Nietzsche ESPS7209
Brief Module Description
This module explores the philosophical ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche, by way of a sustained and critical examination of specific key texts. Nietzsche's influence is sufficiently broad that the course is suitable for students pursuing a wide range of disciplinary specialisations. No prior knowledge assumed. The class meets weekly in lectures and discussion classes based on specified readings.
Available to: Second Years, Final Years, and Affiliates
Prerequisites: None
Staff
MK
Area
C
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 4000
Seminars
14:00
2016_17
ESPS7210 Special Topics in Political Philosophy
Brief Module Description
For more information please see: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/esps/prospective-students/esps-ba/courses-2015-16 Staff
AG
Area
B
Term
1
Seminars
Assessment 2016_17
30 July 2015 Page 1 of 20

PHIL1010 History of Philosophy I
Brief Module Description
This course introduces students to some of the central areas of philosophical enquiry in the Western philosophical tradition by way of reading classical Greek philosophy. After a brief survey of the central claims of the Presocratics, Heraclitus and
Parmenides, the course will focus on Plato and then Aristotle. We will read some of Plato’s early thought on ethics (courage in the Laches) and knowledge (Meno), and work from his middle period on ethics (justice in the Gorgias) and metaphysics
(the theory of Forms in the Republic). For Aristotle, we will read his early metaphysics (as found in the Categories), some of his ethics (Nicomachean Ethics), his conception of causation (Physics), and his views on slavery (Politics).
Staff
FL
Area
C
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 2000
Seminars
9
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL1011 History of Philosophy II
Brief Module Description
This course provides an introduction to early modern (i.e. C17‐C18) philosophy, concentrating on selected topics in metaphysics and the theory of knowledge. Historical figures covered include Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, and Hume.
Staff
RM
Area
C
Tuesday
Term
2
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
9
14:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 2 of 20

PHIL1012 Knowledge and Reality
Brief Module Description
The course provides an introduction to epistemology and metaphysics. Each lecture will cover a central topic in an introductory way. Precise curriculum content may vary from year to year but the following topics are representative: analysis of knowledge, scepticism, perception, existence of other minds, time, freedom, causation, and personal identity.
Staff
AS
Area
A
Tuesday
Term
1
Assessment
2 short (500) 1 Long (1000)
Seminars
9
14:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL1013 Introduction to Logic 2
Brief Module Description
This module aims to introduce the student to the main ideas, concepts and techniques of contemporary first‐order logic, including syntax, semantics and natural deduction. NB PHIL1014 is a pre‐requisite for this module.
Staff
LG
Area
A
Tuesday
Term
2
Assessment
Exam 2h + HW
Seminars
5
16:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 3 of 20

PHIL1014 Introduction to Logic 1
Brief Module Description
This module aims to introduce the student to the main ideas, concepts and techniques of contemporary propositional logic, including syntax, semantics and natural deduction.
Staff
LG
Area
A
Tuesday
Term
1
Assessment
Exam 1hr + HW
Seminars
8
16:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL1015 Introduction to Moral Philosophy
Brief Module Description
An introduction to moral philosophy through the examination of key historical text. No background in philosophy is presupposed. Curriculum varies yearly; historical figures that may be covered inclue but are not limited to, Aristotle, Hume,
Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche.
Staff
MK
Area
B
Monday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 2000
Seminars
9
14:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 4 of 20

PHIL1016 Introduction to Political Philosophy
Brief Module Description
The following will provide a useful overview of political philosophy: Jonathan Wolff An Introduction to Political Philosophy; or Adam Swift Political Philosophy; and Mathias Risse Global Political Philosophy; or Chris Armstrong Global Distributive
Justice: An Introduction. The course will cover some of the material in these books.
Staff
HVW
Area
B
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 2000
Seminars
9
17:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL1017 Philosophy Tutorial: Texts and Debate
Brief Module Description
This module is designed to introduce students to a variety of central philosophical texts (including historical and contemporary texts) on fundamental topics, and to train them in philosophical debate and in essay writing. Students will be placed in tutorial groups of three or four, ensuring that everyone has a chance to participate in debate, and to receive feedback on their written work during the course. The texts studied will be drawn from an ‘Approved List’ of topics, and selected by the course tutor. Topics in the past have included scepticism; free will; our attitudes towards fictional characters; the existence of universals.
Historical authors studied have included Aristotle, Hume, Descartes, and Kierkegaard.
Staff
SR
Area n/a
Various
Term
2
Seminars n/a
Various
Assessment
Essay 2000
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 5 of 20

