Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL1010: Introduction to Asian Philosophy

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

At the end of the module you will be familiar with major Asian philosophical traditions, their historical and social background, and their central concepts as discussed in major classical texts. You will be aware of the existence of spiritual traditions concerned with the practice of self-cultivation, and understand the relationship between meditative practices and philosophical worldviews.

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. Competently illustrate the main tenets of different Asian philosophical traditions;
2. Understand and explain key concepts in classical Indian and Chinese texts;
3. Articulate your own arguments in favour of different conceptions of selfhood;
4. Explain in an informed way the relation between spirituality, philosophy and meditative practices in different Asian traditions.
Discipline-Specific Skills5. Analyze in a critical way different philosophical texts;
6. Present and discuss, orally and in writing, a variety of philosophical concepts;
Personal and Key Skills7. Illustrate and explain difficult ideas in writing and orally;
8. Analyze complex ideas and concepts and relate them to their social context;
9. Demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

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 assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Class presentation10 minutes2-9Verbal 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.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
30700

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay301370 words1-3; 5-9Written
Examination702 hours1-9Written

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 assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (1370 words)1-3; 5-9August/September reassessment period
ExaminationExamination (2 hours)1-9August/September reassessment period