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Knowledge and Reality - PHIL1007
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PhilosophySpec1
 
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
 
 
School:  School of History and Philosophy
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
 
 
Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description

An introduction to some classical and contemporary philosophical questions, puzzles, and ideas about knowledge and reality. This is a course in two central areas of philosophy - epistemology and metaphysics. Philosophers could include Plato, Descartes, Berkeley, and Hume, along with many contemporary philosophers. Topics may include: (1) Metaphysics: personal identity, free will, good and evil, universals, essences, meaning of life, death; (2) Epistemology: fallibility, truth, evidence, knowledge, empiricism, causation, rationalism, knowledge of other minds, knowledge of the external world, idealism, moral knowledge.


Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to exhibit:
  • Awareness of some historically important, and some significant contemporary, philosophical ideas about the underlying nature of knowledge
  • Awareness of some historically important, and some significant contemporary, philosophical ideas about the ultimate nature of reality
  • Some facility in formulating, analysing, and responding critically to central philosophical ideas.

Assessment

  • Short essay (1000 words) - 20%
  • Long essay (1500 words) - 30%
  • Multiple choice exam - 40%
  • Tutorial participation - 10%

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