PHIL2030 Aesthetics
Brief Module Description
This module provides an introduction to some key topics issues in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Topics to be examined include the nature and justifiability of aesthetic judgments (how can there be a 'standard of taste'?), the aesthetic appreciation of nature, theories of the nature and value of art (can just anything count as art if you put it in a gallery?) and the ontology of artistic works.
Staff
ASavile
Area
B
Wednesday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
6
11:00
2016_17
PHIL2031 Morality and Literature
Brief Module Description
This course looks at points of intersection between moral philosophy and literature. While details may vary from year to year, it will include at least most of the following topics : Plato’s view of art; Sartre’s conception of literature; the distinction between moral and aesthetic value; sentimentality; the value of literature for moral philosophy; the question of whether the moral value of a work of literature forms part of its aesthetic value; the censorship of literary works.
Staff
ASavile
Area
B
Tuesday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
4
11:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 6 of 20

PHIL2032 Applied Ethics
Brief Module Description
This course will examine some selected topics in applied ethics.
Most, and possibly all, of the following topics will be covered: abortion, euthanasia, non-human animals, the regulation of recreational drugs, affirmative action, world hunger, rape, privacy and ‘designer babies’.
A more general and theoretical lecture will consider the concept of autonomy, as this value is so widely appealed to in this area. Students will be expected to read at least two papers for most topics, and to participate actively in the back-up seminar. Assessment will be by an two-hour examination, in which students will be expected to answer two questions. This final paper will offer a wide range of questions to choose from, but a question on each topic is not guaranteed.
Staff
SR
Area
B
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
4
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL2033 Metaphysics
Brief Module Description
This course will cover a range of central topics in metaphysics, including causation, time, persistence, personal identity, modality and possible worlds. The course will explore the relationship between these topics. We will examine such questions as: Is time real? Does time ‘flow’? What is the relation between the direction of causation and the direction of time? Is change over time compatible with self-identity? Are there possible worlds besides the actual one? Can we understand necessity and contingency in terms of what’s true at all or some possible worlds?
Staff
LG
Area
A
Thursday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
4
14:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 7 of 20

PHIL2034 Philosophy of Mind
Brief Module Description
The course covers topics in the philosophy of mind. These include the mind/body problem, but also other topics such as consciousness, perception, action, memory, and the nature of subjects.
Staff
RM
Area
A
Tuesday
Term
2
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
4
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL2035 Knowledge
Brief Module Description
This module is designed to deal with a variety of topics in epistemology – the philosophical study of knowledge. The curriculum will vary from year to year. Topics include: theories of knowledge; theories of justification or warrant; scepticism; contextualism; sources of knowledge: perception, memory, introspection, testimony.
Staff
LOB
Area
A
Tuesday
Assessment
Exam 2h
Term
2
Seminars
15:00
2
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 8 of 20

PHIL2038 Topics in Greek Philosophy: Plato
Brief Module Description
The course takes students through the central tenants of Plato’s thought by way of a survey of some of his most important works. The main text will be the Republic, with topics to be examined including epistemology, the theory of Forms, Plato's moral psychology, feminism and aesthetics. The course will also examine the challenge to the theory of Forms in the
Parmenides and the Sophist.
Staff
FL
Area
C
Wednesday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
3
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL2040 Marxism
Brief Module Description
The course will examine some of Marx’s most important writings concerning alienation, emancipation, exploitation and historical change as well as exploring the controversy concerning Marx’s attitude to justice and morality. Students will be expected to read a selection of primary and secondary sources.
Staff
JW
Area
C
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
6
17:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 9 of 20

