Philosophy

This course will give students a toolkit for precise reasoning, which will be applicable in analytical philosophy courses but also useful across disciplines such as liberal arts and the humanities. Resources from the university of Edinburgh’s Philosophy MOOC will give an introduction to the style of lectures and readings students will experience at university, and school seminars will allow them to reflect on their experiences and learning. The course will foster independence, build confidence in research and give students the opportunity to read and review scholarly articles.

Lesson Outline: Following the initial week of lessons, the nature of the sessions will be directed by the individual interests of the students.

Week 1: The philosophical toolkit – how to spot fallacies and confirmation bias in others’ writing, and how to avoid it in your own. What is Philosophy?

Overview of areas of enquiry form which students can select 2 or 3:

• Morality – objective, relative or emotive? • The nature of knowledge • The relationship between law and moral obligation • Minds, brains and computers • Are scientific theories true?

• Whether we have free will and why it matters • The philosophy of time travel

Students reach a decision on which they would like to pursue and raise any other areas of specific interest.

Week 2: Students listen to lectures /complete readings for one area of study. Quiz undertaken and comment provided to teacher. Students submit evaluative review comments as a recording or a piece of written work. Discussion in seminar style on what has been investigated.

Week 3: Students listen to lectures /complete readings for one area of study. Quiz undertaken and comment provided to teacher. Students submit evaluative review comments as a recording or a piece of written work. Discussion in seminar style on what has been investigated.

Week 4: Students listen to lectures /complete readings for one area of study. Quiz undertaken and comment provided to teacher. Students submit evaluative review comments as a recording or a piece of written work. Discussion in seminar style on what has been investigated.