Philosophy in Practice (PH137)
Module leader: Simon Scott
Room S2.49
Email: S.Scott.3@warwick.ac.uk
Office hours: Tuesday 3-4pm
Or by email appointment
Teaching Assistants:
Juan Camilo Espejo-Serna
Sander Werkhoven
Email: J.C.Espejo-Serna@warwick.ac.uk
Email: S.Werkhoven@warwick.ac.uk
Module description
The aim of the course is develop students’ philosophical, and transferable skills more
generally, by putting them into practice. The aim is to get students to engage philosophically
with current affairs and to present the fruits of that engagement in an accessible and
professional manner.
The module will be project-based: students will produce a report on a philosophical topic of
contemporary interest, e.g., ethics of climate change, assisted suicide, bringing to bear
philosophical skills and understanding acquired on the course.
This will be set against a backdrop of a series of lectures split into the following parts: (i)
informal critical reasoning, e.g., developing skills in argument reconstruction and
assessment, (ii) library research skills and presentation skills; and (iii) consideration of
philosophical treatments of contemporary issues.
Learning outcomes or aims
At the end of the module students should be able to...
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Identify and reconstruct arguments into standard form, deploying acquired logical
and interpretative skills
Accurately deploy concepts of argument evaluation
Deploy skills of argument identification reconstruction and evaluation to the
understanding and assessment of arguments presented in newspapers and
philosophical works
Fruitfully and efficiently utilise the library and other available research resources,
e.g., e-journals, in conducting independent research
Demonstrate understanding and appreciation of debates surrounding particular
philosophical topics of contemporary interest, including: e.g., assisted suicide;
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climate change and obligations to future generations; the scientific status of
psychology; and torture
Deploy philosophical knowledge in the critical engagement with current affairs
Present philosophical argument and ideas in a clear and accessible way, both orally
and in written form, and respond to criticism of philosophical argument
Employ research, presentation, logical, and interpretative skills gained on the course
in non-philosophical contexts.
Contact time
8 x 2 hours lecture; 4 x 1 hour seminar over the term, 1 x 2 hour seminar for assessment
presentations
Lectures for 2014-15
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Mondays 10am-11am H0.52
Wednesdays 1pm-2pm L4
Seminars for 2014-15
Sign up for a seminar group using Tabula if you have not been assigned a seminar group in
your induction pack.
Assessment methods
This module will be formally assessed in the following ways:
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1 x 1500 word report (75%)
1 x 500 word precis (10%)
1 x oral presentation (15%)
Module outline
Week
Lectures
Seminars and workshops
Assessment
No lectures on first day of term 1
1
Introduction to critical reasoning
SIMON SCOTT
Introduction to critical reasoning
SIMON SCOTT
2
Introduction to critical reasoning
SIMON SCOTT
Contemporary topic 1
JUAN CAMILO ESPEJO-SERNA
3
Seminar 1: critical reasoning
Presentations
JAYNE MOURINHO
Library Research Skills
KATE WILLIAMS
4
Library Research Skills
KATE WILLIAMS
Contemporary topic 2
QUASSIM CASSAM
5
Seminar 2: contemporary topic
Contemporary topic 2
QUASSIM CASSAM
6
500-word précis of report
(submitted online)
Reading week: no lectures or seminars
Contemporary topic 3
DAVID AXELSEN
7
Workshops: presentation content
Contemporary topic 3
DAVID AXELSEN
Contemporary topic 4
DAVID JAMES
8
Contemporary topic 4
DAVID JAMES
Seminar 3: contemporary topic
Workshops on presentation
(optional)
Contemporary topic 5
DIARMUID COSTELLO
9
Seminar 4: oral presentations
Oral presentations
Seminar 5: oral presentations
Oral presentations & 1,500
word report (submitted
online)
Contemporary topic 5
DIARMUID COSTELLO
10
Transferable skills
CHRIS MANLEY
No Wednesday lecture