Module PHL2116 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL2116: Reality, Existence and Change
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
What is the world made of? Philosophical attempts to address this question form the core of this module. We aim to explore a range of attempts to explain the nature of the world around us, in terms of its most basic constituents. Notions such as “substance”, “process”, “atoms”, “ideas” have all been central in questions of fundamental ontology and we will aim to develop a critical understanding of their place in our attempts to understand the world. We also aim to explore related questions concerning the number of types of “stuff” (i.e. the debates between pluralists and monists) - and the problem of change and stability. Is change an illusion? What features of the world (if any) are constant? Is the world simply material? We aim to critically engage with philosophical attempts to answer these questions as well as question the place of philosophy in addressing them.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Develop an understanding of the problems of fundamental ontology and a range of philosophical attempts to address these problems 2. Analyse and critically engage with a range of ontological theories, developing an understanding of issues at stake in some key metaphysical disputes over the fundamental nature of the world |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Reveal the ontological assumptions underlying of a range of areas of philosophy (e.g. mind, science) 4. Understand how metaphysical questions relate to wider philosophical understanding of the world (e.g. substance as a fundamental philosophical category) |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Grasp, and be able to articulate, the problematic nature of many of our basic assumptions about the world 6. Explain a range of problems and theories of varying degrees of abstractness, and present coherent clear arguments in response to these problems and theories. 7. 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 assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-class presentation | 10 Minutes | 1,2,5,6 | Verbal |
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 | 2000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Exam | 50 | 1.5 Hours | 1-7 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
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 (50%) | 1-7 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Exam | Exam, 1.5 hours (50%) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
