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.

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 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.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The philosophers listed are indicative. The texts chosen may deviate from those mentioned below.

The problem of change in ancient Greek philosophy – Zeno, Parmenides, Heraclitus, Democritus, Plato

Aristotle on substance – Aristotle

Cartesian dualism and responses – Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz

Idealism – Berkeley, Kant, Hegel

Materialism – Democritus, Hobbes, Marx

Neutral Monism – Spinoza, Mach

Process and the critique of substance – Whitehead

Physicalism and the place of philosophy – Sandra Mitchell, Quine, Carnapp

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
22	128

...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 activities	11	11 hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	11	11 one hour tutorials
Guided independent study	33	Assigned reading associated with lecture and tutorials
Guided independent study	10	Preparation for in-class discussion
Guided independent study	35	Preparation for assigned essay
Guided independent study	50	Exam Revision and private study

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).