University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Template revised October 2005)

Code: UPZPM4-30-M Title: Kant’s Critical Philosophy Version: 1

Level: M UWE credit rating: 30 ECTS credit rating: 15

Module type: Standard

Owning Faculty: Social Sciences & Humanities Field: Philosophy

Valid from: September 2008 Discontinued from: n/a

Contributes towards: MA European Philosophy

Pre-requisites: BA (Hons)

Co-requisites: None

Excluded combinations: None

Learning outcomes:

On completion of the module students are expected to demonstrate:

    1. An advanced understanding of the range and depth of the Kantian corpus and its significance in the European philosophical tradition. (A+B);

    2. An ability to engage critically, both verbally and in writing, with the Kantian corpus. (A+B);

    3. A systematic understanding of the problems generated by Kant’s critical philosophy (A+B);

    4. An understanding of the complexity of transcendental philosophy’s influence upon certain subsequent thinkers in the European Philosophical tradition (A+B).

Syllabus outline:

The aim of the module is to ensure students acquire a critical and informed understanding of the crucial elements of Kantian thought and the ongoing philosophical debates surrounding it. The intention will be to cover certain sections of his work – the ‘Transcendental Aesthetic’ and the ‘Transcendental Analytic’ of the Critique of Pure Reason, in some depth and alongside the important historical and contemporary commentaries.

Kant’s moral philosophy, from the Critique of Practical Reason, will also be discussed, since this has been so important in the tradition. The Kantian version of the concept of autonomy, for example, has largely defined the broadly liberal approach to political philosophy.

Attention will also be paid to the Critique of Judgment, which is a formative work for the philosophical movements that followed immediately from Kant.

Teaching and learning methods:

    1. Lectures will provide a detailed overview of key elements in the Kantian corpus.

    2. Seminars comprising detailed discussions of key sections of the texts along with crucial commentaries followed at appropriate junctures by student presentations.

Reading Strategy:

Students will be expected to buy the Critique of Pure Reason and to bring this with them to each teaching session. There will be no substitute for this. Other than this, students will be required to read commentaries of Kant, ensuring that they digest, note and summarise the key elements from each text so that in the seminar context they are subsequently able to engage with the question or issue at hand. Students will be advantaged if they discuss this material with others outside the seminar and lecture context, since the material is difficult to grasp and engaging with others is a good way to gain depth of understanding of the material.

Indicative Reading List:

The following list is offered to provide validation panels/accrediting bodies with an indication of the type and level of information students may be expected to consult. As such, its currency may wane during the life span of the module specification. However, as indicated above, CURRENT advice on readings will be available via other more frequently updated mechanisms.

Kant, I.(1934) Critique of Pure Reason, trans. Kemp Smith, London, Macmillan.

Kant, I. (1987) Critique of Judgment, trans. Werner S. Pluhar, Indianapolis, Hackett.

Kant, I. (1949) Critique of Practical Reason, in Beck, trans. Critique of Practical Reason and Other writings in Moral Philosophy, Chicago, Chicago University Press.

Paton, H.J. (1948) trans. The Moral Law, London, Hutchinson.

Background Reading

Alexander, G.H. (1956) The Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence, Manchester, Manchester University Press.

Commentaries

Strawson, P.F. (1966) The Bounds of Sense, London, Methuen.

Allison, H. (2004) Kant's Transcendental Idealism, New Haven, Yale UP.

Bennet, J. (1974) Kant’s Analytic, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Broad, C.D. (1978) Kant: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press.

Caygill, H. (1995) A Kant Dictionary, Oxford, Blackwell.

Glock, H. (2003) Strawson and Kant, Oxford, Clarenden Press.

Guyer, P. (2006) Kant, London, Routledge.

-- ed. (1992) The Cambridge Companion to Kant, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

-- ed. (2006) The Cambridge Companion to Kant and Modern Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Walker, R.S. (1978) Kant, London, Routledge.

Assessment

Weighting between components A and B A: 30% B: 70%

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A (Controlled conditions)

Description of each element Element weighting

    1. Individual Presentation of a core problem and criticisms (15 mins) 20%

    2. Analytical Summary of Presentation (1500 words) 10%

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 (Controlled conditions)

Description of each element Element weighting

    1. Individual Presentation of a core problem and criticisms (15 mins) 20%

    2. Analytical Summary of Presentation (1500 words) 10%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

    1. Essay (5000 words) 70%

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT: Attendance at taught classes is not required.

Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ……………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)

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