timetable Slot:D5*A3,A6,D8/A7
This module will explore some of the major themes and problems in aesthetics and the
philosophy of art, asking questions about the value of art, aesthetic experience and
judgement, artistic creativity, interpretation and representation. The module begins by
looking at Plato’s reflections on the place of the arts in society and includes an exploration of
classics of the 18th and 19th Century aesthetic tradition such as Hume’s Of the Standard of
Taste, Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgment, and Nietzsche The Birth of Tragedy, as
well as more contemporary works from various traditions. We end with a reading of one of
the most influential essays on art in the last century, Heidegger’s Origin of the Work of Art,
drawing together and attempting to reappraise many of the issues tackled in the module as a
whole. This module is taught biennially.
2017/8 - PPLP5098B PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Professor John Collins
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination
Timetable Slot:B3*D3,D6,C1/C2
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PPLP6030B
What is it to have a mind? Are we humans the only things to have a mind? Is a mind even a
unitary thing? This module will investigate these fundamental questions by way of
considering two so-called marks of the mental. Firstly, to have a mind is to be able to
represent or think about things (intentionality). Secondly, having a mind involves qualitative
states: e.g., what it's like to feel pain or see red. The status of both of these marks is highly
controversial. The module will seek to explain why they are controversial and assess possible
solutions to the problems to which they give rise.
2017/8 - PPLP5167B NATURE, HUMANITY & ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES: THE
PHILOSOPHY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Rupert Read
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination with Coursework or Project
Timetable Slot:E1*E2,E3/C4,E4
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PPLP6134B
The aim of this module is to look at some of the philosophical and ethical issues underlying
environmental concerns. In particular, we will ask in what sense it is possible to speak of a
moral relationship of humans with their non-human environment. We will focus on
understanding whether environmental value is intrinsic or relative to human interests, and
look at how this distinction relates to arguments about the nature of our obligations towards
other species and the natural environment. Finally we will examine some of the difficulties
that debates about environmental policy face.
2017/8 - PPLP5169B EMPIRICISM AND NATURALISM: EXPERIENCE,
EXPERIMENTS, AND PHILOSOPHY
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Eugen Fischer
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Examination
Timetable Slot:C5*A8,B7,C8
Exam Paper(hrs):2
Exam Period:SPR-02
The birth of modern science went hand in hand with the rise of Empiricist styles of
philosophy that have exerted a huge philosophical and cultural influence, ever since. This
module will critically assess this key tradition, explore how it has evolved over time, and
examine how it influences exciting philosophical debates today. We will cover classical
(early modern) empiricism, logical (20th century) empiricism, and current naturalism with a
focus on methodological naturalism and the potentially transformative movement of
experimental philosophy.
2017/8 - PPLP5170B WORLD PHILOSOPHIES
Spring Semester, Level 5 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Professor Catherine Rowett
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Coursework
Timetable Slot:B2*A2,B8,U
‘World philosophies’ is a chance to study ‘non-Western’ philosophy at Honours level. In this
module, UEA philosophers present and examine a package of philosophical ideas,
approaches and arguments from the non-Christian world. These include traditions such as
Mediaeval Jewish and Islamic philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, Zen, Daoism, and the
applied philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Throughout the unit, connections will be made,
where appropriate, to ‘Western philosophy’, especially to ancient Greek thought; but the
main point of this module is to provide a serious opportunity for the student to immerse
themselves in approaches which have been relatively removed from the dominant influences
upon philosophy in the English-speaking and European world.
2017/8 - PPLP6030B PHILOSOPHY OF MIND: ADVANCED THEMES
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Professor John Collins
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Project
Timetable Slot:B3*D3,D6,C4
IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PPLP5098B
What is it to have a mind? Are we humans the only things to have a mind? Is a mind even a
unitary thing? This module will investigate these fundamental questions by way of
considering two so-called marks of the mental. Firstly, to have a mind is to be able to
represent or think about things (intentionality). Secondly, having a mind involves qualitative
states: e.g. what it's like to feel pain or see red. The status of both of these marks is highly
controversial. The module will seek to explain why they are controversial and assess possible
solutions to the problems to which they give rise. This third year module runs alongside a
second year module on the same topic, but has more advanced seminars, reading lists and
assessment tasks. It is taught biennially.
2017/8 - PPLP6104B DISSERTATION OR SPECIAL SUBJECT II
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Professor Catherine Rowett
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Project
Timetable Slot:U
This module is reserved for students who achieve an average of 60% or above in their second
year. Applicants MUST include a second choice on the enrolment form, so that they can be
automatically transferred to an alternative taught module if their summer grades are below
what is required. Students are enrolled either on a one-to-one supervised dissertation (for
which you must submit the relevant form to the module organiser for approval) or on one of
the group study programmes ('Special Subjects') advertised at the module enrolment event
and in the philosophy module booklet. Students who have not identified themselves with one
of these groups or with a supervised dissertation will be removed from this module. NB
Students may not take more than one supervised dissertation on any degree, but you may take
two of these modules, so long as at least one is a group study programme ('Special Subjects').
