Module PHL2011A for 2020/1
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL2011A: The Philosophy of Nature 1
This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
1. Introduction: The Meaning of Nature
2. Philosophy of Nature: A Historical Overview
3. Matter and Form
4. Causation and Agency
5. Mechanicism and Organicism
6. The Economy of Nature
7. Essence and Specificity
8. Chance and Necessity
9. Time and History
10. Substance and Process
11. Synoptic Summary
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21.5 | 128.5 | 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 | 16.5 | Weekly 1.5 hour lectures. The lectures will outline the philosophy of nature of a particular period or philosopher. Lecture notes and reading lists will be available through ELE for revision |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 5 | Fortnightly 1 hour seminars will involve reading of primary sources and discussion of prepared questions. |
| Guided independent study | 28.5 | Preparation for essay, library, research etc. |
| Guided independent study | 100 | Private study: Reading books and articles, and taking notes from them, as specified in reading lists for each seminar. Guidance on this will be provided through ELE and in the seminars. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Lecture notes and reading lists are made available through ELE.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft Essay Plan | 1,000 words | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Oral |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 40 | 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 | 60 | 2,000 words | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Written |
| Examination | 40 | 1.5 hours | 1, 2 | 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 (2,000 words) | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | August/September reassessment period |
| Examination | Examination (1.5 hours) | 1, 2 | 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.
Collingwood, R.J. ‘The Idea of Nature’ (Oxford Univ. Pr. 1945)
Cushing, J.T. ‘Philosophical Concepts in Physics’ (Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1998).
Dear, P., ‘The Intelligibility of Nature: How Science Makes Sense of the World’ (Univ. of Chicago Pr., 2006).
Sterelny, K., and P.E. Griffiths. ‘Sex and Death’ (Univ. of Chicago Pr., 1999).
Lovejoy, A.O. ‘The Great Chain of Being: A Study of the History of an Idea’ (Harvard Univ. Pr. 1936)
Koyré, A. ‘From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe’ (Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., 1957)