PHIL2045 Philosophy of Language
Brief Module Description
This course will examine some selected topics in the philosophy of language. Although the precise contents may vary slightly from year to year the course will typically cover: sense and reference, definite descriptions, proper names, metaphor, the distinction between pragmatics and semantics, speech act theory and its application to the legitimacy of pornography. The course is assessed by a sit-down examination in the summer.
Staff
DR
Area
A
Friday
Term
1
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
4
10:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL2047 Ethics
Brief Module Description
This module investigates central questions of recent ethical theory. Precise contents may vary slightly by year. Some topics include: the nature of the good, virtue (e.g. justice, benevolence, courage), right, duty, pleasure, happiness and practical rationality.
Staff
DL
Area
B
Monday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
14:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 10 of 20

PHIL2048 Intermediate Logic
Brief Module Description
This module presents the main concepts and results in metalogic, covering the syntax and semantics of propositional and first-order logic. We will pay particular attention to methods of definition and proof. Students are expected to acquire the skill to produce basic proofs independently. The module presupposes familiarity with systems of propositional and firstorder logic, at the level of modules PHIL1014 and PHIL1013. The textbook for the module will be J. Zalabardo, Introduction to the Theory of Logic, Westview 2000.
Staff
JZ
Area
A
Thursday
Term
2
Assessment
Exam 2h + HW
Seminars
3
13:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL2053 Topics in Aristotle
Brief Module Description
This course offers an advanced introduction to central parts of Aristotle’s work. We will have a problem-based approach, and try to assess how Aristotle addresses his own philosophical questions. In particular, we’ll focus on connections between his Metaphysics and Physics, and also look at how these connections have implications on other branches of
Aristotle’s philosophical system. Students are expected to actively participate in class.
Staff
SA
Area
C
Monday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 2500
Seminars
TBA
16:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 11 of 20

PHIL3039 Early Wittgenstein
Brief Module Description
This module aims to introduce the student to Ludwig Wittgenstein’s early philosophy, focusing in particular on the interpretation of his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. It will also present relevant aspects of the philosophies of Gottlob
Frege and Bertrand Russell.
Staff
JZ
Area
C
Thursday
Term
1
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
1
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3042 Topics in Greek Philosophy: Aristotle
Brief Module Description
The course provides a survey of Aristotle's thought with a particular focus on his philosophy of mind and moral psychology.
After an introduction to the central tenets of his logic and metaphysics, the course will cover topics including Aristotle's views on the relation of the mind (soul) to the body, the kinds of cognitive capacities attributable to humans and nonhuman animals, the emotions, flourishing (eudaimonia), virtue ethics, the doctrine of the mean and habituation, and the role of contemplation in the good life. The main texts will be de Anima and the Nicomachean Ethics, although other texts will be consulted.
Staff
FL
Area
C
Tuesday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
14:00
2016_17
30 July 2015 Page 12 of 20

PHIL3043 Perception and its modalities
Brief Module Description
The topic of this module is the metaphysics of experience. It will explore the nature of experience by comparing different sensory modalities, specifically, vision, audition, and touch. Our starting point will be Broad's comparative phenomenology of these senses in "Elementary Reflections on Sense perception", and we will discuss contemporary papers on these senses in following up Broad's claims. All members of the class are required to prepare the reading each week. Students will be responsible for one short presentation which will be the basis for discussion.
Staff
MK
Area
A
Friday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
15:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3045 Advanced Class in the Philosophy of Mind
Brief Module Description
This module is designed to introduce advanced undergraduate students to detailed study of a central topic, or topics, in the
Philosophy of Mind. The topic(s) covered will vary from year to year. Topics covered this year will include self-knowledge and irrational behavior.
Staff
LOB
Area
A
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
11:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 13 of 20

