To introduce students to some of the main topics in metaphysics: God, the mind/body problem, personal identity, time and free will. To introduce students to the philosophical system of Rene Descartes.

(LO1) Students will be able to distinguish between sound and unsound arguments.

(LO2) Students will be able to build a case for a specific metaphysical position, by weighing theoretical virtues, such as Occam's razor, and metaphysical principles, such as the conceivability principle and the principle of sufficient reason.

(LO3) Students will be able to extract an argument from text, render it into standard form, and critically evaluate its premises.

(LO4) Students will be able to explain Descartes' philosophical system.

(LO5) Students will be able explain the basic issues, and the standard views, pertaining to five topics in contemporary metaphysics: God, personal identity, consciousness, free will and time.

(LO6) Students will be able to able to argue for a specific view pertaining to five issues in contemporary metaphysics: God, personal identity, consciousness, free will and time.

(LO7) Students will be able to discuss reality in the partially abstract manner distinctive of metaphysical thought.

(S1) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S2) Students will develop their skills in thinking critically, analysing problems and analysing and assessing arguments.

(S3) Students will enhance their ability to identify the issues that underlie debates.

(S4) Students will develop confidence in considering previously unfamiliar ideas and approaches, and their ability to identify presuppositions and to reflect critically upon them.

(S5) Students will enhance their ability to marshal arguments and present them orally and in writing.

(S6) Students will develop the ability to perform bibliographical searches, to include (to professional standard) citations and bibliographies in their work and to plan, organise and produce presentations and essays.

(S7) Students will enhance their oral and written communications skills and develop skill in explaining complex material in a precise manner.

(S8) Students will develop their ability to work independently.

(S9) Students will develop their ability to sift through information, assessing the relevance and importance of the information to what is at issue.

(S10) Students will develop their skills in making appropriate use of information technology, information on the World Wide Web and reference works and databases relevant to the discipline.

Lectures 1-7: Descartes' Meditations and the birth of modern dualistic metaphysics.

Rene Descartes is one of the most influential figures in the history of European philosophy, and his philosophical system, summarised in the Meditations, raises many questions which have been fundamental both to the development of philosophy as a discipline and to the development of European culture and politics. This topic introduces Descartes' legacy, as well as the basics of some critical responses to it.

Lectures 8-10: Arguments for and against the existence of God.

The close links between early modern philosophy and the Christian church mean that some familiarity with the standard arguments for and against the existence of God is essential for understanding the philosophical literature of this period. This topic introduces each of the three major arguments for God's existence (the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments), and counterposes them with the Problem of Evil as an attempt to disprove it.

Lectures 11-16: Consciousness, personhood and the self.

Human beings are conscious – we have experiences, including experiences of ourselves. The nature of these experiences, and how they relate to one another, is difficult to pin down and has long been a subject of philosophical debate. This topic raises a number of questions about the self, the relationship between thought and brain activity, and what features an organism must have to count as a person.

Lectures 17-22: Free will, fate and time.

Does anything we do have meaning? A common idea in modern philosophy is that an action is only meaningful if it is freely chosen, but the idea of free will seems to be in conflict with the deterministic predictions delivered by contemporary science. This topic investigates whether the future is fixed, and whether, if it is, that excludes the possibility of our actions mattering morally and personally.

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description: Lectures are tutor-led activities, offering a map of the syllabus and a framework for independent enquiry-led research. Students are encouraged to engage actively with lectures through, for example: (i) taking opportunities to ask questions during the session; (ii) reflecting on and responding to questions posed to them; (iii) producing questions and notes on issues for subsequent group discussion in seminars.

22 x 1 hour lectures, 2 per week.
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Notes: The higher lecture hours are in keeping with principles of scaffolded learning, with greater tutor input at Level 4.

Teaching Method 2 - Seminar
Description: Seminars are formative spaces of applied and enquiry-led learning based on pre-set readings and facilitated by the tutor. Seminars thus offer opportunities for students to respond to tutor- and peer-set questions, deepen understanding, apply ideas, develop arguments and build confidence through group discussion. One or two students take the lead each week through peer-teaching, delivering presentations based on their own enquiries and identification of questions and issues.

11 x 1 hour seminars.
Attendance Recorded: No