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| PHIL0019-1 | Contemporary philosophy
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| Duration : | 30h Th |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Arnaud Dewalque |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Course contents :
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| This course is conceived of as a general introduction to some of the major currents in contemporary philosophical theory (from 1900 to the present day): analytic philosophy and phenomenology, yet Gestalt psychology, analytic metaphysics and philosophy of mind as well. The approach developed in the course is based on three axes:
- an historical axis (the development of various philosophical traditions and schools during the 20th century): the reception and criticism of the so-called "classical empiricism" since 1900.
- a philosophical axis (the discussion of a classical issue by means of tools coming from contemporary philosophy): our perception of the external world. As Russell noticed, this issue forms a privileged access to philosophy. Argument: It is reasonable to think that the function of perception (sight, hearing, touch, etc.) is to give us access to the world or give us a grasp of it. For example, if I think there is a table in front of me, and if I attribute certain characteristics to it (such as the fact that it is grey), this is because of what I perceive. However, some events (disagreement between different accounts of perception, cases of hallucination, illusion, or dreams) seem to question the idea that perception gives us real access to the world. This problem has given rise to numerous questions: what are our grounds for saying that the table continues to exist when we stop perceiving it? Is it anything other than simply a combination of "private" sensory data? Is perceiving the table the same as knowing it exists? Etc. We will address a few of these questions and take a look at the main solutions which have been proposed.
- a metaphilosophical axis (viz. a reflexion on what philosophy is or should be): we will focus on the much-discussed status of metaphysics, wondering whether doing philosophy means seeing and describing the world or rather examining the sciences which describe the world.
Thus, giving an overview of the twentieth-century philosophical scene (see the attached conspectus), this course also aims at providing listeners with some reflexion-lines about what philosophy is in the broadest sense of the term.
- Schedule (subject to change):
- 20/09/11: Practicals; Introduction
- 27/09/11: adjourned
- 4/10/11: Preliminary distinctions - Direct Realism, Representationalism (Locke), Phenomenalism (Berkeley)
- 11/10/11: Analytic philosophy in Cambridge (Moore, Russell)
- 18/10/11: Logical Empiricism in Vienne (Schlick, Carnap)
- 25/10/11: Empiricism without dogmas - Quine
- 1/11/11: adjourned
- 8/11/11: The Oxford School (Austin, Ryle)
- 15/11/11: The Gestalt Psychology - The Graz and Berlin Schools
- 22/11/11: The Phenomenological Movement - Origins: Husserl in Halle/Göttingen
- 29/11/11: The Phenomenological Movement - Husserl and Heidegger in Freiburg
- 6/12/11: The Phenomenological Movement - French Reception (Sartre, Merleau-Ponty)
- 13/12/11: Analytic Metaphysics - The Australian and Manchester Schools
- 20/12/11: Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| General objectives:
- to provide an introductory overview of contemporary theoretical philosophy.
- to clarify a certain number of key concepts prior to a more in-depth study of contemporary philosophy (cf. course given during the 2nd and 3rd Bachelors in Philosophy: "History of contemporary philosophy" and "Contemporary philosophical texts").
- to raise students' awareness of the classic philosophical problems concerning our perceptual relationship to the world and the alternatives of idealism and realism.
Specific objectives - By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- place authors studied during class into their contemporary philosophical setting.
- explain the meaning of concepts used.
- clearly explain, using examples, the arguments in favour of a particular philosophical position covered in class.
Particular attention will be given to the correct use of terminology. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| None. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| Lectures with powerpoint presentation. Each lesson is based on some quotations of classical philosophical texts which will be made available to the listeners both in original language and in french translation. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| The course takes place in the first term, on Tuesdays from 3pm - 5 pm. Start date: 20th september. See http://cipl82.philo.ulg.ac.be/horaires |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| Set book:
- B. Russell, Problèmes de philosophie, French translation. F. Rivenc, Paris, Payot, 1989, re-edition. 2005.
This is compulsory reading for students in philosophy. It is optional for students from other orientations.
Additional bibliographical indications will be made available at the end of each chapter of the syllabus. |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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- Oral exam during the January session.
The exam will take the form of a short oral interview during which students should demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter covered in class and their understanding of the set text. Students will also be expected to clearly explain, using examples, an author's position or the significance of a concept studied during the year, but also to be able to place this author or concept in the wider context of the course (for example, by indicating to which school of thought the author belongs, etc.). |
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Organizational remarks :
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| Students enrolled in Modern Languages are welcome. Extracts of philosophical texts will be made available both in original language (English and German) and in french translation. |
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Contacts :
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| Teacher
Arnaud Dewalque
Département de Philosophie
7, place du 20-août, Building A1/2nd floor
B-4000 Liège
Phone 0032 (4) 366 55 92
E-mail a.dewalque@ulg.ac.be |
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| Items online : |
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| Conspectus |
| Glimpse of the philosophical landscape covered in this course. |
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