Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ANT2091: Philosophical Anthropology

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

You will acquire a familiarity with the intellectual legacy of work in philosophical anthropology beginning with Herder, and ranging through the mid-20th century school of Scheler, Plessner and Gehlen, and the phenomenology of Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty. We will then consider cutting-edge work from contemporary cognitive psychology, neurobiology, social science and ethology that provides both a kind of empirical check on philosophical claims as well as the basis for revisions, modifications and new insights. You will acquire an ability to make general, philosophical claims about the nature of being human that can be challenged and defended on both phenomenological and empirical grounds.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate familiarity with basic ideas of Philosophical Anthropology as a tradition and school of thought
2. Demonstrate familiarity with the basic ideas of several leading contemporary investigators whose work bears directly on general questions of what it means to be human
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Critically interrelate philosophical ideas with empirical findings
4. Productively apply your knowledge of human nature to problems in any other areas of philosophy
Personal and Key Skills5. Engage critically with assigned readings
6. Communicate concepts and ideas clearly both orally and in writing
7. Demonstrate an ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task