University of the West of England
MODULE SPECIFICATION
(Revised October 2005)
Code: UPZPM9-30-M Title: Contemporary French Philosophy Version: 2
Level: M UWE credit rating: 30 ECTS credit rating: 15
Module type: Standard
Owning Faculty: SSH Field: Philosophy
Valid from: September 2008 Discontinued from: n/a
Contributes towards: Awards up to MA (Hons)
Pre-requisites: BA (Hons)
Co-requisites: None
Excluded combinations: None
Learning outcomes:
Students will be able to demonstrate:
• An advanced and systematic understanding of core issues in contemporary French philosophy (A+B).
• A postgraduate-level understanding of particular philosophical debates and familiarity with the various positions on these (A+B).
• An ability to conduct individual research at postgraduate level while making full use of philosophy journals and digital and online philosophy resources (A+B).
• An ability to engage at an advanced and critical level with contemporary activity and research in philosophy as seen in journal publications, exchanges between philosophers in journals and in other places such as websites, conference proceedings and discussion groups (A+B).
NB: All learning outcomes will be assessed through all assessment points.
Syllabus outline:
The module will provide a forum for in-depth examination of contemporary issues in philosophy at a postgraduate level. The aim of the module is threefold:
1. To provide the setting for in-depth postgraduate level study of those philosophical issues core to contemporary French philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics and metaphilosophy. Each year a different set of topics will be chosen and the students will be expected to read and write essays on the topic, as well as present oral commentaries in class.
2. To develop individual research skills and provide guidance and feedback on students’ research techniques.
3. To expose students to contemporary rather than historical philosophical work and to familiarise them with journal outputs and the dynamic exchanges between philosophers in printed and online journals.
Teaching and learning methods:
The teaching will be done in seminar setting, in three-hour weekly slots. Each week a certain article will be read in advance and then discussed. The discussion will begin with a student presentation, which will consist of a commentary on that week’s reading. The emphasis will be on students analysing and critically evaluating the details of the arguments.
Reading Strategy
Because the module is part-based on contemporary readings in philosophy, the reading material will be journal articles and online collections of articles. Hard copies of the relevant journals will be at the library and an online copy will be made available to the students via UWEOnline. Many journals have an online version, which makes obtaining reading material extremely easy. Additional reading material will be ordered for the library. As the MA group is likely to be small we do not envisage a need for placing material on short loan. Students will also be encouraged to make full use of online resources, such as databases (e.g. the Philosophers’ Index, Project Muse) and other collections of online papers on specific issues (e.g. David Chalmers’ online collection of papers on consciousness, see below). Students will be asked to purchase up to two core works.
Indicative Reading List:
The reading list will depend on the philosophical issue that will be taught in that year. Here is an example of one such contemporary topic.
Alain Badiou, Deleuze: The Clamor of Being (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999)
-- Briefings on Existence (New York: SUNY, 2006)
-- Theoretical Writings (London: Continuum, 2006)
-- ‘Gilles Deleuze, The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque’, in Constantin V. Boundas and Dorothea Olkowski, eds. Deleuze and the Theater of Philosophy (New York: Routledge, 1994), 51-69.
Peter Hallward, Badiou: A Subject to Truth (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 20 03)
-- Think Again: Alain Badiou and the Future of Philosophy (London: Athlone, 2004)
Gilles Deleuze, Difference and Repetition (London: Athlone, 1994)
James Williams Gilles Deleuze’s ‘Difference and Repetition’. A Critical Introduction and Guide (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press)
Quentin Meillassoux, After Finitude. An Essay on the Necessity of Contingency (London: Continuum, 2008)
Assessment
Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only) A: 30% B: 70%
ATTEMPT 1
First Assessment Opportunity
Component A
Description of each element Element weighting
1. Individual Seminar Presentation (15 mins). No written element 30%
Component B
Description of each element Element weighting
1. Essay (5000 words) 70%
Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)
Component A
Description of each element Element weighting
1. Individual Seminar Presentation (15 mins). No written element.
(to be arranged with module leader) 30%
Component B
Description of each element Element weighting
1. Essay (5000 words) 70%
SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT Attendance at classes is not required.
Specification confirmed by ………………………………………Date …………………………
(Associate Dean/Programme Director)