Duration
Number of credits
| Master in philosophy, research focus | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course is devoted to analyzing a major work of the 20th century philosophy. The focus will be on argumentation and underlying general questions.
Text studied in 2026-2027: William James, Essays in Radical Empiricism (1912).
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of this course, you should be able to :
- critically and accurately analyze a contemporary philosophical text as it relates to the history of philosophy.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Participants are expected to be able to read philosophical literature in English.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Readings and class discussions. The author's arguments will be reconstructed and discussed.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Other site(s) used for course materials
- Creph (http://www.pheno.ulg.ac.be/cours/?teacher=seron&year=2026-2027&cid=acop)
Further information:
Reading the work being discussed during the current academic year is mandatory.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
I. Compulsory attendance and course participation
Attendance is compulsory. Auditors are expected to participate actively in discussions. This includes :
attending class sessions
Reading the assigned text for each session
Leading a session (alone or in pairs)
II. In-class presentation
Brief presentation of an extract from the assigned text. The presentation is free but 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).
III. Written assignment
The assignment will consist of a personal philosophical/argumentative reflection, based on a discussion of a specific thesis from the work on the program. The thesis used as a starting point should be clearly identified from the very first line (with explicit reference to the work).
The oral presentation and the written work may deal with the same extract.
The work must scrupulously respect the customs of academic literature (argumentation, complete references in footnotes, etc.). Formalia: 5 pages minimum (excluding cover page) - 8 pages maximum, line spacing 1, font Times or Times New Roman 12 pts.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Further info: http://www.pheno.ulg.ac.be/cours/?teacher=seron&year=2026-2027&cid=acop
Contacts
Enseignants:
Arnaud Dewalque, Denis Seron