PHIL3047A/B Dissertation
Brief Module Description
Enrolment requires approval by personal tutor. A 7,500-word essay on a philosophical topic approved by your personal tutor. Tuition involves three one-hour sessions of one-on-one supervision by a member of staff. Available both terms. Code for Term 1 = PHIL3047A, code for term 2 = PHIL3047B
The dissertation submission deadline for this module taken in the Autumn term is 1st day of 2nd term by 4.00 pm
The dissertation submission deadline for this module taken in the Spring term is 1st day of 3rd term by 4.00 pm
Staff
0
Area n/a
Various
Term
0
Seminars
Various
Assessment
Essay 7500
2016_17 yes
PHIL3050 Sartre's Philosophy
Brief Module Description
This course will focus on Sartre’s philosophical writings of the 1930s and 1940s: mainly Being and Nothingness, and some of the phenomenological writings that preceded it (for example, Outline for a Theory of the Emotions and The Transcendence of the Ego). To introduce the students to the philosophical background to Sartre’s thinking, we will begin by considering
Husserl’s and Heidegger’s versions of phenomenology, both of which influenced Sartre. The course will also consider two essays published soon after Being and Nothingness, What is Literature? And Anti-Semite and Jew, as applications of Sartre’s philosophical ideas to the cultural and socio-political circumstances of post-War France.
Staff
SR
Area
C
Monday
Term
2
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
1
11:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 14 of 20

PHIL3054 Philosophy of Religion
Brief Module Description
This module will focus each year on four or five theoretical topics in analytic philosophy of religion. Previous study of second-year metaphysics and epistemology modules is not strictly required but is advised. The following are representative topics: theistic and non-theistic explanations of the existence of the universe, biological complexity, and the
'fine-tuning' of physical constants; fictionalist and other non-realist construals of theistic language; the possibility of disembodied persons; necessity, existence and the ontological argument; the compatibility of divine foreknowledge and free will; scepticism about religious experience and scepticism about perceptual experience; testimonial evidence for the occurrence of miracles; circular justifications of epistemic practices.
Staff
RM
Area
A
Thursday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
16:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3058 Topics in German Idealism
Brief Module Description
The course focuses on central issues in the writings of the German Idealists – Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel – with special attention to the ways in which they develop and transform Kant's philosophy. Topics covered include the theory of the self, transcendental and absolute idealism, philosophy of nature, philosophy of art, intersubjectivity, and Hegel's dialectic.
Staff
SG
Area
C
Thursday
Term
1
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
14:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 15 of 20

PHIL3060 Philosophy Politics & Economics of Health
Brief Module Description
This module examines some central ethical ethical, economic and political problems facing health policy in the UK and abroad, especially in relation to social justice. Topics covered include: how to allocate healthcare resources (e.g. should the
NHS cover all new drug treatments, regardless of how expensive they are? Who should decide?); the appropriate role of the state in protecting and promoting health (e.g. should smoking be banned?); when inequalities in health and life expectancy are unfair; and special challenges posed by infectious diseases.
Staff
JGW
Area
B
Friday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
16:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3062 Metaphysics of Science
Brief Module Description
In this course, we will cover three central topics in the metaphysics of science: causation, chance and the laws of nature.
Questions to be addressed include: What are laws of nature? Are there laws other than those described by physics (for instance, are there laws of biology, meteorology, or economics)? What is the nature of chance (objective probability)? If so, do only fundamental physical laws (for example, those of quantum mechanics) generate chances, or do the laws or generalizations of biology, etc. yield chances? What is causation? How does causation relate to chance?
No background in science or probability theory is needed for this course.
Staff
LG
Area
A
Friday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
11:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 16 of 20

PHIL3063 Epistemology of Disagreement
Brief Module Description
What should you do when you learn that equally informed and equally competent reasoners disagree with you? Should you give up your beliefs, or should you stick to your views? In this course, we'll look at the recent debate in epistemology about disagreement. We will investigate the effects of disagreement on the justification of our beliefs, and explore the implications for the justification of our religious, moral, and philosophical views.
Staff
HVW
Area
B
Wednesday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3064 Early Nineteenth-Century Philosophy: 1800-1850
Brief Module Description
The course will examine philosophers from the first half of the nineteenth century. Syllabus will vary by year. Figures studied will include typically Hegel, Schelling, Schopenhauer, and Kierkegaard
Staff
SG
Area
C
Monday
Term
2
Assessment
Exam 2h
Seminars
16:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 17 of 20

PHIL3067 Philosophy of Art
Brief Module Description
The course will examine major historical writings in aesthetics and the philosophy of art, with an emphasis on Kant and classical German philosophy.
Staff
SG
Area
C
Friday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
1
13:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3082 Feminism and Philosophy
Brief Module Description
The course will examine the relationship between feminism and philosophy, with special attention to the question of how philosophy (qua epistemic inquiry) can be informed by feminism (qua political practice).
Staff
AS
Area
B
Thursday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 3000
Seminars
14:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 18 of 20

