Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Bachelor in philosophy | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Topic: The Value of Consciousness.
There is a difference between experiencing something for oneself, viz. having the central position of the subject involved in the experience and experiencing the situation "from within", and adopting a more objective point of view on oneself and the world, namely, that of a disengaged spectator or external observer. Suppose you are having the visual experience of a rainbow, enjoying the nice colour palette that appears in the sky. This is a subjective experience a blind person cannot have. Someone who is born blind can only have a second-hand knowledge of the rainbow through a mere description of the latter. Contemporary philosophers tried to capture this distinction by means of various pairs of notions: acquaintance vs. description, manifest vs. scientific image, subjective vs. objective point of view, internal vs. external perspective, "first-person" vs. "third-person" approach, etc. In this course we shall adress the following questions: What exactly is the nature of this difference? What, if anything, does consciousness or subjective experience bring with it that would get lost from a more objective perspective? And what, if any, is the value of consciousness when it comes to understanding oneself, the others, and the world?
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Main purpose: to clarify some important issues of contemporary philosophy. By the end of the course, students are supposed:
- to understand what are the main philosophical options regarding the considered topics
- to see what is at stake in each of those options
- to master some conceptual technicalities
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
This course is aimed at students in Philosophy only. It is recommended to have followed the course: History of contemporary philosophy (PHIL0010-1, A. Dewalque).
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions, readings.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
First lesson: September 20, 2018.
Recommended or required readings
Reading (required for students in philosophy; optional for listeners who follow the course without being officially registered as students):
Arnaud Dewalque et Charlotte Gauvry (éds.), Conscience et représentation. Introduction aux théories représentationnelles de l'esprit, Paris, Vrin, 2016.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination: brief discussion during which you'll have to answer questions to demonstrate your mastering of the set book and of the issues addressed in class.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Arnaud Dewalque / Charlotte Gauvry Dpt of Philosophy 7, Place du 20-août, Building A1/2d floor B-4000 Liège Phone: 0032(4)366.55.93