2024-2025 / PHIL0027-1

Contemporary philosophical texts

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

 Bachelor in philosophy5 crédits 

Lecturer

Arnaud Dewalque, Valentina Martinis

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course addresses philosophical problems at the heart of phenomenology and analytic philosophy. While the two traditions are classically thought of as being distinct from one another, the course will analyze this assertion and question its validity, introducing possible contact points between phenomenology and analytic philosophy. Furthermore, the course will discuss the application of these potentially differing philosophical practices. Specific problem cases of philosophy of mind will serve as the main focus of this analysis. Thus, the course will introduce and critically discuss questions surrounding intentionality, consciousness, and various types of experiences.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • identify and discuss some major debates in phenomenology and analytic philosophy.
  • contrast dans discuss differing approaches to common philosophical issues
  • assess philosophical positions and formulate individual views.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Students should be able to read philosophical texts and attend classes in English. Some of the classes will be taught in English.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures, class discussions, readings.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

The course takes place from September to December. The default teaching mode is the face-to-face mode but some classes might be taught online.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Most problems that will be addressed during the course are introduced and discussed in:

Crane, Tim. 2001. Elements of Mind. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind. Oxford: OUP, 2001.

This is recommanded reading for students who want to read a good introduction to philosophy of mind, increase their background knowledge in this field, or further develop their own thoughts on intentionality, consciousness and the capacities of the mind.

Required readings: see syllabus and the texts which can be downloaded in the "course support" tab.

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

oral exam

Continuous assessment


Additional information:

Assessment components: final grade = attendance (compulsory, ungraded, 0%) + in-class presentation and discussion (40%) + oral exam (60%).

Attendance and participation in the course

Attendance is compulsory. You are expected to participate actively. This includes :

  • participating in class discussions
  • reading the assigned text for each session
  • a brief presentation of one of the texts (see below)
In-class presentation

Brief presentation of a text on the syllabus. The presentation, either individually or in pairs, must follow the following structure: (a) problem, (b) thesis, (c) argument, (d) objections, (e) comment (the "comment" section is intended to include any other information deemed relevant). Duration (strict): 15 minutes maximum.

Oral examination

The examination takes the form of a short oral interview in which the student must demonstrate his/her knowledge of the course content. The main task will be to present in a clear and structured manner, with supporting examples, the various aspects of a philosophical problem or the meaning of a concept examined during the year. The exam consists of three questions:

Question 1: give a detailed explanation of a philosophical problem (8 points out of 20 = 40% of the final mark)
Question 2: Explain a concept (4 points out of 20 = 20% of the final mark)
Question 3: Explain a concept (4 out of 20 points = 20% of the final mark)
Skills: clarity, structure and comprehension (4 out of 20 points = 20% of the final mark)

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Schedule and assigned readings: see "course plan" (downloadable below and in the "course support" tab).

Contacts

Prof. Arnaud Dewalque / Dr. Valentina Martinis
Dpt of Philosophy
7, Place du 20-août, Building A1/2d floor
B-4000 Liège
Phone: 0032(4)366.55.93

Association of one or more MOOCs

Items online

Syllabus (description, schedule, assessment modalities)
Syllabus (description, schedule, assessment modalities)

Slides/Handouts
Slides/Handouts