Philosophy

2019/2020

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

4

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Sociology

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 4 module

Instructor

Levin, Sergei

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Philosophical questions are meaningful questions that do not have empirical or formal answers. The course seeks to grasp as well as answer a number of central questions in philosophy such as: - What makes moral judgments true? - What rights and liberties should people have? - What is aesthetic experience? Is it possible to provide a correct definition of art? - How might a meaningful life be possible in a purely physical world?

Learning Objectives

• Students will be able to: Describe and distinguish key philosophical concepts in the main subfields of philosophy, including concepts such as free will, mind, knowledge, good, etc. Read and comprehend philosophical texts, both classical and contemporary. Discuss core philosophical problems, such as whether there is a god, what does it mean to be conscious, are we free to make choices, what is justice, etc. Explain and defend a position on basic philosophical problems.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Able to learn and demonstrate skills in the field, other than the major field
• Able to identify scientific subject
• Able to think critically and interpret the experience (personal and of other persons), relate to professional and social activities

Course Contents

• Normative ethics
• Meta-ethics
• Aesthetics
• Personal Identity
• Philosophy of Mind
• Free Will
• Meaning of life

Assessment Elements

• Coursera
• Final exam
  The exam in the form of a test will take place on the platform Schoology.com. There will be no proctoring. All necessary information about the exam is in the syllabus

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (4 module)
  0.5 * Coursera + 0.5 * Final exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Pritchard, D. (2016). What Is This Thing Called Philosophy? London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1222339

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Kowalski, D. (2012). Moral Theory at the Movies : An Introduction to Ethics. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=463728
• Teays, W. (2012). Seeing the Light : Exploring Ethics Through Movies. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=510067