PHIL3083 Topics in Metaphysics: Causation and Modality
Brief Module Description
This course focuses on causation and modality. But what are causation and modality? Causation is easy to introduce: it's about what it means to say that something causes something else. Modality might sound more obscure at first: yet it's about familiar notions too, the notions of possibility and necessity. The goal of our seminar is to figure out how these notions connect to one another. In order to find out whether something causes something else, we often tend to consider what could possibly or necessarily happen if a given event were to happen, or not to happen. To many, this suggests that there is a close relation between notions such as possibility, necessity and causation. But what relation exactly? In this course we will explore, formulate and assess several answers to this question.
Staff
SA
Area
A
Friday
Term
1
Assessment
Essay 3500
Seminars
14:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3085 Worlds, Sentences and Measures
Brief Module Description
This module gives an introduction to set theory, the use of possible worlds in philosophy, probability theory, and modal logic.
Staff
DR
Area
A
Monday
Term
1
Assessment
3 Problem Sets and Exam
Seminars
16:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 19 of 20

PHIL3086 Applied Moral and Political Philosophy
Brief Module Description
The class will be split into teams of about six students. Each group will collectively be required to write a report of up to
10,000 words on a topic in applied moral and political philosophy, such as climate change, assisted dying, gay marriage etc looking at empirical and policy literature as well as philosophical arguments. Different groups will choose different themes.
Staff
JW
Area
B
Friday
Term
2
Assessment
Collective 10,000 project and reports
Seminars
11:00
2016_17 yes
PHIL3087 Equality
Brief Module Description
What does it mean for a society to be a society of equals? Should we strive towards and equal society, and if so, why?
Should a political society ensure an equal distribution of income and wealth, capabilities, or opportunities? Is the ideal of social equality compatible with segregation along racial or class lines?
Readings from, among others, Rousseau, Elizabeth Anderson, Ronald Dworkin, Gerald Cohen.
Staff
HVW
Area
B
Monday
Term
2
Assessment
Essay 3,500
Seminars
16:00
2016_17 yes
30 July 2015 Page 20 of 20

Key to Staff Codes
MK
DL
FL
RM
SA
LG
SG
AG
MM
VMD
LOB
SR
DR
ASavile
AS
TS
HVW
JGW
JW
JZ
Dr Simona Aimar
Dr Luke Fenton-Glynn
Prof Sebastian Gardner
Dr Amanda Greene
Prof Mark Kalderon
Dr Douglas Lavin
Dr Fiona Leigh
Dr Rory Madden
Prof Mike Martin
Prof Véronique Munoz-Dardé
Prof Lucy O'Brien
Dr Sarah Richmond
Dr Daniel Rothschild
Prof Anthony Savile
Dr Amia Srinivasan
Dr Tom Stern
Dr Han Van Weitmarschen
Dr James Wilson
Prof Jo Wolff
Prof José Zalabardo
Rules for students studying Philosophy degrees concerning breadth of areas and levels to be covered can be found on the website here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/current-students/ba-programmes/ba-accordion/summary-of-ba-regulations
Philosophy students are reminded that they can take the ESPS modules: Nietzsche (ESPS7209) and Topics in Political Philosophy (ESPSAG2) which will count as a Philosophy module.
The following modules can only be taken by students studying Philosophy degrees (Single and Combined Honours):
PHIL1017: Philosophy Tutorials and PHIL3047A/B : Dissertation
Registration for all modules is via Portico. Once Philosophy students have registered their modules spare places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
All modules are half-units (15 Credits). Modules that are coded PHIL1_ and PHIL2_ have a compulsory weekly seminar which will be automatically allocated by Portico to fit with your timetable in addition to the weekly lectures once the module selection has been approved by both departments. PHIL3_ modules run as 2 hour weekly seminars.
Modules that begin PHIL1___ are introductory level; modules that begin with PHIL2___ are intermediate level primarily for second year students; modules that begin with
PHIL3___ are advanced courses.