University of Stirling

Philosophy

Current Students: Undergraduates

 

Core Modules and Options at Level 9

At Level 9 the Department offers:

  • two core modules, PHI9C4 and PHI9J4, available each year
  • a range of optional modules, normally available every other year.

Students intending to take an Honours degree including Philosophy, or the Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy, or a General Degree with Philosophy as their main subject, must take either PHI9C4 or PHI9J4 in the 4th Semester. Single Honours students are advised to take both modules, although they may choose to delay one until the 6th semester.

Honours students in semester 6 may take one, but not more than one, level 9 module.

Links from the titles of modules lead to outlines for them.

 

Level 9 Core Modules

Available in Spring to students in Semesters 4 and 6

Available
Code

 
Each Spring
PHI9C4
An introduction to the two formal languages of elementary logic and the logical concepts that they employ, including validity, entailment, and consistency.
 
Each Spring
PHI9J4

Moral Theory
An examination of the principal theories in normative ethics.

 

Level 9 Options

Available in Spring to students in Semesters 4 and 6

 
Available
Code
PHI9B4
 Relativism and Reality It is sometimes said that relativistic attitudes are widespread in contemporary intellectual and popular culture.  But what do such attitudes amount to?  Are they coherent?  Can there be any reason to accept them?  Are there in fact many different kinds of relativism, some of which are more plausible than others?  In this module, we will consider these and related questions.
Spring 2012
PHI9N4
It might seem strange to discuss horror films in a course on aesthetics and the philosophy of art.   After all, are horror films really art?   What is art, anyway?   A portrait by Leonardo da Vinci is usually considered art - but what about The Exorcist , or Tracey Emin's infamous unmade bed?   Artworks are usually thought to be the objects of aesthetic judgements.
PHI9R4
 Political Philosophy

Political philosophy concerns the kind of society that we ought to live in. This course will be loosely based around the themes of liberty, equality and community, though along the way we shall consider a number of related issues, such as the justification of state authority, the merits of democratic government, the requirements of justice, whether minority groups should have any special rights, and whether we have stronger duties to our co-nationals than to foreigners. The course will focus primarily on contemporary arguments, but also draw where relevant on historical thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, and J. S. Mill.
PHI9S4
 Locke and Berkeley This module offers an introduction to the metaphysical and epistemological doctrines of two of the leading philosophers from the empiricist strand of early modern philosophy.
PHI9T4
 Mind and Metaphysics

This module will investigate a range of related topics in contemporary metaphysics, including the nature of space, time, objects and persons.
Spring 2012
PHI9V4
 Marx and Marxism Karl Marx is capitalism’s most influential critic. In this module, students will gain an understanding both of Marx’s writings, and of the insights that Marxism offers for modern political philosophy and ethics.