Students from other Schools should contact the module organiser for details. The assessment
project is a dissertation of up to 10,000 words prepared during the Spring semester. Teaching
arrangements will be settled after enrolments are known.
2017/8 - PPLP6113B ETHICS FOR LIFE (WITH EXTENDED ESSAY)
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Dr Oskari Kuusela
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Project
Timetable Slot:C3*D4,A4,A7
IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PPLP5083B
Moral problems impinge directly on our lives. These may be either issues pertaining to
oneself and to people close to one, or they may be connected with public policies, the law and
issues of global justice. Though we shall discuss classic topics of practical ethics such as
justice, equality, death and civil disobedience, our main interest will be in discerning the
underlying patterns in our thinking about such problems. Another focus will be issues relating
to philosophy's practical role. How exactly might philosophy help us in thinking about real
moral problems and how best to live our lives? Are there ways in which literature might help
us in thinking about morality and life? Using examples from literature and life we seek to
expose over-simplifications in moral theory, develop sensitivities to the complexity of
situations, and explore how tragedy, may, in the end, be a fundamental and unavoidable
aspect of the human condition. This third year module runs alongside a second year module
on the same topic, but has more advanced seminars, reading lists and assessment tasks. This
module is offered biennially.
2017/8 - PPLP6119B FILM AS PHILOSOPHY WITH ADVANCED ESSAY
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Dr Rupert Read
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Project
Timetable Slot:C6*C7,A9*A10*EY, B6, D7
The module will present and evaluate the thesis that film not only exemplifies particular
philosophical problems, but also provides its own distinctive style of answer to those
problems. Students will be encouraged to develop their skills in distinguishing between
genres. They will, for example, examine the differences and overlap between film, literature,
and drama, and explore the implications of these differences. A range of different kinds of
film will be studied.
2017/8 - PPLP6121B ADVANCED AESTHETICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF ART
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Dr Thomas Greaves
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Project
Timetable Slot:D5*A3,A6,B4
This module will explore some of the major themes and problems in aesthetics and the
philosophy of art, asking questions about the value of art, aesthetic experience and
judgement, artistic creativity, interpretation and representation. The module begins by
looking at Plato’s reflections on the place of the arts in society and includes an exploration of
classics of the 18th and 19th Century aesthetic tradition such as Hume’s Of the Standard of
Taste, Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgment, and Nietzsche The Birth of Tragedy, as
well as more contemporary works from various traditions. We end with a reading of one of
the most influential essays on art in the last century, Heidegger’s Origin of the Work of Art,
drawing together and attempting to reappraise many of the issues tackled in the module as a
whole.
2017/8 - PPLP6134B ADVANCED THEMES IN NATURE, HUMANITY &
ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 20
Organiser: Dr Rupert Read
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Project
Timetable Slot:E1*E2,E4,B5
IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE PPLP5167B
The aim of this module is to look at some of the philosophical and ethical issues underlying
environmental concerns. In particular, we will ask in what sense it is possible to speak of a
moral relationship of humans with their non-human environment. We will focus on
understanding whether environmental value is intrinsic or relative to human interests, and
look at how this distinction relates to arguments about the nature of our obligations towards
other species and the natural environment. Finally we will examine some of the difficulties
that debates about environmental policy face. This module runs alongside a Level 5 module
in the same area, PPLP5100B, but students at Level 6 have a separate seminar/tutorials and
they prepare a distinctive independent project for assessment. This is a 20 credit module and
is designed for PPE students, students in SSF and Science degrees, and students on degrees in
the LCS sector of PPL.
2017/8 - PPLP6135B EMPIRICISM AND NATURALISM: EXPERIENCE,
EXPERIMENTS, AND PHILOSOPHY (EXTENDED VERSION)
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Dr Eugen Fischer
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Coursework
Timetable Slot:C5*A8,B7,C2
The birth of modern science went hand in hand with the rise of Empiricist styles of
philosophy that have exerted a huge philosophical and cultural influence, ever since. This
module will critically assess this key tradition, explore how it has evolved over time, and
examine how it influences exciting philosophical debates today. We will cover classical
(early modern) empiricism, logical (20th century) empiricism, and current naturalism with a
focus on methodological naturalism and the potentially transformative movement of
experimental philosophy.
2017/8 - PPLP6136B WORLD PHILOSOPHIES (EXTENDED VERSION)
Spring Semester, Level 6 module
(Maximum 999 Students)
UCU: 30
Organiser: Professor Catherine Rowett
MODULE - 40% PASS ON AGGREGATE
Module Type: Coursework
Timetable Slot:B2*A2,B8,U
‘World philosophies’ is a chance to study ‘non-Western’ philosophy at Honours level. In this
module, UEA philosophers present and examine a package of philosophical ideas,
approaches and arguments from the non-Christian world. These include traditions such as
Mediaeval Jewish and Islamic philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, Zen, Daoism, and the
applied philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Throughout the unit, connections will be made,
where appropriate, to ‘Western philosophy’, especially to ancient Greek thought; but the
main point of this module is to provide a serious opportunity for the student to immerse
themselves in approaches which have been relatively removed from the dominant influences
upon philosophy in the English-speaking and European world.