CENTRE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING - PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES

Level 1

KL 102D / KL 152D - AN INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL ETHICS AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will run in 2010/2011 as KL 102D.

Overview

The course consists of seminars, guided reading and supervised, self-directed learning. The key themes of the course will include an examination of ethical theories from western philosophy such as natural law, utilitarianism, virtue ethics and rights and how these are applied to the key principles of medical ethics such as respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice together with the virtues of everyday good practice. A historical dimension will trace the development of medical ethics and will include an examination of contemporary debates about euthanasia, abortion, animal rights, experimentation, and bioethics; what constitutes the body, the mind, birth and death, the changing perceptions of gender, how to deal with the mentally ill and the chronically incapacitated and how different religions and cultures relate to medical ethics.

Structure

One 1½ hour session per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%) made up of: Written work; one 1500 word essay on a set topic and one 2250 word essay on a topic of the student's choosing (40% + 50%). Tutorial assessment; attendance and participation (5%) and presentation (5%).

Resit: Resubmission of one or both essays.

Formative Assessment

Students will produce essay proposals, including questions and bibliographies, which staff will comment upon.

Feedback

By asseessment feed-back sheets, by email, and in person.

KL 108M - INTRODUCTION TO THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100%: 2 equally weighted essays of 2000 words.

2 essays if both original essays CAS 5 or below. If 1 original essay CAS 6 or above mark carried forward for that essay. New essay questions will be supplied.

Formative Assessment

Short assignment of 500 words defining types of knowledge to be submitted week 4.

Short assignment of 500 words explaining the difference between true belief and knowledge(or similar topic) to be submitted week 6.

Feedback

Feedback on formative assessment will be given in written form (individual) and class discussion (general).

Feedback for summative assessment will given in written form: detailed comments on an essay feedback form for each student plus class discussion for general errors and advice for improvement.

KL 108N - MORAL PHILOSOPHY

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Short assignment of 500 words defining ethical concepts to be submitted week 4.

Short assignment of 500 words explaining ethical egoism (or similar topic) to be submitted week 6.

Feedback

KL 108P - PHILOSOPHY AND THE HUMAN PERSON

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will not run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Short assignment of 500 words to be submitted week 4.

Short assignment of 500 words to be submitted week 6.

Feedback

KL 158M - POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will not run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Short assignment of 500 words defining concepts from political philosophy to be submitted week 4.

Short assignment of 500 words to be submitted week 6.

Feedback

KL 158N - INTRODUCTION TO RHETORIC AND PRACTICAL REASONING

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

Continuous assessment 100%: Three equally weighted exercises(60%) and 1 essay of 2000 words (40%.

2 essays if both original essays CAS 5 or below. If 1 original essay CAS 6 or above mark carried forward for that essay. New essay questions will be supplied.

Formative Assessment

Short exercises will be submitted weekly. Three of these will be part of the formative assessment. The rest will be practice exercises. students will be told in advance which exercises are formative.

Feedback

KL 158P - INTRODUCTION TO METAPHYSICS

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will not run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Short assignment of 500 words to be submitted week 4.

Short assignment of 500 words to be submitted week 6.

Feedback

KL 158Q - HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will run in 2010/2011.

Structure

Textbook and guidance notes for self-study
1 one and a half hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Short assignment of 500 words defining concepts in epistemology to be submitted week 4.

Short assignment of 500 words defining concepts in metaphysics to be submitted week 6.

Feedback

Level 2

KL 200T / KL 250T - LIFE, DEATH AND MEANING

Credit Points: 15
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This course not be available in session 2009/10. This course will not run in 2010/2011.

Overview

This course will critically explore questions relating to the meaning of life. Specifically, it will address five philosophical topics: (i) God, (ii) suffering, (iii) absurdity, (iv) death, and (v) ordinary life.

Structure

One 1½ hour session per week.

Assessment

1st attempt: 2500 - 3000 word essay (50%) plus 1 two-hour written exam (50%).
Re-sit: 1 two-hour written examination (50%) and 1 essay (50%). Original essay mark carried forward if CAS 6 or above. New essay to be submitted if original essay CAS 5 or below.

KL 2080 / KL 2580 - PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Credit Points: 20
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of at least 2 of the 4 level 1 core courses.

Notes

This course is available in 2010/11 as KL 2580.

Overview

This course will involve the student in choosing an area of philosophical interest relevant to an aspect of professional life, researching it, and writing an extended essay on the basis of this research. All this will be done in consultation with, and with the help and guidance of, a specially chosen supervisor from within Philosophy.

Structure

Tutorials with specially assigned project supervisor.

Assessment

1st Attempt: One 3,500 word extended essay (100%).

KL 2081 / KL 2581 - PHILOSOPHY FOR SCHOOLS

Credit Points: 20
Course Coordinator: To be confirmed

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of at least 2 of the 4 level 1 core courses

Notes

This course is available in 2010/11 as KL 2081.

Overview

This course will involve the student in researching the content area of the Scottish Higher in Philosophy and completing materials for use in school classrooms on the basis of this research. All this will be done in consultation with, and with the help and guidance of, a specially chosen supervisor from within Philosophy.

Structure

Tutorials with specially assigned project supervisor.

Assessment

1st Attempt: One 3,500 word extended essay (100%).

KL 250S - FREEWILL

Credit Points: 20
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of 2 level 1 core courses.

Notes

This course will not run in 2010/2011.

Overview

In the first six weeks this will be a taught course which will introduce the topic of freewill. Students will be introduced to the key concepts of freewill, fatalism, determinism, incompatibilism and compatibilism. The main arguments involved in establishing the various standard positions will be critically examined. During the second six weeks student will research a topic related to this debate, agreed the tutor.

Structure

1½ hour audio conferenced seminar per week for 6 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment consisting of one 3,500 word essay (100%).

Resit: One 3,500 word new essay (100%).

KL 2583 - THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS

Credit Points: 20
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of 2 level 1 core courses.

Notes

This course will be available in 2009/10. This course will not run in 2010/2011.

Overview

This course will explore the use and value of thought experiments in philosophical deliberation. Such experiments explore the ways in which extreme and unusual circumstances would change our answers to fundamental questions. For example, if you were the last human alive would you still be under any obligation to look after the planet? Or, if you had access to a teleportation machine would this be a complicated way to annihilate yourself in favour of a duplicate human? Thought experiments are used in philosophy and in the natural sciences. Their use in moral contexts, sometimes viewed as suspect, will also be discussed.

Structure

One 1½ hour audio-conferenced tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (40%) and two equally weighted essays of 2,000 words (60%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%).

KL 2584 - PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

Credit Points: 20
Course Coordinator: Dr L Clayton

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of 2 level 1 core courses.

Notes

This course will not be available in 2009/10. This course will run in 2010/2011.

Overview

The course falls into three main parts: the classic arguments for the existence of God and similar arguments employed by atheists, the problem posed for the theist by evil and morality, and the rationality of religious belief. After discussing the nature of 'religion' or 'religious belief', we will consider the problem of religious pluralism. Given the vast range of mutually incompatible religions, how can belief in or adherence to any particular one be rational? The course will conclude with a look at issues regarding the supposed conflict between science and religion.

Structure

1 one-and-a-half hour audio conferenced seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (40%) and 2 equally weighted essays of 2,000 words (60%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination.