Module PHL3075 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL3075: Philosophical Readings 6
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of this module is to familiarize students with one of the key texts in twentieth-century Japanese philosophy and to see how this text can inform our thinking about a range of important philosophical topics. You will develop the skills needed to read, understand, and critically engage with a philosophical text. You will also gain familiarity with the practice of cross-cultural comparative philosophy, an understanding of challenges to doing this kind of philosophy, and an appreciation for how abstract philosophical debates can have concrete relevance to everyday life.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the main arguments of the discussed philosophical text 2. critically evaluate the validity of the arguments of the discussed philosophical text |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. read and gain a critical understanding of original philosophical texts 4. critically discuss philosophical arguments from source texts |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. analyse and evaluate difficult texts 6. communicate independent assessments of complex arguments in speaking and in writing 7. demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- What is Comparative Philosophy? Who is Tetsuro Watsuji?
- Phenomenology as Comparative Philosophy
- Part 1: Introductory Essays
- Part 2: The Fundamental Structure of Human Existence
- Part 2: The Fundamental Structure of Human Existence; Part 3: The Spatio-Temporal Structure of a Human Being
- Part 3: The Spatio-Temporal Structure of a Human Being
- Application 1: Watsuji and Environmental Ethics
- Application 2: Watsuji and Care Ethics
- Application 3: Watsuji and Psychopathology
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | 127 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 23 | 11 x 2 hour seminars, One 1 hour revision session |
| Guided Independent study | 5 | Preparation of Seminar Report |
| Guided Independent study | 44 | Weekly Readings |
| Guided Independent study | 36 | Research and write essay |
| Guided Independent study | 42 | Exam revision |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion during weekly seminars and tutorials. | 11 x 2 hour seminars | 1-6 | Oral feedback |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Exam | 50 | 1.5 hours | 1-7 | Written |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Exam | Examination (1.5 hours) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Watsuji, Tetsuro (1996). Watsuji Tetsuro’s Rinrigaku: Ethics in Japan. Trans. S. Yamamoto & R. E. Carter. SUNY Press.
Carter, Robert E. (2013). The Kyoto School: An Introduction. SUNY Press.
