Philosophy (Level 3)

The Level 3 Philosophy course is divided into ten comprehensive modules:

Module One - Moral Philosophy
This module looks at central traditional and contemporary disputes in moral philosophy. People are commonly moral relativists but is this view defensible? The consequences of our actions are often thought to be morally relevant, but are they the only consideration? In this module we will look at alternative answers to these questions.

Module Two - Applied Ethics
In this module what we have learnt from the first module is applied to animal ethics, environmental ethics, and the controversy surrounding abortion. Ethical issues are always in the news and in this module we develop the philosophical skills needed to assess them.

Module Three - Political Philosophy
Here we look at the social contract and the extent to which we are obliged to obey our rulers. This takes us to classical texts by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, and important contemporary texts by John Rawls and Robert Nozick. We also consider social justice and why we should care about inequality. Should we, as Nozick thinks, accept any amount of inequality so long as people have well protected property rights?

Module Four - Epistemology
What is the basis of our belief in an external world? Can we be certain about anything? In epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, we consider the reliability of our perceptions. We draw on Descartes, Locke, Russell, Berkeley, and Kant to ask whether a mind-independent world really exists. We also look at the major contemporary contribution to epistemology made by John McDowell in his book Mind and World.

Module Five - Philosophy of Mind
Are we composed of mind and body are we merely physical things? How can you be sure that other people have minds? Are you the same person today that you were last year? These issues (mind-body dualism, the problem of other minds, and personal identity) are considered on this module, drawing on the works of Descartes, Davidson, and Wittgenstein.

Module Six - Metaphysics
In this module we consider two central themes in metaphysics. First we look at the problem of universals. Individual objects can be red, hard, and so on. People can be brave or good. But do such things as redness, hardness, courage, and goodness exist? Then we consider freedom of will. We appear to freely decide what to do from moment to moment. We make plans and try to execute them. But is free will merely an illusion?

Module Seven - An Introduction to Logic
A large part of the philosopher's task is to examine arguments. It can be important to have a grasp of an argument's underlying logic in order to assess its merits. This module introduces some of the techniques logicians use to uncover the logic behind what people say.

Module Eight - Philosophy of Religion
Does God exist? Doesn't the existence of natural disasters show that God is a myth? Is there life after death? On this module we consider these religious issues drawing on arguments in, among others, Descartes, Kant, and Aquinas.

Module Nine - Aesthetics
What is the value of art? Is it simply a matter of personal taste or are there objective reasons for liking a painting, sculpture, or novel? Should art be assessed according to its moral value or is art independent of morality? We look at these issues in light of long-standing debates in aesthetics.

Module Ten - Philosophy of History
In this module we draw on earlier modules in epistemology and metaphysics and religion to consider what history is. Is history merely a series of events or does it have larger meaning? What causes historical change? Is it individuals or larger changes in social structure? We draw on Hegel, Marx, and others to address these questions.